THE annual Young Professional Initiative’s 40 Under 40 Awards is back for its tenth year of honoring local men and woman in the industry who have not only excelled in their careers, but in their community.
Emerie Eck Gentry, donor relations manager, Bossier Arts Council, believes the 40 Under 40 Awards is a wonderful opportunity for young people in the Shreveport-Bossier area. “The Young Professional Initiative’s 40 Under 40 Awards is an amazing chance to showcase the plethora of talented and driven young professionals that we have living and working in the Shreveport-Bossier community,” Gentry said, who served as YPI president from 2014-2016.
“This year marks our 10th anniversary of the 40 Under 40 Awards, and with this class, we will have honored 400 young professionals. If you go back and look at all of the honorees, you will see how impactful they all have been on this community,” Gentry said. “They might have even helped you personally.
In their professions, they strive to be the best, they have excelled in their education and professional development endeavors, and they continue to give back abundantly through their philanthropic outreach missions.”
The Forum magazine is proud to celebrate its tenth anniversary of sponsoring this award. “It’s been a remarkable privilege to encourage, support and recognize the young professionals in our area. It’s our goal for them to remain here, as part of this community, and to grow into leadership roles. It’s so important to encourage this exemplary group as they become more deeply engaged in our region and its future,” Jay Covington, publisher and president of The Forum, said. “With the 40 Young Professionals of 2016, there is now a sum total of 400 recognized, exceptional people contributing to and growing our business class.”
Dr. Timothy J. Magner, president, Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce, also believes these awards are a worthy way of saluting excellence. “The 40 Under 40 is a great way for us to recognize young professionals who are stepping into leadership roles in our community,” Magner said. “By celebrating achievement in both their professional and civic lives, the 40 Under 40 Awards drives home the notion that engaging in your community and giving back are key leadership traits.”
Behind each of the 40 award winners are 40 different lives with unique tales to tell. “Personally, I love meeting these 40 individuals and hearing their stories,” Gentry said. “Then, watching them form bonds with their other 40 Under 40 classmates and work together and support each other to make our community even better is quite a sight to see!” “I hope that this prestigious award serves as a catalyst in the careers of young professionals in our community. I also hope that it will help people continue to foster good relationships, while encouraging teamwork, mentorship and a sense of not only community awareness, but ownership,” Gentry said. “The more we put into our community, the better it will be. That’s what I see these honorees do on a daily basis and hope to see for years to come.”
“The 40 Under 40 Awards energize our community by giving younger professionals a forum for both community building among their peers and external recognition from outside their peer group,” Magner said. “By celebrating success and recognizing civic engagement, the 40 Under 40 creates both an awareness of younger professionals and inspires others to strive to assume the mantle of leadership in our community. These young professionals are not just the emerging leaders of today, they are helping to chart the future direction of Shreveport-Bossier.”
Lisa Johnson, president/CEO at Bossier Chamber of Commerce these past 12 years, fully supports the 40 Under 40 Awards. “The 40 Under 40 Awards are a critical component of Northwest Louisiana to ensure that we continue on a path of innovation and growth for a diverse economy,” Johnson said.
“It’s always fascinating to learn what events led these award winners to their success so young in their life,” Johnson said. “The devotion, dedication and passion that is seen in these individuals are attributes to be admired by those young and old alike.”
As wonderful as these awards are for the individuals receiving them, at the end of the day, it’s about passing the mantle. “Ideally, these awards will continue to grow, and as the 40 Under 40 alumni move into more senior leadership positions in our community, they will reach back to provide mentorship and greater opportunities to the next generation of young professionals,” said Magner.
And when that happens, it’s an award for the entire city.
Katie BurSley is the director of catering at the Petroleum Club of Shreveport. She joined the team in September 2013 after relocating to Shreveport from Nashville, Tenn., with her husband. Since then she has developed her creative and communication skills for the mutual benefit of the Petroleum Club and her clients. Ms. Bursley received her degree in public relations and business administration from Belmont University. Her background in PR helped bring the Petroleum Club into the 21st century via social media, and she continues to serve a supportive role to their marketing efforts. Ms. Bursley completed the LANO Community Leaders Program in 2015 and serves as the social chair to the Young Professional Initiative and co-vice president of public service for PRAL. She was PRAL’s 2015 Member of the Year, due in part to her role in focusing fund-raising efforts to collect more money than ever for their philanthropy in 2015, the Volunteers for Youth Justice. She has also volunteered with the Lions Before School Eye Exams and served as vice president of public service for the LA Film Prize and Startup Prize. Bursley is an active member of Grace Community United Methodist Church.
Mario Chavez has lived in Shreveport for two decades, except for the brief times spent in training after enlisting in the United States Army. Chavez, who proudly served his home state in countless humanitarian missions including Hurricanes Lily, Katrina, Rita and Gustav, deployed to Iraq as a corporal and communications specialist and was nominated as soldier of the year to represent the 165th Quarter Master Battalion. After 12 years of service, Chavez hung up his combat boots and focused on building his business. Now the owner of a successful merchant service sales office, Chavez currently handles a portfolio of over 1,000 clients that he personally started from his very first customer. He also manages a pipeline and has sales offices in St. Louis, Shreveport and Denver. After three years of being a civilian, Mario felt the urge to serve again, this time in a new way. He was proudly elected as Caddo Parish's first Latino commissioner as a result of his desire to be involved. Chavez is a member of the Southern Hills Business Association, the Shreveport Chamber of Commerce, and the NRA and Coastal Conservation Association. He also has a heart for youth and volunteers as a mentor for the Youth Challenge Program.
John h. chidloW Jr., ph.d., is the cofounder and CEO of Innolyzer Labs, LLC. Dr. Chidlow received his B.A. in biology at Baylor University, where he was president of the Delta Gamma chapter of Kappa Alpha Order, and received his M.S. and Ph.D. from LSUHSC-Shreveport. He later did a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Pharmacology at Yale University School of Medicine (2012) and received the Dean’s Award for excellence in graduate studies and a Ruth Kirschstien post-doctoral research award. Upon leaving academia, he became the operations manager at Syn Maxx II, LLC, where he was involved in business planning, sales, directing research and development efforts, and financial management. During this time, Dr. Chidlow also created and managed his first company, J. Chidlow Consulting, LLC. Currently, he is developing breakthrough analytic devices for market. The initial focus is on the analysis of the hydrogen sulfide content of liquids, and the company plans on moving into gas detection and the detection of other gaseous molecules for future products. Dr. Chidlow is a member of the board of directors at Cohabitat Foundation and is on the advisory board for Segue Therapeutics and RNvention. He values the art of hard work and dedicates significant time to the development of an inclusive and cohesive entrepreneurial community in Northwest Louisiana.
Caheerah Nadiyah El-Amin Clark was born in Shreveport and is the second oldest in a large family of six kids. A proud wife to Damien and a loving mother to their children, El-Amin Clark is a woman on a mission to educate. She graduated from Northwestern State University in 2006 with a B.A. in health and exercise science, then moved to New Orleans, where she began her desired career in teaching. In 2011, she graduated from Xavier University with a Master of Arts in teaching special education. After six years of teaching in the Recovery School District of New Orleans, she returned to Shreveport and completed the educational diagnostician certification program through Northwestern State University. In the fall of 2012, she began her career as an educational diagnostician with Bossier Parish and started the Doctorate of Educational Leadership program with Louisiana Tech University. But that wasn’t
enough to satisfy her deep love of teaching. So, in the summer of 2016, she opened her own tutoring company called The Brain Gym: A Mental Workout Facility. El-Amin Clark is a member of Avenue Baptist Church, the Bossier City Chamber of Commerce, the Council for Educational Diagnostic Services, the Council for Exceptional Children and the Shreveport-Bossier African-American Chamber of Commerce Urban Progressive Committee.
Originally from New Jersey, Megan Davenport is quick to point out that, according to people outside of the United States, any American could be called a Yankee. She graduated from Arkansas School for Mathematics, Science and the Arts and came to Louisiana to attend Tulane University. After completing her M.B.A. at Louisiana Tech University and while serving as a duchess during the Carnival season, Davenport became convinced that Louisiana was her new home. Initially hired by LSU Health Shreveport as an academic coordinator for sleep medicine, her duties have grown to include the neurology/ neurosurgery clerkship and neuroscience course work. Davenport, however, is perhaps better known for what her “duke” calls her “woman about town” lifestyle, where she rallies friends to join her at the Robinson Film Center or gathers ladies to decorate elaborate hats for the Derby Day at the Norton Art Gallery. Davenport is also a familiar face where she ushers at the Shreveport Opera, the Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet, the Shreveport Little Theatre, the East Bank Theatre, the Shreveport Symphony and the Strand. Davenport volunteers with Step Forward Literacy, Common Ground, Louisiana Startup Prize, Slow Food North Louisiana, YPI of Shreveport, the Cinderella Project, Mudbug Madness and the Pink Boots Society.
Erica Callais Falbaum is a born and raised Cajun from the small town of Cut Off, La., with a heart for the underdog – literally. An educator, an animal hero and an avid volunteer, Falbaum attended Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, where she majored in photography before the film industry brought her to Shreveport. Since then, she has worked as a costumer, a specialty costumer and served as executive assistant at Millennium Studios. Her love for people and pets led her to initiate PEP! The Pet Education Project, which has become the nation’s leading nonprofit organization that teaches children about responsible pet ownership and has reached over 100,000 kids since its inception. She is a published author, creator and editorin-chief of Happy Tails Magazine. Her other works include a children’s book, “PEP! Squad, The 5 Steps to a Happy and Healthy Pet,” and she is a contributor for People Magazine. Falbaum is also a producer and actress for Moviesauce films, where she has produced two feature films, three short films and a TV pilot. She also serves as executive assistant for the Ballengee Foundation serving under local philanthropist Waynette Ballengee. Falbaum and her husband live on Lake Bistineau with their five four-legged children, Kingsley, Joey, Delilah, Cousteau and Pris.
Brian C. Flanagan is an associate attorney at Blanchard, Walker, O’Quin & Roberts, APLC, in Shreveport with a heart for law and his community. His practice primarily involves general civil litigation and appellate representation. Flanagan graduated magna cum laude from LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 2013, where he was a member of the Louisiana Law Review. Prior to law school, he received a Master of Arts in liberal arts from LSU Shreveport and a Bachelor of Music from the Berklee College of Music. He is a member of the American, Louisiana State and Shreveport Bar Associations, is a fellow of the Louisiana Bar Foundation and an associate member of the Harry V. Booth – Judge Henry A. Politz American Inns of Court. Flanagan currently serves as vicechair of the litigation section for the American Bar Association Young Lawyer Division, as well as on the advisory board of the Renzi Arts and Education Center in Shreveport. He recently served as chairman for Law Week 2016 and completed a term of service on the board of directors for Catholic Charities of North Louisiana. He also serves as one of Blanchard Walker’s representatives to the Independence Bowl Foundation. Flanagan is a participant in the Greater Shreveport Leadership Program’s 2016 Leadership Class and a reviewing editor for “Louisiana Mineral Leases: A Treatise.”
Allison Colomb Foster is a New Orleans native who settled in Shreveport in 2012.
She is an attorney at the Shreveport firm of Cook, Yancey, King & Galloway, A.P.L.C. and received a Bachelor of Science degree in general business from Louisiana State University, magna cum laude and her Juris Doctor degree from LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center. She was admitted to practice law in Louisiana in 2009. Professionally, Foster is active in the Louisiana State Bar Association, where she was a member of the 2014-15 Leadership LSBA Class. She currently serves as the District 8 Representative for the LSBA Young Lawyer’s Division Council, where she chairs the Barristers for Boards committee. She also serves on other committees within the LSBA, including the Legislation Committee, the Committee on the Profession and the Outreach Committee. Foster is also a member of Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel, currently serving as a board member for the North Louisiana District, District 2. Locally, Foster is a member of the Shreveport Bar Association and Shreveport’s Red Mass Society and has a heart for volunteering with Holy Angels Champions for Individuals with Disabilities. Foster and her husband are parishioners at St. Joseph Catholic Church and are eagerly expecting baby number two in December.
Sarah Giglio chose law because she wanted to make a positive impact in people’s lives. Graduating magna cum laude from Texas A&M University and earning her Juris Doctorate cum laude from Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law, Giglio’s dedication to her clients remains the driving force behind her practice. During law school, she served as staff editor and president of Dedman’s International Law Review. As a student member of the Association for Public Interest Law, Giglio earned a stipend to do public interest work. The following year, as vice president, she took a leading role in the efforts to provide future stipends to law students seeking public service internships. Her litigation experience began with an active role in the clinics offered at SMU. After clerking at a civil litigation firm and obtaining an internship with the Dallas District Attorney’s Office, she found herself drawn to the practice of criminal law. Giglio began her career in criminal defense as an associate at Rosenthal & Wadas and practiced until she moved to Shreveport and began her career at Elton B. Richey & Associates. Giglio is licensed to practice law in Louisiana and Texas, and is a member of the Shreveport Bar Association, Business Network International, Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the National College for DUI Defense and the Junior League of Shreveport-Bossier.
Jesse Gilmore raises funds for good people and for even greater causes, and works tirelessly to build a better Louisiana. A native of Cape Cod, Mass., he adopted Shreveport as his home eight years ago when he attended and graduated from Centenary College, where he serves as an Alumni Council member. Currently, Gilmore serves as the director of development for the LSU Health Sciences Foundation, an organization that supports the LSU Schools of Medicine, Allied Health and Graduate Studies. In his spare time, Gilmore is the state codirector of New Leaders Council, a 501(c) (3) leadership development non-profit, and he also co-owns Pelican Blue Consulting, LLC. On Friday evenings you can find him at Wine Country, and on Saturdays in the fall, Tiger Stadium. Gilmore is the treasurer for the Louisiana Budget Project, a board member for the NORLA Restoration Project, Rotarian for the Shreveport Rotary Club and executive board member for the New Leaders Council. Some of Gilmore’s greatest achievements in his work at LSU Health Sciences Foundation include fundraising trips to 15 cities in five states and the District of Columbia, conducting over 200 face-to-face solicitation meetings with donor prospects in 17 months, and raising $40,000 through online platforms.
