• Sleep Care Clinic

Dr. Samreena Sara has opened the Sleep Care Clinic in Ashley Ridge Business Park. Sara is a board-certified sleep specialist through the American Board of Family Medicine and is accepting new patients.

Sleep-related issues such as sleep apnea, insomnia, narcolepsy, parasomnia and restless legs will be treated.

Located at 8835 Line Ave., Ste. 400 A, Shreveport, LA. (318)-657-0187.

Acquisitions

• Post Acute Medical Care

Post Acute Medical, L.L.C., (P.A.M.) has acquired nine longterm acute care hospitals from LifeCare Holdings, including two in Louisiana. The company plans to employ key staff members of LifeCare.

LifeCare Hospitals of Shreveport Pierremont Campus will operate as P.A.M. Specialty Hospital of Shreveport South, and LifeCare Hospitals of Shreveport-North Campus will be identified as P.A.M. Specialty Hospital of Shreveport North.

Leadership

• B.B.B. Elects Board for 2020

The Better Business Bureau serving Northeast and Central Louisiana and the Ark-La-Tex elected Carl Bullard, Gateway Tire & Service Centers, as chairman of the board for 2020. Also elected were Paul Pratt, Allstate Insurance Company, vice chairman; Stacy Dart, Citizens National Bank, secretary-treasurer; Jarrod Horton, Anti-Pest, past chairman; Ricky Rogers, East Ridge Country Club, and Mark Montgomery, Montgomery Realty & Development, executive committee.

Other officers elected were Andrew Fisher, president & C.E.O.; Robin Guenard, vice president-operations; and Bob Davis, vice president-sales director.

Re-elected as board members were Lisa Janes, Town Square Media Shreveport-Bossier; Matt Locke, Locke Properties Inc.;

Tim Magner, Shreveport Chamber of Commerce; Dwayne Butler, Red Carpet Employment Agency, Texarkana; Joe Murray, Ouachita Valley Federal Credit Union, West Monroe; and Mike Upton, Upton, Draughon, & Bollinger, LLC., Alexandria.

Awards & Recognition

• Murphy Honored by Forbes Magazine

Kevin L. Murphy, C.F.P., a private wealth advisor with Ameriprise Financial in Shreveport, was named to the list of “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” published by Forbes magazine. The list recognizes financial advisors who have demonstrated high levels of ethical standards, professionalism and success in the business.

The rankings are based on data provided by over 11,000 of the nation’s most productive advisors. Murphy was chosen based on assets under management, industry experience, regulatory and compliance record, and revenue produced over three years. Murphy is part of Laveer Wealth Management, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services Inc.

Murphy has 37 years of experience with Ameriprise Financial. For more information, please contact Murphy at 318.861.3521 or visit the Ameriprise office at 738 N. Ashley Ridge Loop, Shreveport, LA 71106.

Appointments

• Centenary Names Soul as Provost and Dean

Dr. Karen Soul has been appointed to the permanent position of provost and dean of Centenary College. Soul has served in both roles in an interim capacity since the departure of former provost Dr. Jenifer K. Ward in July 2019.

Soul came to Centenary in 2003 as an instructor in the education department and advanced to the position of vice provost for academic affairs in 2012. She earned a B.A.S. in elementary education and an M.Ed. with a concentration in language arts at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and a Ph.D. at the University of Texas.

As provost, Soul is the chief academic officer of the college and works to ensure a quality integrative curricular and cocurricular experience for students.

• Community Grants

The Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners (NWLAMG) introduced this year’s recipients of the NWLAMG Community Grants. The awards are given to organizations and municipalities that support beautification and horticultural education within the community.

The NWLA Master Gardeners awarded a total of $15,701 in grants. The recipients of the community grant program are Bon Chase DAR Chapter, Caddo Career & Technology Center, Northwest Louisiana Veteran’s Home, Red River Parish School Board, Renzi Education and Art Center, St. George Episcopal Church, Shreve Memorial Library and the Village of Mooringsport.

Receiving the largest grant is the Shreve Memorial Library for its planned Broadmoor Branch beautification project that will revitalize the green spaces, common areas and walkways around the facility with a unique mix of trees and shrubbery.

The NWLA Master Gardeners launched the program in 2011 as a way to give back to the community in recognition of the support given each year for Le Tour des Jardins, the Fall Bulb Sale and Spring Plant Sale. The mission of the Master Gardeners is to educate the public about gardening and engage the community in horticultural pursuits. The grants allow them to multiply their efforts by aiding and funding projects envisioned, implemented and maintained by other groups.

For more information on the Community Grant Program or each individual grantee, please call the NWLA Master Gardeners at (318) 698-0010.

• Registration open for ninth annual Film Prize

Seasoned veterans and aspiring actors, directors and producers united at Robinson Film Center on Jan. 17 to celebrate the opening of registration for the ninth annual Louisiana Film Prize.

Gregory Kallenberg, executive director of the Prize Foundation, greeted the crowd and celebrated a record year at Film Prize 2019. More than 5,000 people attended last year’s festival. Filmmakers from across the United States and one from Australia competed for the $50,000 grand prize, which was won by Shreveport’s James Harlon Palmer and his film “Anniversary.”

Kallenberg expects the competition to be stronger in 2020.

“Film Prize 2020 is shaping up to be bigger and better than ever,” he said in a news release. “We’ve never seen so much excitement from the indie filmmaking world, and we expect that to yield more films from more filmmakers. And the best part is that all the Film Prize films will be made right here in northwest Louisiana.”

The $50,000 grand prize is the largest cash prize for a narrative short film. Competitors also can receive acting awards, filmmaking grants and distribution deals with regional film festivals.

To qualify, films must be shot in northwest Louisiana, including Caddo, Bossier, Webster, DeSoto, Bienville, Claiborne, Red River, Natchitoches and Lincoln parishes. Rough cuts are due to the Film Prize office on July 14. Filmmaker registration is open at lafilmprize.com.

Since launching in 2012, the awardwinning Film Prize has encouraged and incentivized filmmakers to choose Shreveport and northwest Louisiana as a place to make movies and try out new ideas, leading to the creation of over 600 short films featuring the work of thousands of creative entrepreneurs resulting in over $20 million in economic impact in eight years.