BP & Shell Encourage Leadership Through LA Youth Seminar

Last week, Shell and BP joined other corporations as sponsors of the 49th annual Louisiana Youth Seminar (LYS). LYS is a week long leadership camp for high school students held at Louisiana State University every third week of July. During the week, students participate in skill-building activities focused on leadership. Through the activities and a series of hands-on experiences, they’re encouraged to use their newly developed skills in a group setting, which aims to help them discover that leadership is more than a position or authority, but a matter of action. 

“The Louisiana Youth Seminar is grateful for the continuous support from corporations like Shell and BP. The seminar would not be possible without their longtime generosity and commitment to the program,” said Jo Pease, co-founder of the Louisiana Youth Seminar. “They are granting students the opportunity to become effective, strong leaders who will create a bright future for our state.” 

“LYS strives to keep the seminar affordable for potential high school leaders. The seminar relies on the generosity of sponsors to both underwrite the program and provide scholarships for students who may not be able to afford the tuition fee. This year, the industry companies sponsored almost 90 student participants. Both Shell and BP have served as sponsors of the program for many years, showing their unwavering commitment to the future of Louisiana. LYS 2019 had about 300 students from 125 different high schools attend. To learn more about LYS, visit their website at LouisianaYouthSeminar.org or visit their social media pages @LouisianaYouthSeminar. “

LEARN MORE

Loren Carriere, Life Achievement Awardee 2019

Loren Carriere was born and raised in Opelousas, LA. 

 Loren was a 1999 graduate of Beau Chene high school, but his loving family and large support system did not protect him from the struggles many of our youth face.  At a young age he found himself in jail and addicted to drugs. There, at his lowest point, he called out for help, finding love and forgiveness from people he will frankly say, “should not have helped him.”  In this recovery Loren found the love of Christ, went to college, and put down roots in Opelousas.

 Loren took this new start as an opportunity to finish with a degree in General Studies at the University of Louisiana in 2005 where he was named the Outstanding Graduate of his class. Following graduation, he channeled his passions for ministry, the outdoors, youth, and his hometown into Hope for Opelousas.   

 Since co-founding Hope for Opelousas (HFO) in 2008, Loren has grown the program from 12 students in the 4-8th grades to a vibrant community partner and a philanthropic example throughout Acadiana. He leads a committed staff that are there for the kids and families of Opelousas children. Eleven years later HFO has grown to serve 100 kids in 1st-12th grades. 

 What is unique about Loren’s ability to connect with and make such an impact on a young person’s life is his belief in the premise that “Love Changes Everything.”  Like the unconditional love of a parent, Loren and his staff work with each individual child and their family. Loren loves Opelousas and works every day to make it a better place for his four children and for his HFO kids as well.  

Loren has channeled his work at HFO to include community-wide development efforts. He has served in local churches and is a past chair of the St. Landry Parish Chamber of Commerce. He has been recognized statewide as a 2016 Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation Angel for his work with Opelousas youth, was awarded the Our Lady of Lourdes Franciscan Medal of Honor in 2015, and in June of 2019 was selected as a Father of the Year Honoree by 100 Black Men of Greater Lafayette.

Loren and his wife Tory and their four children, Ivy, Autumn, Loren Jr., and Jesse live near Opelousas Junior High and are renovating an old house built in 1920’s and they plan to impact Opelousas for many years to come. 

Kimberly Lewis Robinson, Secretary of Revenue, State of Louisana

DREAM STATE SPEAKER

Secretary Robinson is a 1998 graduate of the LSU Law Center. She attended LSU where she received her B.A. in Political Science in 1993 and a M.A. in Public Administration in 1995. 

 Before becoming Secretary of Revenue, Ms. Robinson was a partner in the Tax & Estates Practice Group at Jones Walker, LLP focusing primarily on state and local tax matters, economic development financing, incentives and government relations.

Before joining Jones Walker, Ms. Robinson served as Special Counsel for the Office of the Governor of the State of Louisiana, where she provided legal counsel to Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco and served as Senior Policy Advisor on Revenue, Economic Development and Insurance Policy. She also worked for six years at the Louisiana Department of Revenue, serving as Assistant Secretary for the Office of Legal Affairs and Confidential Assistant to the Secretary. From 1998-2000, she served as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Justice Bernette J. Johnson of the Louisiana Supreme Court. 

 Secretary Robinson currently serves as a board member of the Federation of Tax Administrators Board of Trustees. She was the 2016-2017 President of the Southeastern Association of Tax Administrators (SEATA) and is a highly sought-after speaker on matters involving income, franchise, sales/use, severance, ad valorem property, and other tax issues. Since 2016, she has been a member of the Sales Tax Streamlining and Modernization Commission, the Task Force on Ad Valorem Tax Structure, and the Transportation Infrastructure Funding Task Force. She co-chaired the Task Force on Structural Changes in Budget and Tax Policy and currently chairs the Louisiana Sales and Use Tax Commission for Remote Sellers and the Louisiana Retail Food and Beverage E-Commerce Task Force. 

 Ms. Robinson was State Tax Notes Notable Person of 2017. She was listed in The Best Lawyers in America in 2015 in the area of Tax Law, and in the 2014 edition of Louisiana Super Lawyers in the area of Tax. She has chaired the Section of Taxation for the Louisiana State Bar Association. In 2015, she received the Distinguished Achievement award from LSU Law Center and the Diversity Journal recognized her as one of the “Women Worth Watching.” In 2016, The LSU E.J. Ourso College of Business Public Administration Institute honored Ms. Robinson as the Distinguished MPA Alumnus. 

Robert Holleyman, No Man Is An Island Awardee 2019

Delegate Year: 1972, Alfred M Barbe High School, Lake Charles, LA

Ambassador Robert Holleyman is the president and CEO of CROW-WELL & MOOR-ing International and a partner in the law firm. He advises companies on topics of global trade, cyber security and investment practices.

Ambassador Holleyman has assisted the United States Government through numerous boards, time in the Senate and Presidential appointments, and most notably served as Deputy U.S. Trade Representative from 2014-2017, with the rank of Ambassador. 
 
Ambassador Holleyman began his long career of government service, here in the great state of Louisiana, by serving as Judicial Clerk to a U.S. District Judge in New Orleans and later as Legislative Director to United States Senator Russell B. Long.

Ambassador Holleyman has testified frequently before Congress, international bodies, and on media interviews regarding topics of innovation, emerging markets, and intellectual property. 

He was named by Managing IP magazine as one of the “50 Most Influential People” in the intellectual property world and by the The Washington Post as a key private sector player in cybersecurity policy.

Please give a BIG L-Y-S SuperGREAT to Ambassador Robert Holleyman!