Shannon Mejia-Flores, Denham Springs Parent
Shannon Mejia-Flores, Denham Springs Parent
“My oldest daughter, Sierra, was born in 2007. She was beautiful and the best thing that ever happened to me. Her biological father was arrested when she was six weeks old, sentenced to 10 yrs in prison, then deported & I have had sole custody of her. I have never received any financial assistance or...
Randy Boudreaux, New Orleans Lawyer
Randy Boudreaux, New Orleans Lawyer
“I was born and raised in the New Orleans area and have been a lawyer since 1995. For years, I did some insurance defense work for a firm in downtown New Orleans. I’ve been involved in things like my own practice, a mobile notary service, other things.” “Right now, membership in the Bar Association is...
Faith Crocker, Barksdale Air Force Base Senior Airman
Faith Crocker, Barksdale Air Force Base Senior Airman
Faith Crocker believes in service. The daughter of a Baptist pastor, she grew up with a deep understanding of the importance of selfless sacrifice for others. When the opportunity came to serve her country in the Air Force Reserves, she jumped at the chance and entered military training. This opportunity would take her from the...
Jessica Miller, New Orleans Barber
Jessica Miller, New Orleans Barber
“I started as a barber in 2014. My license expired in New York and I renewed it since then. That’s how long I’ve had it. My mom moved to New Orleans 7 or 8 years ago, and she had been trying to get me to move here for a while.” “I did some research and...
Jennifer Menard, Mobile Cosmetologist
Jennifer Menard, Mobile Cosmetologist
“My elderly clients are my absolute favorite. I just adore them.” “My reason for doing Glamour on the Geaux is to reach those that can’t get out” “When it came time for inspection, to get licensed, the inspector came out and she said ‘Jennifer, we don’t license mobile salons. You have the license, but...
Samantha Custer, Livingston Parish Parent
Samantha Custer, Livingston Parish Parent
“I grew up in public school, which is one of the reasons I chose private school for my children. In this area, you cannot choose the school that you want your child to go to. It is whatever school is assigned to that district. So you don’t have a choice.” “We were trying to figure...
Daltonio Elaire, Former Mobile Barber
Daltonio Elaire, Former Mobile Barber
“I’ve been cutting hair since I was 12 years old. I got my license when I was 18.” “When I finished school, I found a barber shop and I just worked there, built up my clientele, built up my reputation.” “I could stay working at the barber shop, and help build someone else’s business or...
Candy Billiot, Retired Hairdresser
Candy Billiot, Retired Hairdresser
“I have always loved cutting hair. As a child, my sisters would get mad when I cut their dolls’ hair, but before long I was cutting their hair for them and on my way to graduating beauty school.” “I started my first job at a locally-owned salon in our mall after graduating beauty school in...
Hillary Halstead-Scott and Brad Scott, Small Business Owners
Hillary Halstead-Scott and Brad Scott, Small Business Owners
“This is crushing liability.” “Louisiana makes it extremely hard to do business in the state because of the countless hours and dollars it takes to ensure accurate compliance with all of the taxing jurisdictions. It’s overwhelming, and both businesses and consumers alike suffer because of the fragmented nature of the Louisiana sales tax collection system.”...
Brandon Trosclair, Grocery Store Owner
Brandon Trosclair, Grocery Store Owner
Meet Brandon Trosclair. Brandon is a proud Louisianan and business owner who is standing up against the Biden administration and their illegal vaccine mandate on businesses. Husband, father, and grocer, Brandon wears many hats in his community. Brandon is a second-generation grocer that employs nearly 500 people with 15 grocery stores across Louisiana and Mississippi. His...
Ursula Newell-Davis, Social Worker
Ursula Newell-Davis, Social Worker
“My motto is changing lives one client at a time.” “I’ve been a social worker for over 20 years. I’ve worked a lot, I’ve done a lot, now it’s my time to give back – now it’s my time to help these children of our future know that there’s someone that’s listening.” “A lot of...
Kathy Baldridge, President of the Louisiana Association of Nurse Practitioners
Kathy Baldridge, President of the Louisiana Association of Nurse Practitioners
Kathy Baldridge is a family Nurse Practitioner in Pineville, LA. She is also the President of the Louisiana Association of Nurse Practitioners. 95 percent of Louisiana is a health care shortage area, so patients in Louisiana do not have access to quality health care. Kathy explains how collaborative practice agreements are a hindrance to access...
Jarett & Kallie Landry, The Gym of New Iberia
Jarett & Kallie Landry, The Gym of New Iberia
Jarett and Kallie Landry are a husband and wife team who own The Gym of New Iberia, LLC. In this Faces of the Shutdown story, they tell us how the state’s decision to close the economy has impacted their business and also share their concerns about the threat of forced closures in the future.
Jose Villeda, JLV Construction
Jose Villeda, JLV Construction
Jose Villeda came to America in search of opportunity. He moved to New Orleans, began working, and eventually built his own business, JLV Construction, from the ground up. In this Faces of the Shutdown story, Jose discusses how the state economic shutdown has impacted him and his business, from financial concerns to employees choosing unemployment benefits...