Lake Charles, Louisiana, Aug. 4, 2023– New board members and officers were elected at the CHRISTUS Ochsner Southwestern Louisiana Foundation Board of Directors meeting on May 18, 2023. The Foundation oversees the philanthropic efforts of CHRISTUS Ochsner St. Patrick and CHRISTUS Ochsner Lake Area Hospitals, which includes Children’s Miracle Network.
Leading the Foundation for the upcoming 2023-2024 fiscal year is Chair, Blake Soto. Blake has served on the Foundation Board since 2019 and is part of the Investors Group of Louisiana, a commercial real estate brokerage and management company. He earned his bachelor’s degree of arts from McNeese State University. He is licensed by the Louisiana Real Estate Commission and has earned the designation as a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM). Blake is a native of Lake Charles and is very active in Southwest Louisiana.
Joining him on the Executive Committee are Dr. Eddie Hebert, Vice Chair; Dorothy McDaniel, Secretary; Natalie Garrison, Treasurer; and Members-at-Large Elizabeth McLaughlin, Josh Robinson and Jim Davidson, President & COO, CHRISTUS Ochsner Health Southwestern Louisiana.
New Board Members are Laura Weatherford Fontenot, Teacher, Kinder Middle School; Jason French, Principal/Executive Director, French Strategic Partners; Chad Miller, President/CEO, Southwest Louisiana Credit Union; Nina Sirak, Vice President of Finance, L’Auberge Casino Resort and Victor Wukovits, CEO, Bayou Technologies.
Returning members to the Board of Directors are Greg Hennagin; Clair Marceaux; Anne Miller; Laura O’Connor; Sr. Helena Adaku Ogbuji; Ron Richard; Creed Romano; Faith Scott; Courtney Storer and Velika Hurst Trahan.