Dr. Deiadra Garrett has been selected as a member of the Committee of 100 for Economic Development.
Garrett is a pediatric general surgeon at Our Lady of Lourdes Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
She earned her medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and a doctorate in genetics from LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. Garrett completed surgery fellowships at Johns Hopkins Hospital and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and a surgery residency at Alton Ochsner Medical Foundation.
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Nathaniel Tannehill was reelected to serve as chair of the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Foundation Board.
Also reelected as officers were George “Rolfe” Miller, vice chair; David T. Perry, secretary/treasurer; and Rose J. Hudson, immediate past chair.
Kimberly Ginn and Art E. Favre were elected to serve on the board for a three-year term.
The other board members are Jeanne C. James, Brett P. Furr, Joseph B. “Beau” Olinde, Susan Blanchard, Kathryn “Katie” Graves, Shelia Sterling and Jonathan B. Bruser.
Rebecca Nelson was recognized for her leadership and dedication to Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Foundation with an appointment to the honorary position of director emeritus. Nelson served on the board since 2017.
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Bill Backstrom, a partner and tax practice group leader for Jones Walker in New Orleans, received the 2023 Council On State Taxation Paul Frankel Excellence in State Taxation Award.
The award is presented annually to individuals making outstanding contributions to the state and local tax profession.
Some of Backstrom’s career highlights include helping the state pass a tax package designed to help businesses impacted by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, leading the taxpayers’ litigation team to strike down an illegal regulation of the Louisiana Department of Revenue and working on numerous tax legislative efforts to support business retention and growth in Louisiana. He is especially proud of the growth of the Jones Walker state and local tax team and his work in mentoring the next generation of professionals.
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Paula Polito has been named winner of the Jefferson Community Foundation’s “Jefferson First” Philanthropy Award.
The award recognizes an individual who made a significant contribution to Jefferson Parish through their philanthropic giving, community service, actions, talents and dedication.
Polito is the owner of Beary Cherry Tree in Metairie and has operated the early care and education center since 1999. Beary Cherry Tree serves over 200 Jefferson Parish families.
She serves as advisory board chair for the Louisiana Department of Education, commission member for the Louisiana Early Childhood Care and Education Commission, advisory council member for Jefferson Ready Start Network, and board member for the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce.
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Rhaoul A. Guillaume Sr. has been named to the Louisiana Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Wall of Fame.
The Wall of Fame is the section’s highest award and signifies lifetime service, ASCE involvement, and evidence of character, honor and technical competence.
Guillaume is founder and president of GOTECH Inc., a professional consulting and engineering firm headquartered in Baton Rouge.
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The School of Music and Theatre Professions at Loyola University New Orleans made Billboard magazine’s list of the top music business schools for the third year in a row.
Loyola made the list, along with other acclaimed music programs such as Berklee College of Music, New York University, UCLA and the Abbey Road Institute.
“This continued recognition is an incredible honor but really a testament to the work we’ve been doing for more than three decades in our acclaimed music industry program,” said Kate Duncan, director of the School of Music and Theatre Professions and the Conrad N. Hilton Chair in Music Industry at Loyola.
The success of the Music Industry Studies program at Loyola led to the recent creation of two contemporary, commercial music performance degrees — popular and commercial Music, and hip-hop and R&B, the latter of which is the only degree program of its kind in the world.