Ben Berthelot of Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission Discusses Impact of COVID-19 on Tourism and Entertainment

Ben Berthelot has served as Executive Director of the Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission since 2012 and in that role, is an enthusiastic and effective spokesperson for the restaurants, hotels, and related industry tourism professionals that support our region’s unique cultural attributes. In this episode of Discover Lafayette, Ben visits with Jan Swift about the […]

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Leigh Rachal of Acadiana Regional Coalition on Homelessness and Housing – A Wakeup Call on Need for Longterm Community Investment

“Homelessness is one paycheck away for many people in America and Covid-19 is really testing this,” says Leigh Rachal, Executive Director of Acadiana Regional Coalition on Homelessness and Housing (“ARCH). Leigh has served in this capacity for four years and each day she is guided by her “belief in the wild idea that housing is […]

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Olivia Savoie of Raconteur Story Writing Services – Preserving Memories and Honoring Lives Well Lived

Olivia Savoie, co-founder of Raconteur Story Writing Services, has built a successful enterprise preserving lives and legacies through the written word. In this Discover Lafayette podcast with host Jan Swift, Olivia shared her lifelong love of writing and the joy she has always felt when in the company of older people. She has incorporated these […]

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15th JDC Chief Judge Marilyn Castle on Impact of COVID-19 on Courthouse Operations

Marilyn Castle, Chief Judge of the 15th Judicial District Court covering Lafayette, Acadia, and Vermilion Parishes, joined Jan Swift on Discover Lafayette to discuss how the operations of the courthouse have been impacted due to the pandemic shutdown. Judge Castle received her Juris Doctorate from LSU in 1976 and then served early in her career as […]

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Gerald Gerami – Rug Gallery by Gerami’s

Meet Gerald Gerami, owner of Rug Gallery by Gerami’s, who has followed in the entrepreneurial footsteps of his late grandfather, Joseph Patrick Gerami, who opened his first retail establishment in Lafayette in 1920. Gerald Gerami sat down with Jan Swift, host of Discover Lafayette, to share his experience as a successful vendor who has survived […]

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