The Gateway to South Louisiana
Rafael Garcia, proprietor of Café Habana City, Lafayette’s first Cuban restaurant, joins Discover Lafayette to share his story of gaining political asylum in the U. S. Rafael relocated to Lafayette with several family members on March 31, 1998, and as he remembers, “we landed at 11:45 a.m. after taking four flights to travel from Havana […]
Francis X. and Cathi Pavy joined Discover Lafayette to talk about Pavy Art + Design, their contemporary line of Acadian-inspired textiles derived from the iconic artwork of Francis X. Pavy. While Pavy Art + Design is primarily focused on business-to-business sales, individuals can also buy direct. Cathy says, “Our goal is to get into showrooms […]
BJ Smith, and his mom, Kim Lanclos-Smith, joined Discover Lafayette to discuss how their world was forever changed when BJ suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of an ATV accident at the age of 15. BJ is now an artist, and has found joy painting with acrylics for the past five years. He […]
Heather Blanchard, Executive Director of Court Appointed Special Advocates of South Louisiana (“CASA”) joins Discover Lafayette to discuss their mission to help children and families when there has been abuse or neglect. Heather is a passionate spokesperson for CASA, having first served the organization in her first job after college, then served on its board […]
Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon has served in this office for more than 15 years. First elected to public office in 1975 as Chair of the Jefferson Parish Council, he then served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1981-2001. His public service career also includes 33 years in the Louisiana Army National Guard where […]