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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Roland Babin,
Engineering Technician 7,
District 3, Lafayette
Louisiana Department of
Transportation & Development Career longevity is a goal most of us hope to achieve in our lifetime. Roland J. Babin is a man who has far surpassed the average tenure of employment. Babin has the distinction of being the LASERS member with the longest amount of service still actively employed. He has worked for the Department of Transportation & Development (DOTD) for 60 years, and at the age of 79 is still going strong. Babin is affectionately known among co-workers as the “Energizer Bunny.” He serves as a District Maintenance Specialist and oversees District 3 DOTD crews in an eight parish area.
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 Avis Kado Brown, LCSW, BACS
Rehabilitation Program Coordinator,
Louisiana Rehabilitation Services,
Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC) Most people dream of having a career they truly love. The ultimate accomplishment would be to find that love and have it culminate in a profession that has the potential to profoundly change lives. In state government, there are opportunities for this combination to develop. Avis Kado Brown, a Rehabilitation Program Coordinator with Louisiana Rehabilitation Services (LRS), an agency within the Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC), is a remarkable civil servant filled with a special love and commitment to her work. For the past 18 years, Brown, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Board Approved Clinical Supervisor (BACS), has worked with a vast variety of individuals in many different environments. Her story is one of hope and courage.
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Ken DeJean
Retired General Counsel, Office of the Attorney General, Department of Justice Civil Division Ken DeJean’s current business card reads: Professional Retiree
Golfer • Fisherman • Grandparent
Soup/Gumbo/Etouffee Specialist
Historian/Scholar
Yet, the card provides just a glimpse of the man. Now officially retired after serving 50 years under five attorneys general, DeJean’s accomplishments in the Department of Justice Civil Division are truly legendary. From his first job bagging groceries at Capitol Grocery to litigating some of the most important cases on behalf of the State of Louisiana, DeJean’s story is one of dedication and concern for fellow citizens.
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Tonia Faust, R.N. CCN/M
Hospice Coordinator,
Louisiana State Penitentiary,
Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections Public employees serve in many capacities within the realm of state government. Tonia Faust, a registered nurse and certified corrections nurse manager, practices her chosen profession at Louisiana State Penitentiary (LSP), better known as Angola. Faust is the Hospice Coordinator at the infamous maximum-security prison, which adds an element of intrigue to her position. But for her, making a positive difference in such an environment affirms her dedication to state service.
Faust says, “To me, being a civil servant means serving the state, the correctional facility, taking care of the inmate patients, and helping to keep the public safe, including my children and neighbors.” Her mother worked at Angola for 17 years and was a “good role model.”
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Colleen Hill, R.N., B.S.N.
Medicare Program Coordinator, Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs
The Louisiana War Veterans Home in Jackson, Louisiana is what most would refer to as a nursing home, but the word that sets it apart is “veterans.” Veterans who have served in the United States military are residents, but there are a few remarkable staff members who are also veterans. Registered nurse Colleen Hill, the War Veterans Home Medicare Program Coordinator, is a four-year peace-time Navy veteran.
Hill joined the nursing staff in 2009 and said with a smile, “I was glad to give back and work with the vets.” She explained that she uses Medicare benefits and key Veterans Affairs (VA) programs to help them get everything they need. Some of the veterans have full benefits, while others may not have served as long in the military. Hill said, “My goal is to promote them to their highest level of well-being, to make sure they are as good as they can get, and to enjoy their lives.”
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Nolan Jones
Regional Enforcement Supervisor, Agro-Consumer Services,
The Division of Weights and Measures,
Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry
Nolan Jones is quiet-spoken and could be described as a man of few words. However, when he speaks, his words carry weight. “Being a public employee means you work in the best interest of Louisiana citizens,” said Jones. “I want to be known as a good, conscientious, employee that doesn’t take shortcuts. Taking care to do a job correctly and to the best of my ability is the kind of state worker I strive to be.” This philosophy has served Jones well in the Weights and Measures Division for the past 23 years.
He has made many friends, both with co-workers and business clients, in the course of his career. Colleagues in the Department of Agriculture characterize Jones as an honest, reliable, good man, which equates to the “salt of the earth.” And this phrase perfectly suits a man with farming in his blood.
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William "Kirk" Rhinehart
Administrator, Planning Division
Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana (CPRA)
Every state employee serves the citizens of Louisiana, but inarguably some positions are more critical than others. When William “Kirk” Rhinehart, a coastal resource scientist, began his career in 1994 with the Department of Natural Resources, he was unaware that his work would one day influence how the coast of Louisiana is restored and protected.
To understand how Rhinehart selected his career path, it is necessary to explore his early beginnings. He was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to parents who both worked in the government sector. Rhinehart’s father was in the military, so the family lived in exotic places, such as the Panama Canal Zone, before returning to the States. When he was seven, the family settled in Rockville, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C. Rhinehart spent his younger years appreciating the Maryland sea coast and outdoor life. Describing himself as a “southern” boy, he grew up playing in creeks, hunting, and fishing. So, it was natural for Rhinehart to choose a profession that paralleled his love of the outdoors. Read the full story | Back to top
Loc Stewart
Senior Systems Administrator, School of Computing and Informatics, The Center for Advanced Computer Studies (CACS), University of Louisiana at Lafayette (ULL)
A microwave oven, coupled with a curious mind, could have been the catalyst that led Loc Stewart into the world of computers and information technology.
In April 1975 at the age of 25, Stewart came to the United States from Saigon as a widow with her two young daughters and a single suitcase. Her departure from South Vietnam came just weeks before the country fell to the Communist faction. Settling in San Antonio, Stewart and her family were the first Vietnamese refugees to arrive in the city. The stark differences between Vietnam and America were both frightening and intriguing to Stewart. Escalators were an anomaly, as well as many other high-tech inventions she initially witnessed. While visiting an American family, Stewart experienced the magic of a microwave oven for the first time. She commented, “I kept hearing a ding and couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. Then the host would come out with hot food and say dinner is ready. I just had to find out how the microwave worked.” Stewart’s inquisitive nature and thirst for knowledge have been driving forces in her life.
Read the full story | Back to top Colonel Winton Vidrine
Chief of Enforcement Division,
Louisiana Department of Wildlife
and Fisheries
It takes many dedicated public employees to make the engine of state government operate. One outstanding example is Colonel Winton Vidrine, Chief of the Enforcement Division, with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF). Vidrine is completing his 42nd year with the department, having served as chief for the past 24 years. As we examine his career at Wildlife and Fisheries, many factors explain why he is the longest holder of that office in the agency’s history. Read the full story | Back to top
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A B C D E F G H I
J K L M N O P Q R
S T U V W X Y Z
- Roland Babin
- Avis Kado Brown, LCSW, BACS - Ken DeJean
- Tonia Faust, R.N. CCN/M - Nolan Jones
- Colleen Hill, R.N., B.S.N.
- William "Kirk" Rhinehart - Loc Stewart
- Colonel Winton Vidrine
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