Advisory Board
In addition to the accounting faculty, the Accounting Advisory Board participates in the planning and evaluation of the Nicholls State University accounting program. The advisory board is composed of a diverse group of individuals from public, industry and governmental accounting. To represent the accounting majors, four current Nicholls students serve on the advisory board. The current make-up of the board is as follows:
Matt Bernard, CPA (E-mail)
Executive Vice President, CFO, Gulf Offshore Logistics
Gulf Offshore Logistics Inc., GOL, is a full service marine transportation and logistics company providing vessels and logistical support for the Oil & Gas Industry across the Gulf Coast. Bernard received a bachelor’s degree in accounting and an MBA from Nicholls. Bernard also has Big 6 experience.
Edward Bouterie, CPA (E-mail)
Director, Bourgeois Bennett, LLC
Bourgeois Bennett, LLC, established in 1923, is one of the largest locally-owned, regional accounting firms in Louisiana. It is heavily involved in community service through civic, religious and professional organizations in the region, state, country and world. Five of its current and former members served as President of the Society of Louisiana Certified Public Accountants, and several have served on various boards of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Accountants Global Network, a professional organization of firms throughout the world. Bouterie is a Nicholls graduate and was certified in 1974. He is active with the Society of Louisiana CPAs, a past President of its South Central chapter and a member of the AICPA. He is active in several organizations and serves as a member of the Board and Fund Distribution Chairman of the United Way for South Louisiana.
Nolan Falgout, III (E-mail)
Chief Financial Officer, First American Bank & Trust
First American Bank was chartered in 1910 as the Bank of Vacherie. Since that time it has grown into a local community bank that is closely tied to the businesses, organizations and people in the communities that it serves. The bank currently has 21 offices in nine parishes in Southeast Louisiana. First American Bank employs 211 people and has more than $650 million in assets. Falgout received a Bachelor of Science in Finance and an MBA from Nicholls.
Don Gaudet, CPA (E-mail)
Business Manager, Lafourche Parish School Board
The Lafourche Parish School Board serves about 15,000 students in 30 schools, with about 2,400 employees. Gaudet is a CPA, Certified Government Finance Officer and a Certified Louisiana School Business Administrator. He received a bachelor’s degree in accounting and an MBA from Nicholls.
Faye Harris, CPA (E-mail)
Partner, Camnetar & Company, CPAs
Camnetar & Company is a locally owned CPA practice in Gretna, employing three CPAs, three para-professionals and one administrative employee. The firm offers tax, accounting, auditing and consulting services to small- to medium-sized clients in various fields, including individuals, medical, legal, retail, governmental, oilfield and real estate. Faye graduated Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Nicholls in 1992. She also has a master’s degree in taxation from the University of New Orleans. Harris is a member of the AICPA, Louisiana Society of CPAs and the American Society of Women Accountants. Harris has been employed with Camnetar & Company since 1994 and has been a stockholder since 1998.
Bobby L. Howard, CPA (E-mail)
Owner, Bobby L. Howard CPA
Howard began his firm in 1997 in Houma. His firm assists clients with developing business plans, consulting, auditing and handling tax issues. He is active in the community, serving on both civic and religious boards including the Houma/Terrebonne Public Trust Finance Authority and the Morning Star Baptist Church.
Tommy Lanaux, CPA (E-mail)
President and Managing Director, Lanaux & Felger, CPAs, A Professional Corporation
Lanaux & Felger was organized in 1979 in Houma. The firm currently employs five CPAs, two of which are stockholders. The firm offers a wide range of accounting, auditing and tax services to its individual and business clients. Lanaux is a Nicholls graduate. He is a member of the national AICPA, as well as the state and local CPA chapters. Lanaux is actively involved in the community and serves on the board of directors and as treasurer of the Terrebonne Foundation for Academic Excellence in Public Education.
Barry Melancon, CPA (E-mail)
President and CEO, American Institute of CPAs
The American Institute of CPAs is a national professional association of CPAs with more than 340,000 members. Elected to this position in 1995, Melancon directs the Institute’s operations in New York, New Jersey, Washington, D.C. and Texas. Prior to joining the AICPA, Barry served as Executive Director of the Society of Louisiana CPAs for eight years. He began his accounting career in 1979 at the firm of Bergeron & Company, currently named Lanaux & Felger. Barry graduated from Nicholls with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. He also earned an MBA in 1983 from Nicholls and subsequently served as an adjunct professor of accounting for four years.
Melanie Riche, CPA (E-mail)
Director CBO/Finance, Terrebonne General Medical Center
In existence for more than 50 years, TGMC takes pride in being the largest community-based hospital in the tri-parish area of Terrebonne, Lafourche and St. Mary parishes. TGMC serves as a major economic force in the community with a staff of more than 1,200 employees. Riche received bachelor’s degrees in both accounting and computer information systems from Nicholls in 1991 and an MBA in 1995.
Brett Terrebonne (E-mail)
Accounting Manager, Entergy Services, Inc.
Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with about 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, and it is the second-largest nuclear generator in the United States. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.7 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of more than $10 billion and about 14,000 employees. Terrebonne graduated from Nicholls in 1989 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and in 1997 with an MBA. Terrebonne is active in the community and serves as treasurer for the Nicholls Alumni Federation.
Charles Theriot, CPA (E-mail)
Owner, Charles C. Theriot, CPA
Charles C. Theriot, CPA is an accounting firm located in historic downtown Houma. Founded in 1990, the practice has grown to 11 employees including six CPAs. Charles has lived and practiced public accounting in the Houma area for more than 30 years. The firm specializes in all aspects of federal and state tax planning and reporting, assisting individuals buying, selling and financing business transactions, and assisting parties and their legal counsel in litigation matters. Theriot and the other CPAs in the firm are all members of the AICPA and the Louisiana Society of CPAs. They are also members of the Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis, South Central Industrial Association and several other organizations that serve the Houma-Terrebonne area.
Glenn Vice, CPA (E-mail)
Part owner and CFE, American Advanced Technologies, LLC
Vice currently has his own Certified Public Accounting practice. He is also a part owner and the Chief Financial Officer for American Advanced Technologies, LLC. In addition to his practice and his role at AAT, he serves as the Chief Financial Officer for Southeast Neuroscience Center. Glenn served on the Auditing Standards Board for the AICPA in New York from 1994 to 1996. He has served on several boards and committees for the AICPA and LCPA. Vice earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Nicholls in 1979.
STUDENT MEMBERS:
Caroline Boudreaux, graduate student
Vida Carriere, accounting junior
Hillary Knox, accounting senior
Keith Sauce, accounting junior
Student members are generally selected to serve on the advisory board during their sophomore or junior year. This allows them time to become involved within the Department of Accounting and Information Systems and to become knowledgeable about the curriculum.