Five Louisiana women to be inducted into Hall of Fame
THIBODAUX – The Louisiana Center for Women and Government, headquartered at Nicholls State University, will honor five Louisiana women for their outstanding public service on Saturday, March 17, during a luncheon at the New Orleans Hilton Riverside.
The hall of fame ceremony will feature the induction of Andrea Bollinger Giardina of Thibodaux; Elizabeth Ratcliff Dent of Baton Rouge; Kathleen Mix Diamond of Metairie; and Rose Hudson of Baton Rouge. In addition, a Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to former state Senator Diana Bajoie of New Orleans.
Connie Chung
Connie Chung, award-winning investigative reporter and anchor, will deliver the keynote address, and Eric Paulsen, anchor of WWL-TV Eyewitness Morning News, will serve as master of ceremonies.
Tickets to the awards ceremony are $60 per person, or $500 for a table for 10, and include a cash bar at 11 a.m., followed by the noon luncheon and awards ceremony.
In addition, a patron party honoring Chung and the hall of fame inductees is scheduled for 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, March 16, at the home of Russ and Sandra Herman – 625 St. Charles Ave., Penthouse D, in New Orleans. Tickets are $75 per person or $120 per couple, and cocktail attire is required.
Due to limited space, reservations for the patron party and the hall of fame luncheon must be made no later than Wednesday, March 14. Call 985-448-4770 to reserve seats. A credit card is required for reservations, but a check may be used for payment.
Established in 1991, the Louisiana Center for Women and Government encourages and promotes the leadership of women by providing resources and non-partisan support through educational workshops, training seminars and outreach programs. With more than 600 members from eight regions across Louisiana, the center promotes women in government and public service, acknowledges achievements of women and teaches all citizens about the importance of public service and responsible citizenship. Dr. Laura Badeaux serves as Center director.
The 2012 hall of fame committee includes chairs Diane Hollis and Caroline Fayard; honorary chairs First Lady Supriya Jindal, Sandra Thompson Herman and Sandy Rosenthall; patron party chairs state Senator Julie Quinn, Faith Peperone and Donnell Zeringue; State Leadership Council chair Cindy Cenac; New Orleans leadership chair Carol Short; New Orleans Region members Kelly Badeaux Phillips, JoAnn Bohm, Dianne Breaux, Melanie Cannatella, Renee Carrere, Nicole Ferrier, Dr. Rebekah Gee, Cheryl Georgusis, Sharon Marchand, Leslie Marsh, Jane Miller, Bethany Paulsen, Norma Jane Sabiston; Bayou Region members include Sue Aysenne, Dr. Laynie Barrilleaux, Debi Benoit, Kathy Bourgeois, Renee Brinkley, Toni Gouaux, Dr. Marilyn Kilgen, Lucinda Martinez, LaQuita Meek, Elaine Musso, Dale Norred and Renee Piper.
Under the leadership of President and Chief Executive Officer Rose Hudson, the Louisiana Lottery’s last five years have ranked among the most successful in its 20-year history. Fiscal year 2011 was the lottery’s second best ever with transfers to Louisiana K-12 public education surpassing $136.3 million. An industry leader, Hudson currently represents the interests of 13 jurisdictional lotteries as Region II director of the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries. She also serves on the boards of numerous community organizations, was named one of the “Most Powerful and Influential Women in Louisiana” by the National Diversity Council and received a Pathfinder Award by the Louisiana Women’s Summit in 2011.Andie Bollinger Giardina joined her brother Boysie and her sister Charlotte to endow the Bollinger Endowed Chair in Business Administration at Nicholls in January 1997. The endowment, with an initial value of $1 million, is intended to attract eminent scholars to the university. The Bollinger family recently requested that this chair be converted to professorships in order to reward and retain faculty members who have distinguished themselves through exceptional teaching, research and service in the College of Business Administration. Giardina is also a longtime supporter of Women’s Night Out, a major fundraiser for women student-athletes. She is a long-time member of the Nicholls Foundation as well.In her role as Vice Chancellor for Workforce Development and Education at Delgado Community College, Kathleen Mix Diamond has written approximately $60 million in training grants, fostering economic development in the New Orleans Region. Under her leadership, the internationally recognized Delgado Maritime and Industrial Center now serves more than 10,000 students per year, working with 400 companies worldwide. Diamond has been honored as YWCA Role Model of the Year, Delgado Innovator of the Year, CityBusiness Woman of the Year, Stennis Space Center Woman Leader, East Jefferson Great Lady, Northrop Grumman Educator of the Year and Outstanding Leadership Council Activist.A national consultant, trainer and seminar leader, Elizabeth Ratcliff Dent is president of Financial and Management Services, a Baton Rouge-based management consulting firm serving small businesses and Fortune 500 companies. She is a community activist as well, having served on numerous boards, including the Sunrise Rotary, Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre, Baton Rouge Little Theater, Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce, Baton Rouge Symphony Auxiliary, Louisiana Women’s Foundation, St. Joseph Cathedral, Louisiana Center for Women and Government, Republican Parish Executive Committee for East Baton Rouge Parish and Harmony Center Inc. She also hosted her own radio show, “Talk of the Town,” for 8 years.In 1991, former state Senator Diana Bajoie was the first African American woman elected to the Louisiana Senate, and in 2004, she was the first woman elected to a senate leadership post. A member of several civic and community boards of directors, Bajoie has received numerous awards throughout her career, including the Louisiana Social Workers Public Servant of the Year Award; the Ocshner Clinic Foundation Award for Distinguished Leadership; the Independent Colleges Legislator of the Year Award; and the Presidential Award for Outstanding Leadership, National Black Caucus of State Legislators. Bajoie was also named the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Survivor of the Year in 2000.
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