2020 Board of Directors

Former State Representative Julie Stokes gained traction early in the business community as a CPA, a small business owner, and a leader within many organizations, such as the Jefferson Chamber, the LCPA, the YLC, the Regional Transit Authority, the University of New Orleans and various civic and economic development entities.  Over her seven years of service in the Louisiana Legislature, Julie Stokes gained a strong reputation as non-partisan policy advocate and a cancer survivor.  Mrs. Stokes gained significant experience with the Louisiana budget, comparative state tax policy, oversight of legislative audit, Louisiana’s economic development incentives, and Louisiana’s Department of Health policies.  After receiving numerous accolades for her work in the Legislature and then leaving public life behind in 2020, Mrs. Stokes has opened Flame Consulting to continue supporting projects that she is passionate about, like cancer advocacy and helping worthy causes and organizations with fundraising, strategic planning and consulting.

Pilar Blanco Eble, Ed.D. is the Vice Chancellor of Advancement and Executive Director of the Baton Rouge Community College Foundation. Dr. Eble has over 20 years of higher education experience. Prior to BRCC, she served as the Senior Director of Donor and External Relations at the University of Louisiana. Dr. Eble previously served as the Associate Director of International Programs at the University of Minnesota, Morris. Her career in advancement includes stints at the University of Mississippi and Tulane University in New Orleans. Dr. Eble’s experience in university advancement has been dynamic, involving comprehensive campaigns, external and donor relations, major gifts, principal gifts, annual giving, and alumni engagement. 

Dr. Eble earned her doctorate in higher education administration and bachelor's degree from the University of Louisiana, and her master’s degree from the University of Mississippi.  She is married to Michael Eble and has four children, Ben Michael, Eli, Miles, and Oliver. Dr. Eble is an active member of her community and currently serves as Vice Chair for Ellevate Louisiana. She is a member of the Episcopal School of Acadiana’s Parent’s Club. She is also a Board member of the Lafayette Chapter of Habitat for Humanity.

Ms. Bronfin has spent the past 25 years as one of Louisiana’s preeminent advocates for young children. She founded the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children and served as its Executive Director for five years before implementing a successful succession plan and becoming its Policy Advisor. She established the organization as the leading independent source of data, research, and policy proposals on issues related to young children in Louisiana, earning more than 250 media stories about the organization and its work. Her efforts played a key role in the comprehensive reform of Louisiana’s early care and education system, and in approximately 10,000 more low-income Louisiana children gaining access to publicly funded, high  quality early care and education. Before founding the Policy Institute, she spent eight years with the Tulane University Institute of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health as a Policy Analyst and Assistant Director of BrightStart, where she helped design Louisiana’s early childhood Quality Rating and Improvement System and the nationally-recognized package of School Readiness Tax Credits. She is a former attorney with Jones Walker Law Firm in New Orleans and has served on numerous non-profit and state boards focused on improving outcomes for children and engaging women as leaders in our democracy. She is a recipient of the BGR’s 2020 Excellence in Government Award for Citizenship, AVODAH’s 2019 Partner in Justice Award, Kingsley House’s Champion for Children Award, and Agenda for Children’s Voice for Louisiana’s Children Award. A lifelong Louisiana resident, she graduated summa cum laude with a BA from Yale University, and magna cum laude with a J.D. from Tulane University School of Law.

Founder + President at Shoreline Strategies LLC | Managing Partner at #Amplified 

Mary Caswell “Cassie” Alsfeld is an award-winning copywriter, digital marketing strategist, and online fundraising specialist. She founded Shoreline Strategies LLC—a digital marketing, messaging, and fundraising firm—in 2015 after spending over a decade working in national politics.

Through Shoreline Strategies, Cassie has worked with presidential, senate, gubernatorial, and congressional campaigns; international political parties; leading non-profits, advocacy groups, and issue organizations; small businesses; and tech start-ups and companies venturing into new markets.

She works with several women’s organizations, including several dedicated to getting more women in office, and is passionate about advocating for issues affecting all women. She won an AAPC Pollie Award for her advocacy work to protect independent contractors, and helped get price transparency in healthcare.

Cassie is also the Managing Partner of #Amplified, an AI-powered, people-driven digital agency that specializes in influencer marketing strategies, combating dis- and misinformation campaigns, identifying and cultivating prospective supporters and advocates, and building education and advocacy campaigns to strengthen democracy and restore civility to politics. She has an exclusive suite of top AI technologies.

Through #Amplified, she is building a partner network of top industry experts and thought leaders, and bringing unique technologies and holistic strategies to the political, political-adjacent, government, association, and corporate spaces to maximize efficiencies and effectiveness. #Amplified works with campaigns, government agencies, political and advocacy organizations, think tanks, trade associations, lobbying and government relations firms, PR and public affairs firms, civic engagement and democracy orgs, startups, and more.

She is also an Advisor for top AI technology startups, including Soar and CitizenPortal.ai, built by the founder of Ancestry.com, and Upstart Factory. Through these businesses, Cassie advises and delivers go-to-market strategies, digital marketing, branding, storytelling, copywriting and editing, market research, business development, public affairs, etc. She identifies and pitches thought leadership opportunities, develops revenue generating models, researches prospective funding sources, builds lists and outreach strategies, creates crowdfunding campaigns, establishes partnership opportunities, and consults on social media, marketing, and list-building campaigns.

Known as "the door opener, a "walking LinkedIn," or a "unicorn" in the world of civic-tech and digital-politics, Cassie connects principals with key influencers, investors, industry leaders, thought leaders, partners, and more.

Through Shoreline Strategies, Cassie specializes in copywriting and editing; strategic planning; message development; email marketing; digital marketing, engagement, and advocacy campaigns; political communication; and online fundraising. She also provides coaching services to organizations and businesses looking to train or support their staff in any of the above.

A copywriter by trade, Cassie believes in the power of words to drive actions and deliver results. She has led dozens of workshops, training sessions, seminars, and webinars, as well as served on and moderated panels at leading industry events and college classes.

Cassie was the first digital copywriter and one of the first digital hires in Republican politics. She helped build the digital fundraising, email marketing, and copywriting programs for the Romney presidential campaign, Republican National Committee, and National Republican Congressional Committee from scratch. Cassie also served as the speechwriter for the NRCC Chairman and directed all of the messaging for the largest fundraiser of the year.

She has a proven track record of setting and smashing fundraising records, crafting award-winning copy, transforming how organizations operate and communicate, increasing engagement and enthusiasm among supporters, and putting organizations on the map. She has a unique approach to communications, fundraising, and marketing, given her background and experiences.

Prior to working in national politics, Cassie spent time on Capitol Hill as a legislative staffer for Congressman Cao of New Orleans, handling everything from Hurricane Katrina and BP oil spill recovery to healthcare issues. She got postal services restored in Gentilly after they sat idle for several years post-Katrina. She also worked as a lobbyist and consultant with Carmen Group, most notably getting Congress to forgive loans for hurricane-affected HBCUs. Cassie got her start in DC working for a top fundraiser, where she fundraised for the Republican National Convention, Gov. Haley Barbour, and others. Prior to DC, she interned with Congressman Steve Scalise and worked in N.O. City Hall before, during, and after Katrina.

Cassie is a Co-Founder and Board of Directors member of Ellevate Louisiana, International Women’s Forum-Louisiana Chapter Member, Co-Founder and Past President of the St. Mary's Dominican High School Alumnae Association in DC, Board Member of Boy Scouts of Southeast Louisiana, Founder + Member of the Spirit of Scouting Fundraising Committee, Member of the Pillars of Scouting Fundraising Committee, and Alumni Advisory Board member of Louisiana Youth Seminar.

She is an active member of American Association of Political Consultants, Kappa Delta Sorority, LSU Alumni Association, PAC PALS, and Association of Past Presidents of the LSU Student Body. Cassie built the networking, professional development, and alumnae programs for The Madison of DC. And she recently helped craft the strategic plan for St. Mary’s Dominican High School,  serving as the Chair of the Advancement and Marketing Committee on the School Strategic Planning Committee.

An active alumna and supporter of St. Mary’s Dominican High School, LSU, and the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication, Cassie spent 13 years in DC before moving home to New Orleans. She is a former Student Body President of LSU and elected Student Board Member of the LSU Board of Supervisors. She also served on the Louisiana Tuition and Trust Authority.

Cassie just moved to Old Metairie, where she resides with her rescue dog Flora. For more information or to connect with Cassie, visit: www.shorelinestrategies.co.

Valerie Aymond is the CRO (Chief Resource Officer) for Gilchrist Construction Company, a Louisiana-based heavy highway contractor. Her oversight includes the company’s resource divisions, including Human Resources, Information Technology, Organizational Development, Safety & Risk Management, Transportation, and Equipment.

Val is a 1995 graduate of Louisiana State University at Alexandria where she majored in Business Administration.  She is a graduate of the ABA National & Graduate School of Human Resources at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado.  Val returned to the classroom and graduated Summa Cum Laude in May 2015 from Louisiana Tech University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership with a concentration in Project Team Management.

Valerie holds several Human Resource designations; she is a Certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SCP), and is a Certified DDI (Development Dimensions International) Instructor.

Val served on the Central Louisiana Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors from 2013-2017, and chaired the Chamber Board in 2016.  She is active in the Central Louisiana economic development community and serves as a board member and also on the Executive Committee for (CLEDA) Central Louisiana Economic Development Alliance.  She began service as a Board of Trustees member for the Rapides Foundation in January of 2020.

Val is also a board member for the Rapides Workforce Investment Board and was appointed by the governor to serve as a member of the Louisiana Workforce Investment Council in 2017.  She is a member of the Central Louisiana Technical and Community College Institutional Advisory Committee, a member of the Alexandria Downtown Rotary Club, and serves as a Secretary of the Rapides Symphony Orchestra Board of Trustees.

Diane T. Baum is CEO and Environmental Director of Baum Environmental Group based in Baton Rouge. After leaving the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) in 1995 she founded Baum Environmental Group to assist clients with the maze of new and often changing environmental regulations with lowered costs and better procedures.

Diane is a licensed commercial and residential contractor and provides contracting services with environmental management and compliance to clients throughout the state. Baum is one the first woman to operate and run a future waste tire processing facility in Baton Rouge. This tire processing facility will provide strong end-market uses for problematic scrap tires throughout the state. The company also provides construction and installation of pioneering sewer treatment plants that clean wastewater to meet the strictest state standards.  Baum also focuses on ways to ease the burden of environmental procedures required in the residential and commercial construction industry through the consistent implementation of new ideas. Diane’s continuous passion has been inventing unique innovative methods and products that can make methods better and less expensive for the construction sector.

Diane is the 2020 Chairman for the Greater Baton Rouge Home Builders Association (HBA GBR) and was the Chair for Professional Women in Building (PWB) in New Orleans (HBA GNO).  Diane also serves on the state and national boards for the Home Builders Association. She is an active member in the Louisiana Associated General Contractors (AGC), Concrete and Aggregate Association of Louisiana (CAAL) and the Louisiana Asphalt and Pavement Association (LAPA). Diane studied Forestry/Wildlife at Louisiana Tech University and has credentials in LEED AP, Green Verifier, Certified Professional in Municipal Stormwater Management (CPMSM) and a Third-Party Building Code Inspector.

Charmaine serves as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the United Way of Southeast Louisiana and oversees United Way’s Governmental Relations department. She is responsible for the development and implementation of the government relations strategies related to United Way’s three goal areas, including education, income and health, through the development of relationships with key internal and external constituents.

From 2005 to 2013, Mrs. Caccioppi served as the first President of the Louisiana Association of United Ways (LAUW). During her tenure as President of LAUW, she partnered with the Louisiana Association of Non-Profits to publish “Community Solutions” which provided evidence-based policy research on how to combat long-term systemic poverty. She established a relationship with The George Rodrigue Foundation allowing $1 million in funding to be secured for United Ways statewide. She also assisted with securing funding for The George RodrigueFoundation of the Arts (GRFA), an Art Emerging Therapy for Children A+ School Education Curriculum to help children in trauma after Hurricane Isaac. Her many other accomplishments, include, but are not limited to, securing a $90,000 United Way Worldwide grant for the purpose of establishing a United Ways of the Gulf Coast and championing state legislation that ensured High Quality Childcare Standards, School Readiness Tax Credits, the establishment of the Child Poverty Prevention Council and the first refundable Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) in the South.

In 2014, Charmaine advocated for the successful historical passage of Domestic Violence bills signed into Louisiana law aimed at stopping domestic abuse and in 2016 is featured in the award winning Five Awake –Domestic Violence documentary film. Historical passage of domestic violence bills was made again in 2017 and in 2018 including gun divesture!

Charmaine was inducted into the Louisiana Center for Women in Government and Business Hall of Fame in 2014. She received the Libby Milton Champion for Children Award in 2016 and Crimestoppers’ George Loker Community Service Award in 2017. She was a founding member of the Ready Louisiana Coalition in 2018. Charmaine established the Nancy M. Marsiglia Institute of Justice in 2018, between United Way of Southeast Louisiana and Loyola University College of Law.  In 2020, she was recognized as one of CityBusiness Women of the Year.  She is currently serving a second term as Chair of the Louisiana Women’s Policy & Research Commission, and serves as a board member for the New Orleans Family Justice Center, and Ellevate Louisiana.  

In 2022, Charmaine was instrumental in the successful passage of a New Orleans Early Childhood proposition, YES for NOLA Kids.  The revenue from this tax, which will begin on January 1, 2023, will go towards providing funding for an additional 1,000 seats for New Orleans students through the City Seats program, which serves economically disadvantaged children ages 0 to 3. In this same year, as a founding member of the Ready Louisiana Coalition, she also helped secure $84 million for early care and education during the Louisiana Regular Legislative session.  These funds will help low-income families afford quality child care, provide a match on local early childhood education investments, and more.

During her 20 years of service with the United States Senate, Mrs. Caccioppi served Senators J. Bennett Johnston then Mary Landrieu, working on major economic development projects throughout Louisiana and Nationwide, including: transportation infrastructure development for ports, airport, highways and railroads; defense and university research projects; flood control and hurricane protection projects; natural resources research; major federal procurement for several federal agencies.

Julie Schwam Harris is a New Orleans native, educated in New Orleans Public Schools and a Summa Cum Laude graduate from Newcomb College of Tulane University.  She worked in City Government for 16 years, including the first five post Katrina recovery years, and has led and participated in numerous political campaigns.  She does part-time consulting and is a volunteer advocate on women’s and human rights issues. 

Julie believes that grass roots action and advocacy matter, and that individuals should not only work to elect candidates who support their issues but also communicate with elected officials after they take office.  She helped organize the Legislative Agenda for Women (LAW) coalition, which advocates on issues related to women and families predominantly at the state Legislature.  Issues include access to health care; economic security policies regarding equal pay for women, raising the minimum wage, affordable quality child care, paid sick and family leave and sexual harassment; comprehensive sex education and solutions to violence against women. 

Governor John Bel Edwards appointed Julie to the Louisiana Women’s Policy and Research Commission in 2016.Julie is a member and supporter of numerous local, state and national civic, rights and advocacy organizations.

In honor of her work in government and with organizations that seek to ensure equal rights and opportunities for all, Julie was named the 2015 recipient of the National Council of Jewish Women’s Hannah G. Solomon Award and the 2016 recipient of the ACLU Ben Smith Civil Liberties Award.  She has also received the Newcomb Alumnae Association Community Service Award and was an honoree of the New Orleans Family Justice Center and the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. – Epsilon Sigma Chapter.

Kathy Kliebert is retired as the representative of the Louisiana Medicaid Managed Care Organization Association providing legislative and consulting services for the five Medicaid health plans in Louisiana.  Prior to this role she served as Secretary of the state’s Department of Health and Hospitals from March 2013 to January 2016 after a long-term career in public service in Louisiana. She was been a leader in the Department for more than 28 years, where she led efforts to promote independent living for individuals with developmental disabilities and transform behavioral health care services for hundreds of thousands of Louisiana residents. Prior to her appointment as Secretary, Kliebert served as the Department’s Deputy Secretary, where she provided leadership to the agency’s program offices, including the Offices for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities, Behavioral Health, Public Health, and Aging and Adult Services.

She has over 26 years of experience as a licensed clinical social worker and has a master's degree in social work. She  currently serves as  chair of the Bridge Center for Hope, serves as  past chair of the Louisiana Educational Television Board.

Ms. Kliebert has been married for 41 years, has three children and seven grandchildren.

Sandra Lombana Lindquist has over 25 years of experience in economic and community development in the New Orleans region.  She earned her B.A. in Business & Latin American Affairs from the University of Texas and has a master’s degree from Tulane University. She is currently the Executive Vice President – Chief Operating Officer at the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce. 

Sandra has a passion for promoting women’s networking in the workforce.  She is the creator of the first women’s collaborative conference, a full day professional development conference for women, which is launching this year in New Orleans. She is the co-creator of the Chamber’s Women’s Business Alliance; a co-founder of the original Women & Wine on Wednesday in which she & her colleagues were recognized as “People to Watch - 2007” by New Orleans Magazine; and, an invited member of Power of Women whose mission is to bring women together in a trusting environment to share ideas and best practices. 

In 2015, Sandra was chosen as one of five locals to represent the New Orleans business community to visit Japan and discuss the importance of resiliency post disasters like Hurricane Katrina, and she was nominated as one of 50 women for New Orleans CityBusiness’ Women of the Year.  In 2016, she represented the New Orleans Chamber in Leadership Louisiana and graduated from Delgado’s Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program, an intensive educational program which teaches techniques for running a successful business.  Sandra completed her accreditation as a Certified Chamber Executive (CCE) in 2018 making her the only practicing chamber executive in the State of Louisiana with this accreditation.

Sandra is a graduate of the inaugural class of the New Orleans Regional Institute (NORLI) and the Jefferson Chamber Leadership Institute. She has sat on various boards and committees including the Louisiana Industrial Development Executive Association (LIDEA), the New Orleans Regional Chamber of Commerce, and is currently the Incoming President for the Louisiana Chamber of Commerce Executives (LACCE).

She is married to Eric Lindquist and has a seven-year-old son named Colt.

Dr. Johnette Magner is a communications professional with more than 30 years of experience in broadcast and print journalism, public relations, politics, governmental affairs, and higher education. She is currently the Executive Director of External Affairs and an Assistant Professor of Communications and Media Studies at Louisiana Tech University and has a faculty appointment as an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at LSU Health Shreveport.

Dr. Magner is a frequent speaker on Digital Wellness and was a contributor to the recently published Digital Wellness: Your playbook for Thriving in the Remote Work Era. Along with her husband, Dr. Tim Magner, she is the founder of Digital Habits 2.0, a company providing Digital Wellness information and products.

She received a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Texas in 1989, a Master of Arts from Louisiana State University at Shreveport in 1996, and a Ph.D. in Mass Communication from the University of Maryland at College Park in 2001.

A Lake Charles native, Willie Landry Mount is proud to call Southwest Louisiana home. She is a graduate of McNeese State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. In 2016 she was awarded a Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by McNeese State University.

In 1993, Willie was elected the first female Mayor of Lake Charles. After serving over 6 and a half years as Mayor, Willie became the first woman elected as a Louisiana State Senator from District 27 in 1999.

Willie currently serves on the Library Board of Control for the Calcasieu Parish Public Library, Lakeside Bank Board of Directors, Louisiana Community and Technical College System Board of Supervisors, Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana Board of Directors, Southwest Louisiana Convention and Visitors Board of Directors, McNeese State University Foundation Board of Directors, President of the Boy Scouts of America-Calcasieu Area Council and Chair of the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities Board of Directors.

Dr. Markey W. Pierré’s lifetime commitment to professional excellence, community service, and good public policy has led to substantive progress for the State of Louisiana in many areas, including K-12 and higher education, construction, health care, maritime law, and municipal government. During her 20-plus-year career as a successful business owner and executive, author, thought leader, motivational speaker, lobbyist, and adjunct professor, Dr. Pierré’s philosophy of inclusive leadership resulted in pioneering legislation that has had far-reaching positive consequences for generations to come.

As a former lobbyist and governmental affairs professional, Dr. Pierré championed the interest of her clients as the President and Managing partner of Southern Strategy Group of North Louisiana, a full-service governmental consulting firm based in Shreveport, Louisiana. Pierré has been extremely successful in building partnerships across different ideologies, sometimes bridging deep divides to drive public policies that benefit everyone involved. Her client list ran the gambit from Fortune 500 corporations to school boards to gaming and entertainment venues, municipal entities, and professional and trade associations. In this role, Dr. Pierré cemented her reputation as a powerful force and highly effective advocate. As the Vice Chancellor for External Affairs and Chief of Staff for Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Dr. Pierré is the point of contact for critical initiatives and is responsible for the development and implementation of the strategic agenda to represent both organizational and operational initiatives as well as ensure there is diversity and inclusion in recruitment and retention of groups underrepresented in healthcare.

Throughout her professional career, Dr. Pierré has earned numerous honors for her professional excellence and her unwavering commitment to community service. But beyond all of her honors and accomplishments what she says really matters most is in all that you have done, were you able to help someone in the process, did you make a difference. As a 35-year member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, she passionately engages in the international program initiatives and actively works at the local and regional levels. Dr. Pierré funds two annual college scholarships in the amount of $1,000/semester. One in her grandmother’s name, The Essie Mae Winfield “Pursuit of Excellence” scholarship award and one in her deceased husband's name, Louis Tramell Pierre’ Kappa Alpha Psi annual scholarship award. These scholarships allow students from traditionally underserved populations to attend college and pursue their dreams. Pierre received her Bachelor of Science in General Studies with a focus in business and finance from Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, LA, a Master of Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and a Doctor of Business Administration for Walden University in Minneapolis, MN. She is also certified in diversity, equity and inclusion through Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.

Susannah Walter Poljak is an attorney with more than 20 years of experience in a wide range of practice areas from complex contract litigation to intellectual property. She has been admitted to practice in three states—California, New York, and Louisiana. She is currently an early childhood consultant with Step Forward of North Louisiana, which has created a community-wide leadership group that is working to foster and promote healthy early childhood development. In addition. Ms. Poljak is a member of the Leadership Louisiana 2020 class and serves on boards supporting the arts and education in Caddo Parish. She received a Bachelor of Arts from Vanderbilt University and a Juris Doctorate from Fordham University.

Deborah Randolph, IOM is the President of the Central Louisiana Regional Chamber of Commerce, a position she has held since August of 2011.  During her tenure, the 1,200-member organization based in Alexandria, earned accreditation by the U.S. Chamber at the highest level, with 5 Star Distinction. Deborah serves on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Committee of 100, Louisiana Military Advisory Council, Louisiana Policy Institute for Children Board, LA State University of Alexandria Foundation Board, Rapides Regional Medical Center Board and is the Past President of the LA Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. She is a member of the Alexandria Rotary Club and is a Paul Harris Fellow.

Traci Thompson has over 16 years of experience working in the health care industry.  Based in Baton Rouge, Traci is the System Director of Advocacy and Public Policy for CHRISTUS Health, an international Catholic, not-for-profit health system comprised of almost 350 services and facilities, including more than 60 hospitals and long-term care facilities, 175 clinics and outpatient centers and dozens of other health ministries and ventures. In her role, she works to develop and implement a strategic, comprehensive effort to advance CHRISTUS Health’s state and federal policy and advocacy priorities, with an emphasis on the Louisiana region.

Prior to joining CHRISTUS Health, Traci worked as a health care attorney representing hospitals and health systems for over ten years with a focus on transactional and regulatory health law. Her experience also includes several years of service on the Louisiana Task Force on Telehealth Access, which helped to prepare her for her role in overseeing CHRISTUS Health’s telehealth advocacy efforts on both a state and federal level.  In addition, Traci has given a significant amount of her time to serving on boards and charities including Women’s Hospital, the Emerge Center, and the Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre. She has been consistently listed in Super Lawyers, the Thompson Reuters lawyer rating service, as a Rising Star in Health Care in Louisiana.  She has also achieved a Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rating and is a member of the Louisiana Law Review.  Traci is the co-author of Goodnight Cavaliers, a best-selling children’s book.

Traci is a graduate of the Paul M. Hebert LSU School of Law and obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia.  Prior to returning to school to earn her law degree, Traci worked as an Associate Director with the Advisory Board, a health care consulting company, where she advised hospitals and health systems on health care research and best practices.

Traci is married to Michael Thompson and has two children, Charlie and Benjamin.