Chamber’s Big Night

The Ville Platte Chamber of Commerce held its annual awards banquet on Thursday night at the Ville Platte Civic Center.
The Chamber held a social hour for its members before the banquet that started at 7 p.m. Retired Lt. General Russel L. Honoré, who gained fame for leading the Task Force Katrina following the aftermath of the powerful storm in 2005, served as the event’s guest speaker.
Chamber of Commerce Executive Director welcomed the packed venue and thanked everyone for supporting not only the banquet but the chamber saying, “I’m very, very glad that all of you are here with us tonight.”
Chamber of Commerce President Renee Brown told the audience, “We are always looking for people to help us move things forward. We want to come together as a parish because our parish has so much to offer.”
Evangeline Parish Clerk of Court Randy Deshotel served as Master of Ceremonies, while the 2015 Louisiana Cotton Pickers sang the national anthem.
Honoré delivered a speech that was both lighthearted and serious as it covered everything from the need to have a good riding mower in South Louisiana to democracy, hometown pride, local government, poverty and keeping children in the community.
The Chamber then handed out awards for Business Person of the Year, Business of the Year, Man of the Year and Woman of the Year.
Scott and Amy Dupre of B&S Grocery and Luke Deville of Teet’s Food Store were selected as the 2016 Chamber of Commerce Business Person of the Year. Also nominated were Evangeline Parish School Supeintendent Toni Hamlin and Alana McClaskey of The Flower Patch.
Business of the Year went to H.L. Pitre and Sons which beat out B&S Grocery, The Flower Patch, Teet’s Food Store and Uptown Cake Co.
Man of the Year was awarded to Deshotel. The other nominees were Mark Buller of New York Life, noted volunteer Lee Edward Clark, and retired educator Clarence Rivers.
Just like Business Person of the Year, Woman of the Year was a tie as “Keep Evangeline Beautiful” Chairman Rebecca Buller and JAG Chairman Dianne Freeman-Johnson. The other nominess were Smoked Meat Chairman Renee Brown and City of Ville Platte’s Hilda Edwards.
Larry Fontenot received the 2016 Chamber of Commerce Agricultural Person of the Year award, which was presented by LSU Ag Center’s Todd Fontenot.