BB Chamber honoring Montesano, Broussard

Breaux Bridge — The Breaux Bridge Area Chamber of Commerce will honor Bruce Montesano and the late Earl Broussard with its Distinguished Citizen award at this year's banquet.

The annual event will be held Thursday, Jan. 31, at the Atchafalaya Club in Henderson, starting at 5:45 p.m.

Montesano, a State Farm Insurance agent, is a Lafayette native who moved to Breaux Bridge in 1985. He has long been active in both church and community, racking up an impressive resume of past chairmanships and other key posts with the Chamber, Kiwanis Club, St. Bernard Foundation, the Catholic Social Services Advisory Board, Boy Scouts of America, and Ducks Unlimited.

He has achieved many honors with State Farm over the years, including the Chairman's Circle, Silver Scroll and President's Club. He has been a member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors and has represented his fellow agents on numerous boards and committees.

A family man, Montesano has coached his children in a variety of sports. An LSU graduate (1983 in Business Administration), Montesano is a Tiger football fan and he also loves duck hunting, fishing and golf.

Earl Broussard was a lobbyist for Gulf States Utilities and Cajun food in general, having cooked for and entertained governors, congressmen, state legislators and numerous other public officials. He was famous for his crawfish ettoufee.

Born to Saul and Ona Broussard in 1928, he graduated from Breaux Bridge High as salutatorian in 1945, and then received a degree in Agriculture from then-SLI in Lafayette.

He married Marcelle Mondet and the couple had seven children.

In 1954, he went to work for Gulf States in Lafayette as a salesman and became a governmental affairs lobbyist for the company several years later.

Throughout his career Broussard remained active in civic and church affairs back in Breaux Bridge. He served on the parish school board and as president of the St. Bernard Parish Council where he was instrumental in planning the Borel Center.

His favorite pastime was working in his garden and sharing the fruits of his labors with family and friends. His garden was known for having the longest rows in the neighborhood.

Tickets for the annual banquet are $35 each. Corporate tables seating eight are $300. The tickets are available at the Breaux Bridge Area Chamber of Commerce office or call Tina Begnaud, 332-5406.