Our People

Our People

Teamwork
Is Our Foundation

John Guzzardo

President

MEET OUR STAFF

​Special Olympics Louisiana is led by a dedicated team with a variety of backgrounds in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Our goal is to support the ongoing growth and development of programs in their regions to make Special Olympics Louisiana the successful, sustainable organization it is. Most importantly, improving the experience for our athletes who train and compete with us is the priority. It is an honor for each of us to work for this amazing organization!

SPORTS & PROGRAM TEAM

​Our Sports & Program team is directly responsible for all state-run programs, including state-level training and competition, school-based programming, inclusive health and fitness programs, marketing/communications, and volunteer management. This team works closely with Area Management Teams to administer our community-level programming across the state.

BrockBanos2

Brock Banos

VICE PRESIDENT, PROGRAM OPERATIONS

Program strategic planning and direction; local training program recruitment and management

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Max Fernandez

DIRECTOR, SPORTS, TRAINING & COMPETITION

Sports, State Competitions, Athlete Advancement, Coaches Training


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RebeccaKalifeh2

Rebecca Kalifeh

MANAGER, INCLUSIVE HEALTH

Athlete Leadership, Healthy Athletes, Fitness Programs, Family Health Forum


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FallonBucknerWard2

Fallon Buckner Ward

UNIFIED CHAMPION CITY SCHOOLS MANAGER

Unified Champion Schools in New Orleans and Baton Rouge


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CarsonPhills2

Carson Phills

UNIFIED CHAMPION SCHOOLS MANAGER-SOUTH

Unified Champion Schools in South Louisiana ​


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JanaMorgan2

Jana Morgan

UNIFIED CHAMPION SCHOOLS MANAGER-NORTH

​Unified Champion Schools in North Louisiana


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SunsanMurray2

Susan Murray

OPERATIONS MANAGER

Finance/accounting, operations




Ext. 103

DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING TEAM

Our Development & Marketing Team works with individuals, corporations, and foundations that support the work of Special Olympics Louisiana on a state-wide level. From fully-customized corporate partnerships to planned gifts to special events and more… this team is responsible for ensuring that SOLA has the financial resources to be sustainable for the future. One of this team’s primary focus areas is in support of our amazing partnership with the Law Enforcement Torch Run across the state. The team also oversees all marketing, public relations, and social media.

AprilTaylor2

April Taylor

VICE PRESIDENT, DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING

Oversees all Development Staff, Fundraising, Marketing

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Martha Schubert

DIRECTOR OF
CORPORATE & COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS​

Corporate partnerships, individual giving, community campaigns


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TaylorWatts2

Taylor Watts

DIRECTOR OF
CORPORATE & COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

Corporate partnerships, individual giving, community campaigns


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EmilyBrock2

Emily Brock

MANAGER OF DEVELOPMENT & LETR

LETR agency relations, special events and community engagement ​


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CraigOser2

Craig Oser

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT​

Social media, branding, marketing, public relations, special events


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HelenRobinson2

Helen Robinson

ATHLETE ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR

Office assistant, donor acknowledgement


Ext. 104

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

While State Games and our events throughout the year rely heavily on the efforts of an army of volunteers throughout the state, none of those activities would be possible without the guidance of our board. Special Olympics Louisiana’s volunteer Board of Directors determines policies and governs the work of our organization. The board is composed of business and sports leaders, athletes, educators, and experts in intellectual disabilities.

Officers

plambert_1

Peyton Lambert

CHAIR

Locke Lord LLP New Orleans, LA

frenchiekessler_orig

Frenchie Kessler

SECRETARY

Career Management Partners
​Kenner, LA

claris_2

Claris Smith

VICE CHAIR

Akerman LLP
​New Orleans, LA

paul_1

Paul Tanguis

TREASURER

Tanguis Accounting Services LLC
​Covington, LA

Directors

craig-blackburn_orig


Craig Blackburn

BOARD MEMBER

Athlete Representative
Metairie, LA

clark_orig

Zaheerah El-Amin Clark, Ed.D

BOARD MEMBER

St. Tammany Parish Public Schools
​Slidell, LA

randydavidson_orig

Randy Davidson

BOARD MEMBER

Holy Angels
​Shreveport, LA

jill_2

Jill Egle

BOARD MEMBER

Athlete Representative
​New Orleans, LA

stevejacobs_orig

Steve Jacobs

BOARD MEMBER

Mele Printing
​Mandeville, LA

mikelane_orig

Mike Lane

BOARD MEMBER

Lane Law
​Covington, LA

ledig_orig

​Shawn Ledig

BOARD MEMBER

BOARD MEMBER Hyperion EMS LLC
​Mandeville, LA

mcnabb_1

Brandon McNabb

TREASURER

Ochsner Health
​Kenner, LA

seidenberg-peter-200x300-edited_1

Peter Seidenberg, MD, MA, FAAFP, FACSM, RMSK

BOARD MEMBER

LSU Health School of Medicine
Shreveport, LA

ashley_orig

Ashleigh Clare-Kearney Thigpen

BOARD MEMBER

LSU Athletics
​Baton Rouge, LA

ATHLETE-PARTNER ADVISORY COUNCIL

What is the Athlete-Partner Advisory Council?
The Athlete-Partner Advisory Committee (APAC) is a forum for athletes and partners to explore and discuss issues that affect their athletic experience on a day-to-day basis. This council broadens the involvement of athletes and partners in athletic competitions and community events. The APAC encourages a sense of unity, common purpose, and camaraderie in all sports and among all athletes and partners, and allows for input to be made on the rules, regulations, and policies that affect the lives of athletes and partners within SOLA.

Mission Statement:
The mission of the Athlete-Partner Advisory Council is to enhance the total athlete and partner experience by promoting opportunity, protecting athlete and partner well-being and safety, and fostering a positive image in the community.

What’s next for APAC?
As a new venture within Special Olympics Louisiana, APAC’s next steps will involve assigning members to the council to help strengthen the partnership between SOLA and our athletes.

The Function of APAC:

Membership:

LETR COUNCIL

The Louisiana Law Enforcement Torch Run is run by a Torch Run Director and State Committee. At the direction of the Torch Run Leadership, the LETR Executive Committee meets regularly and includes key LETR members from across the state. The committee is responsible for providing input and insight to the statewide efforts and helping to communicate information back to their local agencies.

Our Law Enforcement Executive Committee members have years of Special Olympics and Torch Run experience between them.  Their goal is to serve as a resource to agencies who are new to the Torch Run or are interested in increasing their involvement through fundraising and public awareness. 

Graves, Trinity

Lt. Trinity Graves
Co-State Director

St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office

Area 9 - Northshore

985-768-1018
TrinityGraves@stpso.com

Amanda Fournier

Lt. Amanda K. Fournier
Co-State Director

Louisiana State Police
Troop E

Area 6 - Central


318-542-1156
amanda.fournier@la.gov

Cherie Blanchard

Cherie Blanchard

Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office

Area 1 - Greater New Orleans ​

504-329-7248
Blanchard_cw@jpso.com

circle-element-yellow

​Dale Wheat

Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries

Area 2 - Capital Area ​

601-248-4896
dwheat@wlf.la.gov

circle-element-yellow

​Captain Dustin Tomlinson

St. James Parish Sheriff’s Office

Area 3 - Bayouland ​

225-562-2203
dustin.tomlinson@stjamessheriff.com

Brent Breaux

​Chief Brent Breaux

Cankton Police

Area 4 - Acadiana​

337-322-5099
badboyzcpd@yahoo.com

Katelynn

Katelynn McKee

Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office

Area 5 - Southwest ​

337-491-3791
kmckee@cpso.com

Diana Sanchez

Lt. Diana Sanchez-Edwards

Shreveport Police Department

​Area 7 - Northwest

318-422-1773
diana.sanchez@shreveportla.gov

circle-element-yellow

Vacant Position

Actively Recruiting

Area 8 - Northeast ​

circle-element-yellow

Chief Daniel Folks

Hammond Fire Chief

​Area 9 - Northshore

985-507-3930
folks_dt@hammond.org

John Guzzardo

President

MEET OUR STAFF

​Special Olympics Louisiana is led by a dedicated team with a variety of backgrounds in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Our goal is to support the ongoing growth and development of programs in their regions to make Special Olympics Louisiana the successful, sustainable organization it is. Most importantly, improving the experience for our athletes who train and compete with us is the priority. It is an honor to each of us to work for this amazing organization!

SPORTS & PROGRAM TEAM

​Our Sports & Program team is directly responsible for all state-run programs, including state-level training and competition, school-based programming, inclusive health and fitness programs, marketing/communications and volunteer management. This team works closely with Area Management Teams to administer our community-level programming across the state.

brock3-200_orig

Brock Banos

VICE PRESIDENT, PROGRAM OPERATIONS

Program strategic planning and direction; local training program recruitment and management

Ext. 107

img-0850_orig

Max Fernandez

DIRECTOR, SPORTS, TRAINING & COMPETITION

Sports, State Competitions, Athlete Advancement, Coaches Training


Ext. 109

carson-200_orig

Carson Phills

UNIFIED CHAMPION SCHOOLS MANAGER-SOUTH

Unified Champion Schools in South Louisiana ​


Ext. 108

susan-200_orig

Susan Murray

OPERATIONS MANAGER

Finance/accounting, operations




Ext. 103

rebecca_orig

Rebecca Kalifeh

MANAGER, INCLUSIVE HEALTH

Athlete Leadership, Healthy Athletes, Fitness Programs, Family Health Forum


Ext. 113

jana-orig_orig

Jana Morgan

UNIFIED CHAMPION SCHOOLS MANAGER-NORTH

​Unified Champion Schools in North Louisiana


Ext. 114

fallon_orig

Fallon Buckner Ward

UNIFIED CHAMPION CITY SCHOOLS MANAGER

Unified Champion Schools in New Orleans and Baton Rouge


Ext. 110

DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING TEAM

Our Development & Marketing Team works with individuals, corporations and foundations that support the work of Special Olympics Louisiana on a state-wide level. From fully-customized corporate partnerships to planned gifts to special events and more….this team is responsible for making sure that SOLA has the financial resources to be sustainable for the future. One of this team’s primary focus areas is support of our amazing partnership with the Law Enforcement Torch Run across the state. The team also oversees all marketing, public relations and social media.

april_orig

April Taylor

VICE PRESIDENT, DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING

Oversees all Development Staff, Fundraising, Marketing

Ext. 112

toni-200_orig

Toni Wright

DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE & COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS​

Corporate partnerships, individual giving, community campaigns


Ext. 105

emily-temp_orig

Emily Brock

LAW ENFORCEMENT TORCH RUN MANAGER​

LETR agency relations, special events and community engagement ​


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craig-200_orig

Craig Oser

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT​

Social media, branding, marketing, public relations, special events


Ext. 106

helen-200_orig

Helen Robinson

ATHLETE ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR

Office assistant, donor acknowledgement


Ext. 104

taylor_orig

Taylor Watts

DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE & COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

Corporate partnerships, individual giving, community campaigns


Ext. 102

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

While State Games and our events throughout the year rely heavily on the efforts of an army of volunteers throughout the state, none of those activities would be possible without the guidance of our board. Special Olympics Louisiana’s volunteer Board of Directors determines policies and governs the work of our organization. The board is composed of business and sport leaders, athletes, educators and experts in intellectual disabilit

Officers

plambert_1

Peyton Lambert

CHAIR

Locke Lord LLP New Orleans, LA

craig-blackburn_orig

Claris Smith

VICE CHAIR

Akerman LLP ​New Orleans, LA

paul_1

Paul Tanguis

TREASURER

Tanguis Accounting Services LLC ​Covington, LA

frenchiekessler_orig

Frenchie Kessler

SECRETARY

Career Management Partners ​Kenner, LA

Directors

craig-blackburn_orig

Craig Blackburn

BOARD MEMBER

Athlete Representative Metairie, LA

clark_orig

Zaheerah El-Amin Clark, Ed.D

BOARD MEMBER

St. Tammany Parish Public Schools ​Slidell, LA

randydavidson_orig

Randy Davidson

BOARD MEMBER

Holy Angels ​Shreveport, LA

jill_2

Jill Egle

BOARD MEMBER

Athlete Representative ​New Orleans, LA

stevejacobs_orig

Steve Jacobs

BOARD MEMBER

Mele Printing ​Mandeville, LA

mikelane_orig

Mike Lane

BOARD MEMBER

Lane Law ​Covington, LA

ledig_orig

​Shawn Ledig

BOARD MEMBER

BOARD MEMBER Hyperion EMS LLC ​Mandeville, LA

mcnabb_1

Brandon McNabb

TREASURER

Ochsner Health ​Kenner, LA

seidenberg-peter-200x300-edited_1

Peter Seidenberg, MD, MA, FAAFP, FACSM, RMSK

BOARD MEMBER

LSU Health School of Medicine Shreveport, LA

ashley_orig

Ashleigh Clare-Kearney Thigpen

BOARD MEMBER

LSU Athletics ​Baton Rouge, LA

ATHLETE-PARTNER ADVISORY COUNCIL

What is the Athlete-Partner Advisory Council?
The Athlete-Partner Advisory Committee (APAC) is a forum for athletes and partners to explore and discuss issues that affect their athletic experience on a day-to-day basis. This council broadens the involvement of athletes and partners in athletic competitions and community events. The APAC encourages a sense of unity, common purpose, and camaraderie in all sports and among all athletes and partners, and allows for input to be made on the rules, regulations, and policies that affect the lives of athletes and partners within SOLA.


Mission Statement:
The mission of the Athlete-Partner Advisory Council is to enhance the total athlete and partner experience by promoting opportunity, protecting athlete and partner well-being and safety, and fostering a positive image in the community.

The Function of APAC:

Membership:

LETR COUNCIL

The Louisiana Law Enforcement Torch Run is run by a Torch Run Director and State Committee. At the direction of the Torch Run Leadership, the LETR Executive Committee meets regularly and includes key LETR members from across the state. The committee is responsible for providing input and insight to the statewide efforts and helping to communicate information back to their local agencies.

Our Law Enforcement Executive Committee members have years of Special Olympics and Torch Run experience between them.  Their goal is to serve as a resource to agencies who are new to the Torch Run or are interested in increasing their involvement through fundraising and public awareness. 

circle-element-yellow

Lt. Trinity Graves

State Director St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office
circle-element-yellow

Lt. Amanda K. Fournier

Louisiana State Police - Troop E
circle-element-yellow

Cherie Blanchard

Area 1 - Greater New Orleans

Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office ​

(504) 329-7248
Blanchard_cw@jpso.com

circle-element-yellow

​Dale Wheat

Area 2 - Capital Area

Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries ​

601-248-4896
dwheat@wlf.la.gov

circle-element-yellow

​Captain Dustin Tomlinson

Area 3 - Bayouland

St. James Parish Sheriff’s Office ​

(225) 562-2203
dustin.tomlinson@stjamessheriff.com

circle-element-yellow

​Chief Brent Breaux

Area 4 - Acadiana

Cankton Police ​

337-322-5099
badboyzcpd@yahoo.com

circle-element-yellow

Katelynn McKee

Area 5 - Southwest

Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office ​

337-491-3791
kmckee@cpso.com

circle-element-yellow

​Sgt. Amanda Fournier

Area 6 - Central

Louisiana State Police ​

318-542-1156
amanda.fournier@la.gov

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Sgt. Diana Sanchez-Edwards

Area 7 - Northwest

Shreveport Police Department ​

318-422-1773
diana.sanchez@shreveportla.gov

circle-element-yellow

Tara Wilson

Area 8 - Northeast



318-548-0914
Lil.bit1025@yahoo.com

circle-element-yellow

Lt. Trinity Graves

Area 9 - Northshore

St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office

985.768.1018
TrinityGraves@stpso.com​

circle-element-yellow

Chief Daniel Folks

Area 9 - Northshore

Hammond Fire Chief ​