A heart for kids: New Big Brothers Big Sisters CEO driven to help others

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Louisiana Board of Directors has named Jillian Cormier its new chief executive officer.

CEO is a title that can invoke images of the success-driven, MBA-degreed stereotype, all buttoned-up in the conventional dark suit.

Cormier, a 30-something who looks younger, has a spring in her step, sparkle in her eye — and an MBA. She is driven to help others reach their potential — especially youth and her BBBS team.

The dark suit, however, is new. She purchased it right before the 2025 Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Louisiana Big Defender Luncheon, where she would be introduced for the first time in her new role.

“The person helping me asked what I needed the suit for and about my job. When I told her I work for Big Brothers Big Sisters she said, ‘Yeah, but what do you do?’ ”

Cormier told her she was the CEO, and she admits telling others what her title is will take some getting used to.

Cormier has been handling the duties of interim CEO since October 2024. That is also when the 11-member board began to interview candidates.

“Capable” was the first word used by Board Chair Erica Martin to describe Cormier. “Based on the work we’ve seen from her, and her plans for the future, she will be a great asset in growing the agency,”

Kedrick Nicholas, McNeese State University senior vice president of student affairs, is vice chair. The first two words he used in describing Cormier are “faithful and dedicated.”

“She showed the ability to lead, to be adaptive and optimistic while she held the title of interim CEO,” he added. “She has a productive relationship with staff and she has a passion for the work. She also has vision, a key quality needed in the CEO role.”

Being present

Six years ago Cormier took her first job at BBBS as coordinator for the Lunch Buddy program. At the time, she was also working a second job at a counseling office as a caseworker.

“It has always been in my heart to be out in the community and to serve the community any way I can,” she said.

While she served as interim CEO, she continued to fulfill the duties of her then-BBBS job, going into homes, providing services for children she had kept in contact with from kindergarten to high school — a job she loved so much she considered trying to handle both roles after her appointment before realizing it wasn’t realistic.

“I want to be present, an available resource for our kids, our parents, all of our stakeholders, our donors, all of them. I want the kids who walk through this door to feel at home.”

She uses “present” figuratively and literally. Cormier starts her day in the office before everyone else, at 7 a.m. When she says she wants every child who walks through the doors to feel at “home,” she is referring to conveying a sense of belonging, acceptance, love.

“It breaks down walls,” she said.

Breaking down walls can often be a first step in igniting power and promise in youth, the mission of BBBS.

She remembers a time when she had such a mentor, her eighth-grade math teacher, Lucie Mesuch, now retired.

“We may have never seen things eye-to-eye when it came to math,” Cormier said, “but she mentored me in ways I never expected.”

Mentoring,  programs   and the rest of the team

BBBS mentors Southwest Louisiana’s youth through community-based, one-to-one mentoring and school setting mentoring. Bigs and Littles meet for breakfast, lunch or enrichment. High school, middle school and in-office, group-based mentoring focuses on helping youth with financial literacy and healthy relationship building and learning skills — such as active listening, positive reinforcement — and setting boundaries.

“We’re serving 388 students in nine schools,” Cormier said, crediting Travis Thomas, manager of innovative programming, with how he has grown the program.

Homework Help and Study Buddies in collaboration with McNeese Burton College of Education provides one-to-one tutoring. Tellurian/Woodside Energy’s Washington-Marion LEAD Council helped BBBS establish a food and hygiene pantry for Littles and their families. The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office Bigs with Badges program has recruited 25 badge-carrying first responders to date. Summer Academy hosted 35 Littles at no cost to their guardians and were provided swimming lessons with a grant from Phillips 66.

Cormier uses “we” more than “I” when she answers interview questions. In addition to trying to become accustomed to her new title, she is having a hard time thinking of the men and women she has worked with over the years as “staff.” She asks if the article could be about everyone at the agency, not just her, but its about the new CEO at BBBS.

“If you could include their names?” she asks.

David Eakins is CFO. John Jaramillo is enrollment manager; Travis Thomas, manager of innovative programming; Amber Morgan, program director; Julia Tassin, marketing and development manager; Angie Derrick, match relationship specialist; Marlisa Harding, marketing and development coordinator; Michelle Harm, intake and enrollment; Mistie Lanham, program support specialist, Nick Nezat, corporate and community engagement specialist; and Jade English, site-based coordinator.

At the Big Defender luncheon event, the Ben Terry Big Brother of the Year Award was presented to Patrick Hill; Lauren Theriot is the recipient of the Faye Robinson Big Sister of the Year Award. The 2024 Community Champion is Michael T. Smith.

Other board members are Dave Foley, Lindsey Cutler, Lucy Viator, Alex Richard, Cinnamon Salvador, Anthony Celestine, Carl Lanham, Eric Fry and Velika Trhan.

To become a Big, enroll a child or find out more about BBBS of Southwest Louisiana, go to bbbswla.org.

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