Shetler receives Icon Award

FORT WORTH, Texas — At the 2024 Mr Gatti’s Pizza convention, Ricky Shetler, franchisee of the Lake Charles Mr Gatti’s Pizza, was awarded the food company’s highest accolade: the esteemed Brand Icon Award.

Shetler, who has been with the Mr Gatti’s Pizza for over 40 years and currently serves as president of the Franchise Advisory Council, received this honor, which has only been awarded three times in the Mr. Gatti’s ’s history.

Jim Phillips, CEO of Mr Gatti’s Pizza, praised Shetler’s dedication, saying, “No one embodies the definition of a ‘brand icon’ more than Ricky Shetler. Ricky’s tireless dedication to his neighbors in Lake Charles while maintaining the highest standards in food quality and service is an inspiration to all of us at Mr. Gatti’s Pizza.”

Shetler rebuilt his Lake Charles location in 2021 after Hurricanes Laura and Delta caused major damage.

“Ricky could have walked away after the hurricanes, but his passion for the brand and love for Lake Charles ensured he would rebuild, and his new facility is thriving,” Phillips added.

Sempra honored for transparency

SAN DIEGO — Sempra has been recognized as a Trendsetter for the ninth consecutive year for its civic transparency by the Center for Political Accountability’s annual CPA-Zicklin Index of Corporate Political Disclosure and Accountability.

Sempra received a perfect score of 100% and was named a “Model Code” company for demonstrating an emblematic commitment to ethical behavior.

The CPA-Zicklin Index, which is produced in conjunction with the Zicklin Center for Governance & Business Ethics at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, assesses political disclosure and accountability policies and practices for election-related spending by S&P 500 and Russell 1000 companies, including political spending policies and board oversight.

Highlights for Sempra’s recognition this year include:

• Sempra received a raw score of 70 out of 70, which equates to an overall score of 100% on the CPA-Zicklin Index. This year, the average overall score for political disclosure and accountability was 59.9% for all S&P 500 companies.

• Sempra is one of only seven companies in the S&P 500 to earn a perfect 100% score.

CSE Federal Credit Union honored

CSE Federal Credit Union was recently honored with six awards during the Marketing Association of Credit Unions 2024 “MAC Awards” ceremony.

CSE received awards in the assets class of $500 million and less in the categories of Video, Annual Report, Direct Mail, Logos and Sponsorship and Partnership Marketing.

CSE was awarded Gold in Video for its 2023 “A Year of Giving” video, which highlighted several ways the organization gave back to the community.

In the Annual Report category, CSE received Bronze. CSE’s “The Grass is Greener” themed report which immersed Members into the possibility of growing together collectively, leading to a brighter side when choosing CSE.

CSE earned both Gold and Silver awards in Direct Mail.

Gold was presented for its Loan Savings Campaign, which compared loan options provided to members, and Silver for the Onboarding Program, which helped welcome new Members to CSE.

And finally, in the Logos category, CSE was awarded Bronze for its Prime Checking design used to advertise a new checking account introduced in 2023.

CSE’s contributions towards the Men Wear Pink campaign for Southwest Louisiana received a Bronze award in the Sponsorship and Partnership category. MWP is a fundraising campaign benefiting the American Cancer Society’s efforts towards breast cancer research. To help contribute, CSE hosted a Pink Elephant Yard Sale fundraising event.

Citadel wins Lantern Award

Citadel Completions, based at Chennault International Airport, is a winner of the Louisiana Economic Development Lantern Awards

LEd established the awards to recognize manufacturers from each of Louisiana’s eight economic regions whose economic impact and commitment to public service ensure a brighter future for their employees, their communities and the state.

Citadel specializes in aircraft interiors for private, corporate and government aircraft.

Sowela instructor recognized

For the second year in a row, a Sowela Instructor received the top educator honor at the Louisiana Community and Technical College System conference.

Information Systems Instructor Brandon Kelley beat out numerous Louisiana community and technical college applicants to take home the “President’s Award for Teaching Excellence” and the $5,000 cash prize.

Kelley has worked at Sowela for two years during which time program enrollment has grown 30%. His inclusive and hands-on classroom environment empowers students to rise to their full potential no matter their socioeconomic status or circumstances.

Kelley presents materials in a “flipped classroom” style where students engage in interactive discussions and are encouraged to use tools and cabling from the lab to practice what is being discussed. Labs include everything from writing software to building computers, installing wiring closets and server racks, terminating RJ-45, fiber optics and much more.

Kelley records every lecture because it is not always possible for students to drop a shift at work to be in class. In the spring 2024 semester, his lectures were watched 836 times. This equated to 85 additional hours of instruction.

The “President’s Award for Teaching Excellence” aims to recognize an exceptional educator in Louisiana’s community and technical colleges. It is awarded annually to one teaching faculty member in LCTCS who distinctly represents the teaching excellence found in the statewide system of colleges. As part of the application process, Kelley submitted a video showcasing his teaching style, abstract, letter of support from Sowela’s chancellor, syllabus and resume.