Discover Lafayette

Few public servants in Louisiana history have worn as many hats, or told as many stories, as Jay Dardenne. Having served as State Senator, Secretary of State, Lieutenant Governor, and Commissioner of Administration under John Bel Edwards, Dardenne has spent decades shaping and promoting the state. But in this conversation, we explore a different dimension of his life: historian, storyteller, and d...

Danny Gillane, Director of the Lafayette Public Library System, joins Discover Lafayette for a timely conversation about the evolving role of our parish libraries and the tax renewal on the ballot Saturday, May 16, 2026. Gillane has served Lafayette’s library system for nearly two decades, following earlier work with public and academic libraries including UL-Lafayette and the Louisiana State Libr...

On this episode of Discover Lafayette , we welcome Nancy Landry, Louisiana’s 45th Secretary of State and the state’s chief elections officer. A Lafayette native and former State Representative for District 31, Landry brings both institutional knowledge and a deep personal connection to Acadiana as she returns home to discuss a pivotal moment in Louisiana’s election landscape. Landry opens with a r...

Recorded on March 19, 2026 at Vermilionville during the LFT Fiber Powered by Connectivity Summit, this episode of Discover Lafayette captures a powerful conversation about leadership, innovation, and the role of connectivity in shaping Acadiana’s future. The summit’s theme, Growth Powered by Fiber – Where Technology Meets Community , comes to life through the perspective of Dr. Ramesh Kollur...

Destin Ortego, Executive Director of the Opportunity Machine, known as the “OM,” joined Discover Lafayette to discuss the OM’s role as a driving force behind Lafayette’s growing tech and startup ecosystem. This special edition of Discover Lafayette was recorded at LFT Fiber’s Powered by Connectivity Summit hosted at Vermilionville on March 19, 2026. Set against the theme of “Grow...

Today on Discover Lafayette , we welcome Dale Clark, Ursula Quoyeser, and Kelly Viator to talk about the upcoming fifth annual Fin Feather Fur Food Festival, known as F5, benefiting Team Gleason Foundation. The event will be held April 30, 2026, at Blackham Coliseum, and if you’ve ever attended, you already know it’s one of those rare gatherings where incredible food, community spirit, and a power...

At the historic grounds of Vermilionville, beneath the oaks and along the bayou that so vividly reflect our region’s living history, this special episode of Discover Lafayette was recorded during the second annual LFT Fiber Powered by Connectivity Summit on March 19th, 2026. The summit’s theme, Growth Powered by Fiber, Where Technology Meets Community, comes to life in a conversation with Whitney...

On this episode of Discover Lafayette , we welcome Deb and Paul Lindsay, the enthusiastic co-chairs of the Books Along the Teche Literary Festival, which celebrates its 10th anniversary April 10–12, 2026 in downtown New Iberia. Centered around the Sliman Theater, Shadows-on-the-Teche, and other historic sites, this year’s festival brings together literature, music, food, history, and community for...

On this episode of Discover Lafayette , we visit with Maureen Dugas Foster, founder of Designing Women of Acadiana, a collaborative network that has spent the past decade bringing together women interested in architecture, design, creativity, and community. What began as a simple idea during a challenging personal moment has grown into a vibrant organization that has hosted more than 100 events ac...

For more than six decades, LARC has quietly served one of the most important missions in Acadiana—supporting individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities and helping them live meaningful, independent lives. On this episode of Discover Lafayette , we sit down with Nicole Harrison, Chief Operating Officer and Interim CEO of LARC, along with Karon Davis, Marketing Director, to learn h...

From a volunteer-run initiative in the 1980s to a regional continuum of care in 2026 : On this episode of Discover Lafayette , we sit down with Claude Martin, CEO of AcadianaCares, to talk about what it looks like when a community builds an institution out of necessity, and then keeps rebuilding it for four decades. AcadianaCares began (originally as “Lafayette CARES”) in 1985, during the earliest...

On this episode of Discover Lafayette , we welcome Charles Boustany, a retired cardiovascular surgeon who served as the U.S. Representative for Louisiana’s Third Congressional District from 2005 to 2017. Most recently, he earned a Master’s degree in history from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Dr. Boustany was honored with the Richard G. Neiheisel (Phi Beta Kappa) Graduate Award, recogni...

Wild Child Wines is one of those rare downtown spots that feels instantly like a neighborhood living room—warm, inviting, and full of discovery. In this episode of Discover Lafayette, we sit down with Katie and Denny Culbert, the couple behind Lafayette’s signature natural wine shop and wine bar, to talk about how Wild Child began, how it grew, and why it’s become a destination for locals and visi...

On this episode of Discover Lafayette , we sit down with two leaders deeply involved in shaping student career readiness at University of Louisiana at Lafayette: Brandi Hollier, Director of the B.I. Moody College of Business Internship Program, and Kim Billeaudeau, Director of the Office of Career Services. Together, they share how internships, professional preparation, and employer partnerships c...

Stephanie Manson, President: FMOL Health/ Our Lady of Lourdes, joins Discover Lafayette to talk about leadership, mission-driven Catholic healthcare, and the most significant hospital expansions Lafayette has seen in years. Stephanie shares her deeply personal journey into healthcare administration, her love for Louisiana and Lafayette, and how Our Lady of Lourdes is expanding capacity, technology...

Bob Miller, CEO and Founder of IRGame, is a technology entrepreneur with 30+ years of experience across cybersecurity and emerging technologies. He’s a pioneer in using AI-powered gamification for incident response (“IR”) training, designed specifically for busy executives who can’t spend full days in training but must make high-stakes decisions quickly during real crises. IRGame puts executive te...

Don Dupuis is a Louisiana technology pioneer whose work quietly shaped how businesses across Acadiana and far beyond learned to operate in the early days of the digital age. Don founded Acadiana Computer Systems in 1969, at a time when most offices still relied on adding machines, paper ledgers, and manual calculations. Long before “IT services” was a common phrase, Don saw that businesses, especi...

Discover Lafayette welcomes Melissa Bonin, celebrated artist, poet, lyricist, and author whose work is deeply rooted in the landscape, language, and spirit of South Louisiana. A native of New Iberia with French and Acadian ancestry, Melissa is widely recognized as one of Louisiana’s leading contemporary landscape painters. Her work weaves together emotion, mythology, nature, and memory—often inspi...

Discover Lafayette welcomes Heather Borges, owner of Bee Organized Lafayette, a professional organizing and life-transition company serving the Lafayette area. January is National Organizing Month, and this first conversation of 2026 kicks off the new year with practical insight into why organization is so personal and so powerful. Heather shares her path from nursing to professional organizing. A...

Discover Lafayette welcomes a true living legend of service to Acadiana: Dr. Mary B. Neiheisel. Dr. Neiheisel was the 2017 recipient of the prestigious Lafayette Civic Cup, one of the highest honors for civic service in our community. Her journey in Lafayette began in 1966, when she started teaching at the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now UL Lafayette), launching 59 years of impact in edu...

Andre Michot, a driving force behind Louisiana’s cultural soundscape and a founding member of the Grammy-winning Lost Bayou Ramblers, joins Discover Lafayette to discuss Michot Accordions. Widely known for pushing Cajun music forward while remaining deeply rooted in tradition, Andre’s influence extends well beyond the stage. He is also the proprietor and craftsman behind Michot Accordions, where h...

In this episode, Adam Daigle, Business Editor of The Acadiana Advocate , returns to break down Lafayette and Acadiana’s top five business stories of 2025. With years of experience tracking economic trends, major developments, and the people shaping our community, Adam offers an inside look at what’s driving growth—and what challenges remain. From the long-awaited arrival of Trader Joe’s to manufac...

Discover Lafayette welcomes Hans Nelsen, known on air as “Fast,” who co-hosts the morning show on Big 102.1 from 6:00 to 10:00 a.m. each weekday with CJ Clements. Pictured are CJ Clements and “Fast” (Hans Nelson), co-hosts of Big 102.1’s Morning Show Hans has been on the air in South Louisiana since 1985, starting as a USL student working the graveyard shift at a new urban contem...

We welcome Lafayette’s own master of illusion, Devon Faul, one of Acadiana’s most captivating magicians. Devon is known for blending sleight of hand with a deep sense of showmanship to create experiences that leave audiences spellbound. From close-up moments to full stage performances, Devon brings a unique blend of creativity, humor, and heart to his craft. We explore his journey into magic, the...

Our guest is Teri Dupuy-Gore, Executive Director of Hub Lafayette Urban Ministries, a Christ-centered outreach serving our neighbors experiencing homelessness, chronic poverty, hunger, and difficult life transitions. Teri shares how The Hub and its Lovewell Center at 1515 W. University Avenue in Lafayette, create a place to be present in our community and love people right where they are, offering...