Louisiana REALTORS® Leadership Graduates
LOUISIANA REALTORS • September 28, 2018
Pictured left to right: Ricky Tucker, Betsy Birdsong, Kimberly Hayes, Leo Desselle, Tim Skinner, Jonathan Cerruti, Macon Mayeaux, Caroline Freeland, Donna Harris, Tressie Buckhaulter, Jay Dardenne, Lori McGrew, Kendra Novak, Dru Ellender, Vanessa Hackleman, Kayla Walker, Leigh Moss, Taylor Gagneaux, Mark Boline, James Hebert, Tahira Abdul-Rahman.
Baton Rouge, La.— Louisiana REALTORS® graduated 20 REALTORS® practicing in markets around the state from the LRLeadership program, an initiative dedicated to broadening and enhancing the REALTOR® volunteer within our communities and within association leadership.
The program was started in 2000 and has graduated over 250 REALTOR® professionals. Requirements consists of four sessions that focus on: leadership skill development, the Louisiana legislature and advocacy, diversity, community service, communication styles, and team-building.
The program is facilitated by Amy P. Fennell, MPA and featured speakers for the program include: Harold Suire, Education, Research, and Information Services, Inc., Baton Rouge, La.; Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne, Baton Rouge, La.; Evan Fuchs, 2017 National Association of REALTORS® Professional Development Chair; Norman Morris, CAE, RCE, CEO, Louisiana REALTORS®, Baton Rouge, La.; and Amy Jones, Founder of Burning Stick Creative, Lafayette, La.
“It is such an exciting thing to see how many bright and dynamic leaders emerge from this program every year. These professionals are dedicated to the real estate industry, their clients, and are committed to becoming stronger leaders in their communities,” said Norman Morris, CEO.
This year’s graduates include the following:
Tahira Abdul-Rahman, Tahira & Associates Realty Inc – Shreveport, LA
Betsy Birdsong, Birdsong Realty Group -Metairie, LA
Mark Boline, New Orleans Relocation, LLC- New Orleans, LA
Tressie Buckhaulter, Diamond Realty & Associates LLC- Bossier City, LA
Jonathan Cerruti, Jack Stumpf & Associates, Inc. - Harvey,LA
Leo Desselle, Pennant Real Estate- Baton Rouge, LA
Drusilla Ellender, Coldwell Banker Gallerie- Sulphur, LA
Caroline Freeland, Keller Williams Realty Services – Mandeville, LA
Taylor Gagneaux, Moffett/Latter & Blum Realtors- Lake Charles, LA
Vanessa Hackleman, Diamond Realty & Associates - Bossier City LA
Donna Harris, Shirley Kirby & Associates-Denham Springs, LA
Kim Hayes, Cunningham Appraisals -Pineville, LA
James Hebert, Latter & Blum Inc/REALTORS- Thibodeaux, LA
Macon Mayeux, KELLER WILLIAMS, RED STICK PARTNERS -Baton Rouge, LA
Lori McGrew, Keaty Real Estate Company- Lafayette, LA
Leigh Moss, Keller Williams Realty First Choice- Prairieville, LA
Tim Skinner, Keaty Real Estate Company- Lafayette, LA
Kendra Novak, Novak Realty LLC - Baton Rouge, LA
Ricky Tucker, EXP Realty LLC- Lake Charles, LA
Kayla Walker, Century21 Buelow-Miller Realty- Alexandria, LA
The program’s graduation took place Tuesday, September 18 at the Chateau Saint Denis in Natchitoches, La during the REALTORS®’ annual governance meeting.
Tax Questions & Updates for 2026 Webinar Recording Now Available
NAR is pleased to share the latest consumer guide that explains the concept of home staging, offers DIY staging tips and missteps and shares the latest NAR member sentiment on how staging can help buyers better visualize the property as their future home and potentially net sellers a higher price. As a reminder, all guides in this series are available for download—in both English and Spanish—on facts.realtor . Please allow up to two weeks for the Spanish version of the latest resource to be translated and uploaded. For ease of reference, below is a list of the most recent guides: NEW: Staging Your House for a Sale Spotting Deepfake Scams in Real Estate Are You Ready to Invest in Real Estate? Thinking of Selling? 7 Factors to Consider How to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient Thank you for your continued engagement with the “Consumer Guide” series and for sharing the resources with prospective clients to ensure they have the information they need to find success in their home buying or selling journey. Remember that these guides are for informational purposes only and are not meant to enact or change any existing NAR policy. Be on the lookout for the next consumer guide, which discusses home mortgage options that allow buyers to fold in renovation costs.
With legislative work wrapped for week two of the session, here is your look back at what took place inside the halls of the Capitol. This week was defined by one major theme: workforce. Across both chambers, lawmakers moved a substantial package of measures focused on workforce development and reforms to Louisiana’s labor and workers’ compensation systems. House Labor Committee One of the busiest areas of activity was the House Labor Committee, which met Thursday morning and took up a slate of bills tied to employment policy, workforce structure and independent contractor issues like measures on portable benefits. The committee’s work underscored the broader push this session to modernize Louisiana’s workforce. Workers’ Compensation Reform The conversation around workers’ compensation reform also gained serious momentum. On the House side, additional labor-related bills addressed independent contractor definitions and other employment law issues. This week marked one of the first major pushes of the session on labor and workforce policy. House & Governmental Affairs Beyond labor-focused legislation, activity also continued in other key committees. In the House & Governmental Affairs Committee, lawmakers advanced multiple bills dealing with the timing of bond and tax elections. Tax, Commerce and Property Looking back at the broader week-two agenda, the Legislature also began considering several tax, commerce, and property-related measures, including proposals impacting property tax assessments, homestead exemptions, and the issues affecting private property. While workforce dominated the week, these issues are starting to gain traction as the session moves forward. A portion of our legislative package will be heard next week as HB 468 moves to the House Commerce Committee and HB 292 moves to the House Civil Law and Procedure Committee. Be on the lookout for any potential calls-to-action for these, or any other upcoming bills. Please view the weekly bill tracking report provided by our lobbying team over at Harris, DeVille and Associates.
