Tuesday, Jan. 25
January 25, 2011Thursday, Jan. 27
January 27, 2011
E.D. White senior Anthony Naquin was recognized as the Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce’s Teenager of the Year Thursday night, highlighting the chamber’s 44th annual awards banquet at the Warren J. Harang, Jr. Municipal Auditorium.
Naquin, who was lauded for his academic, musical and service accomplishments, became the 13th winner of the award in 12 years and was awarded a $500 scholarship to the college of his choosing through the Norman “Big Boy” Swanner Fund.
“It’s a huge honor. I think it’s a culmination of all my hard work and all the help from my parents and friends,” Naquin told the Tri-Parish Times. “I definitely attribute it to how my parents have raised me and how much they have done for me over the years.”
The president of National Honor Society and member of the Future Leaders of America Club, Naquin’s academic achievements include 2nd place in the state Literary Rally for geometry, 2nd place in the state Science Olympiad in bio-process lab, starter on the academic team and recipient of the Tulane book award, St. Michael’s College Book Award and Woffard scholarship; he also boasts a 4.36 grade point average.
Naquin, an aspiring doctor, accumulated more than 500 service hours at the Thibodaux Regional Medical Center Cancer Center since he began the summer of his sophomore year and is an as-needed employee at the hospital.
His musical achievements include president of Cardinal Music, Cardinal Vanguard Bass Captain, seven-year member of the District Honor Band, a selection to the National All-American Army Bowl Marching Band, a member of the Carnegie Hall Honor Performance Series Band and All Gulf-South Honors Band member.
“I feel like if I am sitting around doing nothing, it’s just a waste of time,” Naquin said. “Any free time, if I’m not at school, I always have myself doing something extra-curricular.”
Una Rodrigue received Music’s Unsung Hero Award after volunteering her time through musical activities for 17 years.
Grady Verrett, owner of Pepper’s Pizzeria and the recently opened Grady V’s American Bistro in the Bayou Country Club, received the Business of the Year Award.
Charter Media received the Member of the Year Award for consistently sponsoring and participating in chamber events.
Ted Hoffman, 53-year president of Hoffman music, was named the Frank Kennedy Citizen of the Year.
Outgoing Chairman Sonya Premeaux presented the Chairman of the Board’s Award to Ben Harang, who was recognized for the “countless” hours he volunteered for the chamber.
Among his commendable efforts, Harang served on both Chamber committees, Organizational Affairs and Public Affairs, and moderated the 2010 political forums.
Harang was also credited for bringing former LSU head coach and motivational orator Dale Brown to Thibodaux as the banquet’s guest speaker.
Brown, who followed the glamorous-yet-oft-defeated Pete-and-Press Maravich Era at LSU with 448 wins, 13 NCAA Tournament berths and two Final Fours in his 25-year stint as the Tigers’ head coach, entertained the attentive banquet crowd with a passionate diatribe against apathy, isolation, indifference and reliance on “saviors” to better the community.
The motivational engagement included a few gems of cliché, including “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with others,” and “Looking for a helping hand? Look at the end of your arm!” but was delivered with the clarity, timing and eloquence that has made Brown one of the country’s most renown motivators.
“You’ve got a nice community,” the 75-year-old former coach said. “You want to make it a better one? You’ve got to build relationships with each other. You’ve got to enter into a covenant…
“All things must be paid for. Mutual exchange is the law. You get because you give. There is no such a thing as independence. It’s the most foolish thing to imagine that there is. We’re all in it together. The best potential of me is we. Mankind, in the long history, has not advanced a centimeter by fighting, hating, killing, cheating. The only notable advancement we’ve ever made on this earth is when we’ve been brothers and sisters and labored towards a common goal. You want to make this a more fantastic community? Start pulling together a little more.”
The banquet also marked the transition from Premeaux to Annette Fontana, the 2011 chairman of the board. Fontana, a Lafourche Parish assistant district attorney, said the Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce will work to enhance membership benefits and resources and embrace technological advancement.
“With the current economic condition, the Chamber again anticipates a very challenging year,” Fontana said. “But, we are up to the challenge. We are up to the challenge to continue to make Thibodaux a great place for business, a great place to work and a great place to live.
“Our focus for 2011 is to connect with all of you, our membership, and provide more resources and benefits to our membership.”
Former LSU head basketball coach Dale Brown delivers a passionate speech geared at promoting togetherness in the community as the keynote speaker at Thursday’s Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce annual awards banquet. ERIC BESSON
