Day earns State Star Award
Dean Day, center director of the Louisiana Small Business Development Center at McNeese State University, has been named the 2026 Louisiana SBDC State Star.
The State Star Award is one of the highest national honors within the America’s Small Business Development Center network. Each year, state directors select one SBDC professional from their state in recognition of exceptional performance, leadership and impact in supporting small businesses.
In 2025, Day helped launch 30 businesses, create 98 jobs and retain 43 jobs in Southwest Louisiana. He also assisted clients in securing $4.3 million in capital and contributed to $3.1 million in sales growth.
Day was nominated by Bryan Greenwood, state director of the Louisiana SBDC network.
Day joined the LSBDC at McNeese in 2022. In 2024, he received the LSBDC network’s Rising Star Award and was promoted to center director in 2026.
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Peters to lead LNG Center of Excellence
Mark Peters has been named the director of operations for the LNG Center of Excellence at McNeese State University, according to Dr. Michael Buckles, provost and vice president for academic affairs.
The LNG Center of Excellence at McNeese serves as a neutral place where education, industry, government and the community collaborate and engage in discussions, debates, educational activities, research and the dissemination of LNG-related topics.
Peters has a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Mississippi State University and began his career with Dow Chemical as a production engineer. He eventually became a business manufacturing director where he oversaw eight facilities and five technologies on three continents. Peters has 38 years in chemical manufacturing as a chemical engineer, plant manager and senior executive with Dow Chemical, Orion Engineered Carbons, Lotte Chemical and Westlake Corp.
Rodriguez named Rising Star
Visit Lake Charles Director of Communications Candy Rodriguez has been named the 2026 Rising Star Award recipient by the Southeast Tourism Society. The award recognizes emerging travel and tourism professionals who demonstrate exceptional leadership, creativity, professional achievement, industry involvement, and a commitment to advancing the tourism industry.
Rodriguez joined Visit Lake Charles in September 2023 after nearly a decade as a television journalist. Since then, she has played a key role in expanding the organization’s communications efforts through media relations, stakeholder and community engagement, tourism advocacy, and bilingual outreach.
Rodriguez’s nomination highlighted her work leading communications for Just Imagine SWLA, coordinating Chuck Eats Restaurant Week, expanding community outreach, and developing Visit Lake Charles’ first Spanish-language podcast, Visita Lake Charles: Las Voces de Luisiana. Those efforts helped amplify the reach of Visit Lake Charles and key community initiatives, with Just Imagine SWLA generating more than 1.07 million views and impressions in 2025, Chuck Eats spotlighting dozens of locally owned restaurants and the people behind them, and the podcast creating a new platform to connect with Spanish-speaking audiences.
Richard joins Catalyst Bank
Catalyst Bank is pleased to announce Tyler Richard has joined the bank as commercial relationship manager in its Lake Charles market.
A Southwest Louisiana native, Richard brings nearly a decade of commercial banking experience to Catalyst. Since beginning his career in 2017, he has worked closely with business owners to develop financing strategies that align with their goals and position them for long-term success.
Richard specializes in commercial real estate lending, commercial and industrial lending, accounts receivable lines, and equipment financing. His approach centers on understanding a business from the inside out and developing solutions tailored to each client’s needs.
Richard is actively involved in the Lake Charles community as a member of the Greater Lake Charles Rotary Club and a board member of the Literacy Council of Southwest Louisiana. He is also a graduate of Leadership Southwest, a regional leadership development program focused on developing emerging civic leaders.
Neely named marketing director
West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital is pleased to announce that Demi Neely has joined the organization as director of marketing, foundation and community impact.
Neely brings a diverse background in health care and experience working across multiple areas of hospital operations.
Throughout her career, she has developed a broad understanding of health care operations, relationship development and the importance of strong connections between health care organizations, providers and the communities they serve.
Neely holds a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from McNeese State University.