Our Team | Lafayette Soil And W

Board of Supervisors

Lafayette Soil and Water Conservation District

The Lafayette Parish Soil and Water Conservation District’s purpose is to coordinate conservation activities and educational programs, and to provide technical assistance to landowners and units of government on the use of their soil, water, and related resources. We provide technical assistance to District Co-operators and others through education, planning, and implementation of sound conservation practices. In additional to services, we provide rentals and assistance with urban farming.

Ronus Duhon

Ronous has been a cattle and beef producer since 1996. He retired with 30 years of service with United Parcel Service in 2002. Ronous has been a volunteer board member with the Lafayette Soil & Water Conservation District since 2009 and currently holds the position as Chairman. He also is a volunteer alternate board member with the State Soil & Water Conservation Commission Board.

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Eddie Blanchard

Mr. Blanchard grew up in Rayne, Louisiana, and served four years in the U.S. Navy in communications before studying Radio and Television Broadcasting at the University of Southwestern Louisiana. He built a four-decade career in radio and television, culminating in his induction into the Louisiana Broadcasting Hall of Fame. He currently serves as Executive Vice President of Delta Media Corporation in Lafayette.

Mr. Blanchard has served on the boards of telecommunications companies Network U.S.A. and Sun America, and currently serves as a director of the Talents Foundation, a 501(c)(3) in Lafayette. He also has a herd of commercial cattle and farmland in Catahoula Parish.

Chad Courtois

Chad Courtois was born and raised in Acadiana. After completing his career with the Marine Corps in 1995, he moved into the Financial & Insurance Services industry, where he has remained ever since.

Helping family and friends reach a secure financial future is personal to Chad, and that same commitment extends to strengthening the community he lives in. He is actively involved in the following organizations:

Chairman, 2014 Iberia Industrial Development Foundation
Board Member, Lafayette Soil & Water Conservation District
Board Member, Greater Iberia Chamber of Commerce
Vice Chairman, Iberia Economic Development Authority
Board Member, Iberia On Tap, a Young Professionals Network
Committee Member, CCA (Coastal Conservation Association)
Committee Member, DWF (Delta Waterfowl Organization)

Danny Hebert

Daniel Lee "Danny" Hebert was raised on a dairy farm south of Youngsville and graduated from Comeaux High School in 1971. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Production Agriculture from USL in 1977, followed by a second Bachelor of Science in Agronomy in 1979, and a master's degree in Agronomy from LSU in 1981.

Accomplishments:

Member, LA Cattlemen's Association (Board Member, Acadiana District Livestock Show, 20+ years)
Former Louisiana Certified Crop Advisor (CCA)
Board Member, Louisiana Forage & Grassland Council
Strong supporter of 4-H and FFA activities
Completed LSU Master Horseman Program, Master Cattleman Program, and Advanced Master Cattleman Program
Certified Master Farmer, Department of Agriculture
Board Member, Acadiana Fairgrounds Commission

Stan Dutile

Stan Dutile is a native of St. Martinville, Louisiana. He graduated from St. Martinville Sr. High School in 1977 and went on to earn a B.S. in Animal Science from UL Lafayette in 1981. In April 1982, he became Assistant County Agent with the LSU AgCenter/Extension Service, later earning a master's degree in vocational education from LSU in 1990 and advancing to full County Agent shortly after.

In addition to his role as County Agent, Stan conducted regional livestock work across multiple parishes until his retirement in April 2023, capping a 41-year career. He now owns and operates a commercial cow-calf operation near his hometown.

Chris Adams

Chris Adams, a Baton Rouge native, earned both an undergraduate and master’s degree in sustainability, with a focus on community development and local food systems. Calling Lafayette home since the late 1990's, Chris has developed a robust working knowledge of natural ecosystems and conservation, and is active in the arts, culture and nonprofit communities of Lafayette. With his knowledge, Chris has advanced sustainability projects while working for the Community Development and Planning Department in Lafayette’s city-parish government, and was the Statewide Organic Agriculture Director for Louisiana Central, assisting farmers to transition conventional production practices to organic methods, and has helped establish and operate two local food nonprofits Earthshare Gardens and Acadiana Food Alliance. Most recently Chris has filled out the conservation team at Moncus Park as the Environmental Coordinator.

Meet Our Staff

Loree Stickles
Program Support Specialist

Kat grew up in Lake Arthur, Louisiana, and graduated from Lake Arthur High School in 1973. She married Clyde Wilder in 1975 and moved to Lafayette, where she worked in a variety of roles — from hotel desk clerk to secretarial positions, including secretary-bookkeeper and over-the-counter sales at a commercial ceiling and flooring contractor, and dispatcher at a commercial mechanical contractor. In 1993, she was commissioned as a Notary Public domiciled in Lafayette Parish, and in 1995 she became a realtor, a career she continues to pursue as a secondary income.

Kat joined the Lafayette Soil & Water Conservation District as a part-time District Secretary in 2011, a role that grew into full-time work. She also covered the St. Martin SWCD until June 2023, when that district brought on its own secretary. She continues to serve as District Secretary for Lafayette SWCD.

Kat has three children, ten grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. Her favorite hobby is gathering with friends over lunch on her days off.

Mike was raised in Lafayette, Louisiana, and graduated from Lafayette High School before attending USL. He has spent 45 years with LSWCD as an Engineering Technician, building long-term relationships with landowners and farmers across the region that go back decades — trust that plays a real role in how effectively he helps them solve drainage and erosion problems. His design work spans fish ponds, crawfish ponds, irrigation pipelines, and land leveling for rice, row crop, and sugarcane fields, along with the design, installation, and construction checks of Grade Stabilization Structures (pipe drops). He also works with livestock producers on a variety of livestock practices, and partners with NRCS technicians and engineers on the design and construction checks of engineering practices contracted or cost-shared through NRCS programs.

Mike is married to Sandra and has three children and four grandchildren. In his free time, he enjoys fishing, gardening, and spending time with his grandchildren.

Sean Troy is originally from New Jersey. He lived in Colorado and North Carolina before moving to Louisiana in the fall of 2022. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Geoscience and a Master's Degree in Sustainable Natural Resource Management. Sean worked for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Forest Service before joining NRCS, where he has served as a Soil Conservation Technician and Natural Resource Specialist. He is a Certified Conservation Planner 3 with NRCS. Day to day, Sean helps farmers and ranchers apply conservation practices to their land. He investigates conservation problems, collects data to develop solutions, and surveys and designs practices using GPS and GIS software. He also develops plans for cost-share programs that help landowners secure government funding to implement conservation practices, ensuring those plans follow required government guidelines. He educates the public on conserving soil, water, plant, and air resources. Outside of work, Sean enjoys hiking, kayaking, and taking his dog on walks.

Christopher "Chris" Holland is a native of Lafayette, Louisiana, and a graduate of UL Lafayette's Environmental Science program. He joined the Lafayette/St. Martin Soil and Water Conservation Districts in May 2023 as a Soil & Water Conservation Technician, working out of the Lafayette Service Center in Breaux Bridge on projects funded through the 319 Program. That program supports efforts to control nonpoint source pollution — runoff from sources like fertilizers and chemicals — through technical assistance, education, and the implementation of watershed-based plans that protect and improve local water quality. Chris values being able to set a good example for his two young sons as a conservationist of our precious natural resources through his work with the district.

Loree Stickles, a Baton Rouge native (Geaux Tigers), brings over 30 years of varied professional experience to her current role as Program Support Specialist (PSS) for SWCD, including work as Environmental Impact Director, Environmental Educator and Naturalist, executive assistant, and licensed realtor.

As a Program Support Specialist, Loree provides administrative, technical, and program support for NRCS operations across multiple offices and parishes. She reviews documentation for accuracy, assists field staff, and maintains detailed records for producer contracts — work that supports efficient daily operations and conservation efforts across a broad service area. She also supports the Lafayette Soil and Water Conservation District directly through outreach and web design.

Loree is happily married to Joshua and has three adult children — two of whom moved to New England, while the youngest attends Texas A&M Galveston, pursuing a maritime career. In her free time, she enjoys running, bragging about running, and a range of fiber arts including crocheting, shuttle tatting, rug hooking, and spinning.