The Women’s Symposium

articles by MEREDITH MCKINNIE
photography by KELLY MOORE CLARK

The ULM Women’s Symposium annually highlights women from across Northeast Louisiana for their individual achievements, professional and personal. The panelists share their stories with ULM students and fellow community members to showcase the importance of success and failure in one’s journey. Here we highlight five of the 2024 panelists and why they were chosen as leaders in their respective fields.

Amanda May
For Amanda May, a Pineville native and LSU graduate, the path to northeast Louisiana involved a love of athletics and an appreciation of sisterhood. Amanda did not grow up in the pageant world, but the appeal of scholarships turned her attention to the Miss Louisiana Organization during her freshman year at LSU. As a trained ballerina, Amanda longed to perform, and the Miss Louisiana Pageant offered a chance to step out of her comfort zone. Amanda marveled at the talented, driven women in her orbit, each championing a cause close to their hearts. After winning the crown in 2007, Amanda moved to Monroe for the duration of her reign.

Amanda fell in love with ULM, and though she returned to LSU for her senior year, she moved back to Monroe after graduation to pursue a master’s degree and career in athletics. Since she had conducted sports interviews at LSU, The ULM Athletic Director offered Amanda a spot on the radio network team. Soon she transitioned to Spirit Group Coordinator and oversaw the ULM cheerleaders, dance line, and mascot. At Nationals, Amanda networked with Varsity staff and was named the Louisiana State Director for Varsity. Serving as a resource for cheer coaches across the state, Amanda was the point person for over 700 schools. She learned management skills that quickly resulted in her promotion to Corporate Trainer for Varsity. Now responsible for Varsity state directors across the country, Amanda emphasizes becoming a resource for potential customers. She encourages the sales team to advise customers even when they say no, to build trust for future interactions.

When it comes to working with people, Amanda knows relationships are the cornerstone of professional longevity. Her trajectory would not be possible without mentors along the way, and Amanda continues to give back to women coming behind her, whether it be in her work with Varsity or as Women’s Ministry Coordinator at her local church. She created Champions of Faith, an event that honors the testimonies of incredible women in our community. Amanda and her husband Brent have three children: Aly (9), Sadie (7), and Joey (5). Amanda will be speaking at the 2024 Women’s Symposium on March 20th on the panel entitled “Sisterhood and Solidarity: Mentorship in the Workplace.”

Angelique Drew
Angelique Drew possesses what can only be described as an entrepreneurial spirit, and the source of this self-starter attitude is hard to pinpoint. Unlike many entrepreneurs, Angelique did not grow up around business owners, nor was entrepreneurship impressed upon her by family members or friends. Nonetheless, Angelique started her first business in junior high, selling concessions to her classmates. She also identified an innate love for interacting with and helping people. After graduation, Angelique landed a job as a bank teller, quickly advancing to become a personal banker. Again, the relationships invigorated her love for the position. She knew how to connect with people and how to treat each client with respect.

After attending a conference, one of the entrepreneurs mentioned the profitability of the tax industry, sparking her curiosity and leading her to conduct research about the tax industry. Fifteen years later, Angelique still works with those same early clients. Those who were once dependents are now coming in to see Angelique with their own dependents. Creating a familial atmosphere is key to longevity when dealing with the public. Angelique prioritizes her community, and they reward her with continued loyalty.

Angelique opened her most recent business in 2016 with Kravins Restaurant. Angelique loves to see the joy on people’s faces when they take the first bite of Kravins. Like her clients at the bank and the tax service, the Kravins Restaurant customers make it all worthwhile. Angelique continues to invest in her community by conducting giveaways for those in the community and offering discounts to those who serve it. Being the boss of more than one venture can be taxing. It involves hard work, sleepless nights, and continuous problem-solving. Angelique’s motto is to “Focus on the resolution instead of the problem.” Angelique Drew will be speaking more about entrepreneurship at the 2024 Women’s Symposium on Wednesday, March 20th, on the panel entitled “She Means Business: EntrepreneuHERship and Innovation.”

Tania Hilburn
Tania Hilburn understands leadership and how to foster an effective team. As a lifelong northeast Louisiana resident, hailing from Simsboro, Tania earned a bachelor’s in Health Information Management from Louisiana Tech. Unsure of a career route, Tania found a mentor in a family friend who taught in the Health Information Management Program on campus. Tania loved her classes, and upon graduation, took a job with Glenwood Regional Medical Center, then a locally-owned hospital. Tania handled records management and perfected a leadership style that prioritized people and relationships. When Glenwood sold 13 years later, Tania’s husband, Greg, suggested she apply for a position at Chase Bank. Though the job wasn’t in the healthcare industry, Tania thought her skills would transfer to the new environment. As the new Manager of the Image Capture Department, Tania realized she knew little about finance, but her people skills made her perfect for managing a team of professionals. Tania insists, “If you can lead a team, you can learn to do almost anything.”

The internal structures of the two entities couldn’t have been more different. Whereas Glenwood was a small, local business where Tania could stroll into the CEO’s office throughout the day, Chase is a global corporation with employees all over the world. Tania learned to build relationships across physical distance. While leading a Chase team in Monroe, she also managed a team in the Philippines. Tania learned to navigate cultural differences by becoming a good listener. The employees in the Philippines are amazing partners and an asset to the Chase corporation.

Effective leadership means making people the primary objective. Tania knows that if people are happy and the work culture is suitable to everyone’s needs, then the company can be profitable. As a manager, Tania makes sure everyone feels included, has a distinct voice, and knows they will be respected. As a boss, Tania approaches conflict resolution from a place of sincerity and honesty and prioritizes frank, constructive conversations. Intentional listening ensures that her team is happy. Tania Hilburn will speak more on this topic at the 2024 Women’s Symposium on Wednesday, March 20th on the panel entitled “Know Your Neighbor: Social Accountability.”

Brandi Cole
As Assistant General Counsel for Lumen Technologies, Brandi Cole knows firsthand the intricacies of ethics and compliance at a global company. Being a team leader on such a large scale was unimaginable when Brandi first decided to study law. After graduating from Louisiana Tech with a bachelor’s in accounting, Brandi enrolled at LSU Law School. Her father encouraged the career path, as Brandi excelled in reading, writing, and arguing. The pressure of potentially becoming the first attorney in her family was compounded during Brandi’s first law course. As the distinguished professor read through the names, he acknowledged certain people’s relatives who were judges or well-known attorneys. With no family history to lean on, Brandi decided that her success would rest on her work ethic and educational achievement.

When Brandi attended LSU Law School, the student population was about 50% women, a large increase for a profession historically dominated by men. Alongside the sizable female cohort, Brandi excelled. She learned that a familial background in law did not determine one’s success. She came to understand that she was capable of more than she thought possible. She held four clerkships in Baton Rouge and discovered a proclivity for people and people’s issues. She worked on cases involving interactions in the workplace, like discrimination and harassment. Those experiences allowed Brandi to network in her field and learn interpersonal dynamics in a business environment.

Brandi and her husband, David, decided to move back to North Louisiana to raise their children, Annie and Cooper. Brandi took a position on the Ethics and Compliance team at Lumen. Though the company now has a female CEO and other women in upper leadership, the technology industry is still male-dominated. Over her last 9 years, Brandi has seen Lumen make tremendous strides in gender equity and inclusion. As Brandi deals with interpersonal issues at the company across the globe, she recognizes that people have a need to be heard.  We all have different backgrounds and unconscious biases, and listening to different points of view is vital to sustain a productive and inclusive workplace.  Brandi credits strong male and female mentors for teaching her the value of hard work and courage when navigating difficult issues in the workplace. Brandi Cole will be speaking more on this topic at the 2024 Women’s Symposium on Wednesday, March 20th on the panel entitled “The Gender Variable: Leading Women in Male-Dominated Spaces.” 

Dr. Avius Carroll
For Dr. Avius Carroll, personal wellness is not only a lifestyle but a chosen career path. Avius understands that prioritizing her own wellbeing is essential to individual fulfillment and that investing in others requires first investing in herself. As the Prevention and Wellness Director for Northeast Delta Human Services Authority, Avius develops and oversees preventative health programs for the people of northeast Louisiana. Initially, Avius interned with the state in the formerly-named Office of Addictive Disorders before being promoted to Regional Prevention Coordinator. In this role, Avius handles school-based prevention programs aimed to reduce access and use of alcohol, tobacco and other illicit drugs among youth. She does this through advocacy, programing, policy and education. Having attended secondary school when there were no prevention measures, Avius quickly observed the risks of underage consumption, and how prevalent first-time substance use was among middle schoolers. The addiction epidemic begins much sooner than people realize. As Avius matured in her position, she was promoted to Corporate Compliance Director, and later became the Prevention & Wellness Director.

Avius earned a Bachelor’s in Sociology from Louisiana Tech. She was intrigued by the study of how an individual’s environment affects one’s behavior. Avius earned a master’s in Public Policy from Grambling State, followed by a PhD in Public Health from Jackson State. Throughout her education, Avius worked in healthcare public policy through her work with the Governmental Accountability Office, and as a published researcher. Pursuing a terminal degree, Avius planned to study and change community norms and behaviors. She interned with the Children’s Coalition, implementing programs to target asthma education and prevention in schools. By educating parents and school officials, Avius worked to make public schools “asthma free.” Dr. Carroll is the founder of the Carroll Group for HEAR (Health Equity, Advocacy and Research), a non-profit organization aimed at improving social determinants of health and addressing health equity in south Monroe. While her career revolves around preventive measures, her personal well-being involves intentional daily practices.

Avius advocates for deliberate measures to better one’s health and well-being. Her personal wellness pathway is defined by physical and mental self-care. Ultimately, Avius defines self-care as “a moment to or for yourself.” Dr. Avius Carroll will be speaking more on this topic at the Women’s Symposium on Wednesday, March 20th on the panel entitled “Mind, Body, and Soul: Nurturing Women’s Holistic Well-Being.”