2024-25 Board of Directors Elected at Annual Meeting
August 22, 2024
The Society of Louisiana Certified Public Accountants (LCPA) held its Annual Meeting and Election of Officers on August 14 at The Ritz-Carlton New Orleans. The following were elected to positions on our 2024-25 Board of Directors:
Bridget Kaigler, CPA, CGMA, was named LCPA's 2024-25 Chair. An LCPA board member since 2021, Bridget is the first woman of color to chair the non-profit association in its 113-year history. In her one-year term in the top volunteer position, she sets forth on a state-wide tour, promoting her theme: The Power of Inspiration – Share Your CPA Story. A Past President of the Baton Rouge Chapter, she is Senior Director of Tax & Regulatory Reporting at Amedisys, Inc. She is an AICPA Designated Member of Council and Trustee for AICPA Benevolent Fund.
Anthony Rutledge, CPA, MBA, is serving as Chair-Elect and will accede to the position of Chair in August 2025. He is Director, Audit and Assurance Services, with LaPorte CPAs & Business Advisors in Covington. Anthony is a Past President and current Member at-Large of LCPA's Northshore Chapter and a previous representative of the Society's Emerging CPA Council. He has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Management Minor, and a Master of Business Administration from Southeastern Louisiana University.
Kenneth Champagne, CPA, is serving as LCPA's Treasurer. He is the Senior Vice President, Business Services, for Confie in Baton Rouge. In addition to serving as a Treasurer, Kenneth is very active in the Society's financial literacy efforts and is a Past President of LCPA's Baton Rouge Chapter. He has a Bachelor's degree in Accounting from LSU.
Diane Allison, CPA, CGMA, CGFO, is serving the second year of a two-year term (2023-2025) as Member at-Large. She is the Assistant Legislative Auditor, Director of Local Government Services for the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s office. Diane has previously served as chief financial officer in three different local governments for a combined total of 17 years. In 2019, she was recognized as the Woman to Watch – Experienced Leader.
Jessica Cormier, CPA, is serving a one-year term as Member at-Large. A Past President of LCPA's Baton Rouge Chapter, she is the Transformation Manager at BPM, LLP. Jessica has served on several LCPA committees, including Women's Initiatives, Nominating, and Career Awareness. She has a Bachelor's degree in Finance from LSU.
Samantha Falgout, PhD, CPA, is serving the second year of a two-year term as Member-at-Large. She is an Assistant Professor of Accounting at Nicholls State University and also serves as Chapter President for the South Central Chapter. She has a Doctor of Philosophy – PhD – in Accounting from the University of Scranton and a Master's of Business Administration and Bachelor's in Accounting from Nicholls State University.
Nene Glenn Gianfala, CPA/ABV, ASA/BV/IA, is serving a two-year term (2024-26) as a Member at-Large. She is a Vice President of the Valuation Advisory group at Chaffe & Associates in New Orleans. She has also served on several LCPA committees, including Accounting & Auditing, Accounting Education Issues, and Women's Initiatives. Nene has a Bachelor of Science in Management with a concentration in Accounting & Finance from the A.B. Freeman School of Business, Tulane University, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of New Orleans.
Nicolette Releford, CPA, is serving a two-year term (2024-26) as a Member at-Large. A Past President of LCPA’s Northeast Chapter, she also serves on several LCPA committees, including Tax Conference, Financial Literacy, and Medical & Healthcare Services. Nicolette is a Senior Government Analyst for Brightspeed, Inc. She earned her BBA in Accounting from the University of Louisiana at Monroe, and a Master of Science Engineering Technology Management from Louisiana Tech University.
Jim Schneider, CPA, CIA, was elected to a two-year term (2024-26) as a Member at large. He is the President & Managing Partner of The Personnel Consulting Group and Immediate Past President of the LCPA's New Orleans Chapter. Jim received a Master of Science in Accounting and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting with a concentration in Internal Audit from LSU. He is also a Certified Internal Auditor.
Brett Summerville, CPA, is serving a two-year term (2024-26) as a Member at-Large. He is a Tax Senior Manager with Hannis T. Bourgeois CPAs & Business Advisors in New Orleans. A Past President of LCPA's New Orleans Chapter, Brett also serves on the Society's Federal Taxation and State and Local Taxation committees. He received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of New Orleans.
J. Bryan Ehricht, CPA, serves as the Immediate Past Chair of the non-profit professional association. He is Managing Director with James, Lambert, Riggs and Associates, Inc. in Hammond, where he focuses on tax. A Past President of the Northshore Chapter and a current Member at-Large, Bryan is a member of LCPA's Legislative Steering Task Force. He earned a BS in Accounting from Centenary College and a Masters in Tax from the University of New Orleans.
LCPA is a non-profit professional association serving more than 5,800 current and future CPAs statewide. It is the premier organization of accountants in the state.