SMHA Staff

Lorna Bourg, President/Executive Director

A MacArthur Fellow · A Fannie Mae Foundation James A. Johnson Fellow · Graduate of Harvard’s JFK School of Government Program for Senior Executives · Over three decades in rural community and housing development · Leadership consultant in local, regional and national nonprofit initiatives · Master’s degree in Psychology · Extensive experience in community organizing and development.

Helen Vinton, Assistant Executive Director/Life Quality Director

Rural specialist · Directs SMHA’s Life Quality Program initiatives including sustainable agriculture and economic alternatives with traditional fishers · Over 25 years’ experience in rural community development · M.S. in Biology with continued education in environmental studies · Served as president of Rural Advancement Foundation—USA · Co-founded the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group · Member, Sisters of Providence.

Denise Galatas, Special Assistant to the President

Experience as Office Systems Technology Instructor in the Louisiana Technical College System · 16 years’ business experience includes marketing director for nonprofit performing arts organization and project consultant for Deloitte & Touche Consulting Group · B.S. in Business Administration · M.S. in Marketing.

Marva Porter, Systems Operations Manager

Over 20 years’ experience in local government performing community development and revenue generating duties, including eight years of developing, coordinating and implementing programs to promote positive human relations · Former executive director of a battered women’s program · Former board member of the California State University Dominguez Hills Dispute Resolution Center and Girls Scouts of America Bayou Council.

Judy Herring, Director of Family & Community Development

Head of SMHA’s Directorate for Family and Community Development ·  Field coordinator for SMHA’s Rural Recovery Task Force · Past president, Louisiana Partners of the Americas · Member, Microenterprise Development Association of Louisiana (MEDAL) · Former CEO of PRIME (Programs Retraining Individuals Through Mentoring and Education).

Andrea Ordodi, Executive Secretary/Research Assistant

12 years’ nonprofit experience and 25 years’ experience in the private sector for upper management of firms · High-level competencies in computer, Internet and graphic/desktop publishing skills and research.

Lurcy Marceaux, Construction Director

Over five years non-profit experience with SMHA, to include assisting rural communities combating poverty through Debt & Credit Counseling, Financial Literacy, Homeownership Counseling and Skills Transfer Training. Fifteen years spent in the private sector in housing/human development. Over ten years spent as a Public Housing Manager. Experienced in real estate, management and loan packaging.

Clementine Matthews, Loan Officer, Southern Mutual Financial Services and Technical Assistant in Development, SMHA

Over 12 years’ nonprofit experience with SMHA, including housing/human development · Extensive experience in credit counseling, loan origination, loan packaging, arranging mortgage finance and loan closing · Experience as consultant in local rural communities and school boards · Finalist for the McAuley Institute’s 2002 Courage in Community Award.

Monica Broussard, Office Communications and Receptionist

20 years’ experience in office management, secretarial and related responsibilities · Two years’ experience in customer service · Secretarial degree, Delta School of Business.

Annette Broussard, Financial Affairs Administrator

Annette brings eight years of accounting and customer service to SMHA with a high level of professionalism. She prepares all information for the CPA and auditors, handles all insurance issues and is in charge of all accounting procedures, grants and loans and her work produces clean audits every year for SMHA. She provides staff support to SMHA’s Audit Finance Committee and the Investment Committee and serves on SMHA’s Excellence Standards (LANO) Committee and the Great Gator Race Committee.

Sarah Grabert, Financial Affairs Special Projects Administrator

Sarah has 8 years of accounting, customer service and administrative experience. She works closely with the hurricane recovery field partners to monitor the expenditures for over 700 clients and serves on the Hurricane Preparedness Committee, Great Gator Race New Developments Committee and provides staff support to the Audit Finance Committee.

Shirley Comeaux, Senior Donor Accounting Manager

Over 8 years nonprofit experience with SMHA, including 7 years as Administrative Assistant for Financial Affairs retiring from that position in 2003. Returned to SMHA in 2008. A Notary Public with 40 years’ experience in all aspects of Accounting.

Wilma Subra, Adjunct Staff

Provides technical assistance to SMHA on environmental issues · President of Subra Company, Inc., an independent water analysis laboratory · Involved in environmental policy at the national level and has served on several EPA committees · Works with over 100 citizens groups in Louisiana, providing technical training, organizing skills and evaluation criteria · Served on both Democrat and Republican Governors’ Transition Teams on Environment · MacArthur Fellow · Recipient, Louisiana Wildlife Federation’s Governor’s Conservation Achievement Award · M.S. in Mircrobiology.

Jacklyn "Jackie" Ducote, Adjunct Staff

Directs SMHA’s Public Policy Leadership Institute and is co-coordinator of SMHA’s Rural Recovery Task Force · President, Jacklyn Ducote & Associates—Empowerment Resources · Past president, LSU Manship School of Mass Communication Alumni Board · Coordinator, Louisiana Coalition for Open Government · Former executive vice president, Louisiana Association of Business and Industry · Former president, Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana · Education reform activist · Served on education transition teams of three Louisiana governors · Former board member, New Orleans Branch of Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta · Named one of the “Top 25 Women in 1997” by the Baton Rouge Business Report · B.S. in Journalism · M.S. in Library Science.

Mary Hallock Morris, Adjunct Staff

Assists with policy analysis and research on sustainable agriculture and land use policies · Experience in researching and consulting in rural community economic development as both an intern and former Life Quality Specialist with SMHA · Alumnus of NCCED’s Emerging Leaders Program · Assistant professor of Political Science at the University of Southern Indiana, Evansville · Research focuses on the local, state and national policy ramifications of Louisiana’s coastal wetland loss and the “Dead Zone” · M.A. in Community & Environmental Education, Antioch University · Ph.D. in Political Science, Indiana University.

Carrie F. Curet, Volunteer/Consultant

Over 25 years’ experience in mortgage, consumer and commercial lending · Vice President and Community Development Officer, IBERIABANK · Served on IBERIABANK’s Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Committee · Since 1990 worked with SMHA affiliate, SMFS, in CRA-related developments · Chair of SMFS's Loan Committee · Vice Chair, Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas’ Advisory Council.

Fannie C. Godwin, Adjunct Staff

Currently inventorying and archiving Southern Mutual’s historical records · 35 year’s administrative and paralegal experience · Long-time community activist and organizer, primarily on education reform issues.

James Edmunds, Webmaster

Webmaster, designer and Internet consultant for a diverse range of not-for-profit and for-profit clients · 30 years experience in journalism and content development, including reporting for Newsweek, and as founding editor of The Times of Acadiana · Regular contributor to ColdFusion Developer's Journal.



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