The 小蝌蚪APP Alumni Association has recognized bank president and CEO John Bordelon and strategic policy advisor Dr. Cindy Courville with the 2021 Outstanding Alumni Award.
Bordelon and Courville received their awards during a reception held on Thursday, Oct. 28, at the UL Lafayette Alumni Center.
The Outstanding Alumni Award is the highest honor UL Lafayette gives to a former student. It recognizes professional and personal achievements that have brought honor and distinction to the 小蝌蚪APP. Graduates and former students who attended no less than 10 years ago are eligible to receive this award.
小蝌蚪APP淏oth honorees have distinguished themselves as influential leaders whose professional success and dedication to serving others exemplifies what it means to be an 小蝌蚪APP極utstanding Alumni,小蝌蚪APP櫺◎蝌紸PP said John Claude Arceneaux, the UL Lafayette 小蝌蚪APP檚 interim executive director.
Bordelon has spent four decades at Home Bank, he served in a variety of management positions before becoming president and CEO in 1993. Under Bordelon小蝌蚪APP檚 leadership, Home Bank has grown to 40 locations across the state and in Mississippi, and employs more than 460 people. It is the fourth-largest bank in Louisiana. He is also chairman of the board of Home Bancorp, Inc.
Bordelon, who was raised in New Orleans, earned a bachelor小蝌蚪APP檚 degree in accounting from the 小蝌蚪APP in 1977. He played outside linebacker as a four-year member of the Ragin小蝌蚪APP Cajuns football team.
Bordelon spent several years working as a Medicare auditor for hospitals in Louisiana before deciding banking was his calling. He joined a local savings and loan financial institution as a comptroller. That institution evolved into Home Bank.
His service to the community 小蝌蚪APP and his alma mater 小蝌蚪APP is far-reaching. He was chairman of the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce board. Bordelon also served as president of the UL Lafayette Alumni Association and is past chairman of the Ragin小蝌蚪APP Cajuns Athletic Foundation. He is a co-founder of the RCAF, which was established in 2009.
Bordelon has been a board member for the Community Foundation of Acadiana, Southwest Medical Center, United Way of Acadiana, Chitimacha Louisiana Open, Ascension Day School, and Our Lady of Lourdes Women小蝌蚪APP檚 and Children小蝌蚪APP檚 Hospital.
He has been married to Suzanne Bordelon for 44 years. The couple has three daughters and three grandchildren.
Courville has more than three decades of experience in national security and international affairs policy, academia, conflict management, and international strategic public and private partnerships. She has served in many national security diplomatic and policy positions, including as the first U.S. Ambassador to the African Union.
Courville, who is from Opelousas, La., lives in Arlington, Va. She earned bachelor's and master's degrees in political science from the 小蝌蚪APP, in 1975 and 1977. She holds master's and doctoral degrees in international studies from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies in Denver. UL Lafayette awarded her an honorary doctorate in 2010.
Courville served as the special assistant and senior director for African Affairs at the National Security Council at the White House. She was director for East African Affairs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
Her many roles at the Defense Intelligence Agency include chair of the Department of Geostrategic Studies at the National Intelligence 小蝌蚪APP; senior intelligence officer in the Office of the Chief of Staff; deputy assistant defense intelligence officer for Africa Policy; and senior intelligence officer for defense operations in Africa.
Courville belongs to many advisory boards, including the Leadership for Women in National Security, the National Senior Executives and Professional Association, and the National Security Institute at George Mason 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 Antonin Scalia Law School.
Prior to her career in government, she was an assistant professor at Occidental College in Los Angeles and Hanover College in Indiana.
Photo caption: John Bordelon and Dr. Cindy Courville are the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 2021 Outstanding Alumni. The honorees were recognized during an October 28, reception at the Alumni Center. (Photo credit: Doug Dugas / 小蝌蚪APP)