BEAUMONT – The Lamar Institute of Technology is pleased to announce five new members to its Foundation Board. Board members serve for three-year, renewable terms.
A.B. Bernard founded BGI Enterprise, Inc., after a distinguished career with Bethlehem Steel. In 1994, he diversified the business and established BGI Contractors, which operates as a general contractor servicing the refinery and petrochemical industry. He is active in many organizations, serving as a board member on the following: Texas Association of Business, Beaumont Symphony, Beaumont Chamber of Commerce, Christus Health Foundation, Spindletop MHMR Foundation, Art Museum of Southeast Texas, Foundation for Southeast Texas and the Three Rivers Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
Mary Doucet, a native of Port Arthur, has a lengthy career in education. She was a career and technology instructor at Ray High School in Corpus Christi, and then a guidance counselor from Moody High School, also in Corpus Christi. Doucet is a member of various social and professional organizations, as well as a faithful member of St. John Catholic Church in Port Arthur. She currently is a TAKS math tutor for BISD and a volunteer political activist in her community. Doucet earned a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&I University in Kingsville and a master’s degree from Corpus Christi State University.
Sandy Drake has been the general manager for Dillard’s at Parkdale Mall for 10 years. He previously was a regional manager for Zale’s for 19 years. He currently serves on the Advisory Board for the Beaumont Salvation Army and the Cattle Baron’s Ball, and assists in other civic and fund-raising organizations. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Howard Payne University in Kingwood, and has two children.
Raymond Polk currently serves as the Director of School to Work for the Port Arthur Independent School District. He taught agriculture science for 21 years and has been in administrative positions for the past 16 years. Polk served as assistant principal and principal for several schools in the Hardin-Jefferson and Port Arthur independent school districts. He earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Prairie View A&M, and then a second master’s degree from Sam Houston State University.
Dr. Joel Lane Smith graduated from The University of Texas Health Science Center Dental School at San Antonio in 1984. He was selected as a Texas Super Dentist in 2006 by his peers and he was nominated as Dentist of the Year in 2006 in Texas. Dr. Smith is an associate professor at UTHSC Dental School in the Department of General Dentistry and was a clinical instructor at the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies (LVI) Global.
Executive committee for the LIT Foundation is Lois Ann Stanton, president; Dean Robinson, vice president; Pat Avery, secretary; and Rod Carroll, treasurer.
Other members are: Bessie Chisum, Gisela Houseman, Pat Calhoun, Dr. Bill Nylin, Eddie Arnold, Bret Babineaux, Dalton Babineaux, Danny Babineaux, Ted Boumans, Don Burnett, Micki Carpenter, Alice Cater, Shaun Davis, Guy Goodson, Kyle Hayes, Chris Ingram, Kathleen Jackson, Chuck Kalkbrenner, Dr. Mattie Londow, Eric Newby, Shawn Oubre, David Parmer, Vernon Pierce, Pete Shelton, Luis Silva and Mark Viator.