Board of Directors
Rodney V. Noles
Chairman
Rod Noles is a Licensed Real Estate Broker – State of Louisiana, and is the only one in LA to obtain certifications for: CCIM (Certified Commercial investment Member), CRE (Counselor of Real Estate), CPM (Certified Property Manager) and GRI (Graduate of Realtors Institute). Additionally, he is a Registered Representative of Standard Equity, Ltd. (NSADS Security Broker), and served as a past Board Member of LA Board of Commerce & Industry, Past Commission of LA Tax Commission, Past Chairman of LA Real Estate Commission, Past Chairman Education Committee, LA Real Estate Commission, past Chairman Education Committee, LA Real Estate Commission, Past Board Member of Mineral Board for State of LA, Small Business Person of the Year for Region G, Kisatchie Delta District, State of LA, Realtor of the Year, Alexandria-Pineville Board of Realtors, and President & CEO, Noles-Frye Realty. He is a graduate of Louisiana Technical University at Ruston, LA.
Rod is active in local, state and national organizations. He’s served as Past President and Member of Central LA Board of Realtors, Member/Past Legislative Committee Member of LA Realtors Association, Member LA Realtors Institute, Member National Realtors Association, Member Commercial Investment Real Estate Institute, Past Board Member Rapides Parish Housing & Financial Authority, Board Member of Rapides Parish Industrial Development Board, Past Board Member of Security First National Bank, Past Member of Board of Trustees of Rapides Regional Medical Center, Past Board Member of Women’s Hospital – Rapides Regional Medical Center, Past President / Member Downtown Alexandria Rotary Club, Past Board Member / Member of Central Louisiana Chamber of Commerce, Past Military Affairs Committee Member, Central Louisiana Chamber of Commerce, Past Advisory Board Committee Member of the Junior League of Alexandria, Past Ad Hoc Committee Member of Our Lady of Prompt Succor Parish, National Instructor of CCIM Courses / Commercial – Investment Real Estate Institute of the National Association of Realtors, Member of Council for a Better Louisiana (CABL) – Past Treasurer, Past Board Member of St. Mary’s Residential Training School, Past Chairman Steering Committee of Cenla Advantage Partnership, Past Member Commerce & Industry Board, Member Christus St. Frances Cabrini Foundation Board, Member Central Louisiana Marine Institute, Member Central Louisiana Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
Rod was born in Bossier City, LA and as a child, lived in Chaumont, France and Okinawa. He graduated from Bossier High School and attended Marine Reserve Training at Quantico, VA. He graduated from Louisiana Technical University in Ruston, LA, and majored in Physical Education. He later became a licensed Louisiana Real Estate Salesperson, and obtained his GRI Designation (Graduate Real Estate Institute).
In 1974, he became a licensed Real Estate Broker, and subsequently obtained his CCIM Designation (Certified Commercial Investment Member), started Rod Noles Realty, and in 1980, was named to WHO’s WHO in Commercial Investment Real Estate. He was later appointed by Governor Treen to the LA Real Estate Commission for a 4-year term, where he served as Vice Chairman and then Chairman.
In 1987, he was named “Small Business Person of the Year” for the State of Louisiana, Kisatchie Delta District, Region 6, and obtained his CRE (Counselor of Real Estate) Designation. He was appointed by Governor Roemer to the LA Mineral Board, and also to the LA Tax Commission. In 1989, he was selected as Realtor of the Year. In 2002, Governor Foster appointed him to the LA Board of Commerce & Industry, and in 2004, he served on the Steering Committee Chairman for Cenla Advantage Partnership formed by The Rapides Foundation.
Rod currently lives in Alexandria with his family.
Michael H. Madison
Past Chairman
Mike Madison became Cleco Corporation’s President and Chief Executive Officer on May 5, 2005. Previously, Madison was president and chief operating officer for Cleco Power LLC. Prior to joining Cleco, Madison was the State President, Louisiana & Arkansas, for American Electric Power (formerly Central and Southwest Corp.).
Madison began his career with Public Service Company of Oklahoma in 1971 as an engineer in the generation end of the business. He held a number of positions at Central and South West system subsidiaries, including system planning, transmission, distribution, human resources and customer service.
While president of Cleco Power, Madison initiated planning for Cleco's $1 billion solid-fuel unit currently scheduled for completion in late 2009. Construction of the unit at the utility's existing Rodemacher Power Station has provided a significant boost to the central Louisiana economy. The unit will help stabilize power prices and help continue Cleco's successful record of economic development. Use of barges to bring fuel to the unit will also help fulfill the economic promise of the Red River Waterway project.
Also under Madison's leadership, Cleco Power played a primary role in helping attract Union Tank Car Co.'s $100 million manufacturing facility to central Louisiana. He was also head of the utility at a time when Procter & Gamble spent $125 million expanding its Pineville production facility and stimulated millions of dollars of additional investment by suppliers.
Madison is currently a member of the Committee of 100, an organization of leadingbusiness executives helping develop Louisiana’s economy. He also is a director of the Cenla Advantage Partnership, a privately funded economic development organization taking a new approach to developing central Louisiana’s economy.
In addition to those posts, he serves as a board member of the Edison Electric Institute, Christus St. Frances Cabrini Hospital, Association of Edison Illuminating Companies, Better Business Bureau, Capital One Bank, Committee for a Better Louisiana, LSU-A Foundation, and is a member of the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Coastal Protection, Restoration and Conservation.
A native of Oklahoma, Madison earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Oklahoma and completed Harvard Business School’s Program for Management Development.
R. Blake Chatelain
Vice Chairman
Blake Chatelain is currently President and Chief Executive Officer of Red River Bank in Alexandria, Louisiana. Chatelain was one of the original organizers of this community bank chartered in 1999. The bank has grown to assets in excess of $740 million with over 220 employees and 14 locations throughout Central and Northwest Louisiana. Red River Bank holds the largest market share and is the largest bank ever based in Rapides Parish.
Chatelain has twenty-five years of banking experience previously serving as Senior Vice President, Commercial Loan Manager and Commercial Loan Officer for regionally and nationally affiliated banks in Alexandria and Monroe including the most recent ten years with Red River Bank.
An active participant in both professional and community organizations, Chatelain currently serves as Cenla Advantage Partnership, Vice Chair; and, Chair-Elect of the Louisiana State University Board of Supervisors representing the 5th Congressional District.
Prior involvement in community affairs includes serving on The Rapides Foundation Board of Trustees; Governor Elect Bobby Jindal, Transition Team; Central Louisiana Chapter of American Red Cross; The Rotary Club of Alexandria; Caring People’s Free Clinic; Working People’s Free Clinic; and, Calvary Baptist Church.
A native of Bunkie, Louisiana, Chatelain received a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. He is an active member of Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria and is married to the former Belle Caffey. They have four sons.
Kelly Rush
Secretary
Kelly Rush is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Rush Funeral Homes.
The Rush family has owned and operated Rush Funeral Homes since 1966 when Kelly's father, Howard J. Rush, started the businesses. Kelly is the youngest of four children and the daughter of Howard and Doris Rush.
She was born and reared in Oakdale where she graduated from Oakdale High School in 1986 as an honor student. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting with a minor in Economics from Louisiana College where she graduated cum laude in December 1989.
Kelly is very active in the civic life of Central Louisiana. She is a member of the Oakdale Area Chamber of Commerce where she served as President for 3 years. She is a member of the Oakdale Rotary Club where she currently serves as President and a member of the Oakdale Lion's Club. She also serves on the Community Relations Board for the Federal Complex where she served as Chairwoman for 2 years.
She is a member of the National Funeral Directors Association, the Louisiana Funeral Directors Association and the North Louisiana Funeral Directors Association where she serves as Chairwoman of the Scholarship Committee and on Education Committee. Kelly currently serves as Moderator for the Board of Oakdale Community Hospital and is a charter member of the Board of the Cenla Advantage Partnership (CAP), a subsidiary of the Rapides Foundation.
In April 2008, Kelly was appointed by Governor Bobby Jindal to serve on the Louisiana State Board of Embalmer and Funeral Directors.
She was honored by being selected by the Alexandria Town Talk as one of the "Top Ten Outstanding Women in Central Louisiana" and by Focus Magazine as one of the "Top 50 Women Under 50" in Louisiana. Honored by her community, she was the recipient of the President's Award given by the Oakdale Chamber of Commerce and the Outstanding Leadership Award given by the Federal Complex. Kelly was also the Allen Parish Parent of the Year!
She is a lifelong member of First Baptist Church where she is very involved the children’s' activities.
Kelly has two sons, Rush Alan Williams, age 15, and John Ross Williams, age 9, both of which are very involved in sports. For recreation, she enjoys traveling, swimming, playing golf, and cheering for her boys as they play baseball!
Other Board Members:
(Note: Bio Information Forthcoming on Remaining Board Members)
Horace Austin
Charlie Baker
Joe Cunningham, Jr.
J. Lance Harris
Todd LeLeux
Mike Madison
Roy O. Martin, III
Dorothy Oliver
Teddy Price
Robert Ratcliff
Kelly Jane Rush
Brent Scallan
James Shirvinski
Glenda Stock
Caroline Theus
David Williams
Stephen Wright