ELS Coach Profiles

 

 

 

Connection to community, creating a comfort level with entrepreneurs, and instilling confidence are valuable assets Gary Perkins brings to ELS®._

 

With 33 years in the restaurant business, started while he attended Louisiana State University, Gary experienced firsthand the joy as well as the difficult challenges of being an entrepreneur. In those many years of entrepreneurial experience, he played a central role in purchasing, operating, and selling multiple businesses. Known as a successful businessman in the community, he was one of the first Performance Coaches recruited for the ELS® of Central Louisiana, and brought his dynamic, results-driven coaching talents to a team of Rookie entrepreneurs that tripled their revenues as a group while participating in ELS®.

 

Gary’s commitment to community includes recognition as being one of the largest employers of the developed mentally challenged, and also for growing a junior athletic program, the Rapides Junior Runners, to 1,100 participants

 

In his role as ELS® General Manager, Gary wants to build a vibrant entrepreneurial community.

 

 

Gary leads a team of Performance Coaches who possess the breadth of experience necessary to understand the unique demands of entrepreneurship. He enjoys helping others achieve their goals, and is devoted to making an economic impact through the ELS® of Central Louisiana.

 

Keith Rabalais – Double A Coach

 

A seasoned entrepreneur bringing over 30 years of business skills to ELS®, Keith Rabalais has a reputation for building relationships that produce results. After selling his business to a Fortune 500 company, Keith’s desire to remain engaged in the business community and share his experiences led him to successfully launch ELS® in Central Louisiana and serve as its first General Manager. His background highlights include: Co-founding and managing real estate interests such as WRF properties, restaurant constructions for Cellco Enterprises, as well as co-founding and developing quick lube operations with Oil X-Change of Alexandria. Business awards include: Small Business Person of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce of Central Louisiana, recognition from the 6^th District of the Louisiana Department of Commerce and Industry, and Operator of the Year by the National Oil and Lube News. He received his education at Northeast Louisiana University.

 

Viewing problems as opportunities to capitalize on, Keith’s mission is to engage entrepreneurs who truly want to grow their businesses.

 

Keith’s dedication and leadership to entrepreneurs helped create an environment where they feel comfortable openly discussing the realities of their business. His background and experiences provide entrepreneurs with a fresh perspective for strengthening their skills, considering alternatives, or refreshing the excitement of being an entrepreneur.

2008 marks a year of success in building relationships that produce results as Keith’s team of 12 entrepreneurs collectively will generate gross revenues of $25 – 26 million.

 

 

 

With over 30 years of business experience and a background that includes a MBA and BS degree in Electrical Engineering from Louisiana Tech, Jim Hurst is a resourceful Performance Coach with valuable community connections. Jim co-founded Turning Point Solutions, a technology services and software development company, which he helped grow for 12 ½ years, then sold to his business partner. On a part-time basis he continues his involvement in technology-focused projects, working with various regional companies through his company, Secnarf Consulting. In his capacity as ELS Coach, Jim’s down-to-earth-nature and technology knowledge is a great combination that helps entrepreneurs consider different options for growing their business.

 

Jim’s engineering background makes him an analytical thinker who can look at all of the pieces to a problem and suggest ways to create a successful game plan. He witnessed his clients improve their entrepreneurial skills by shifting their thought process to evaluate their business plan and understand their financial reality.

 

 

 

 

A Certified Public Accountant, Mark Cazes has over 35 years management and financial experience with a variety of businesses and organizations. He managed general accounting operations for companies such as AFCO Industries, Inc., a corporation with annual sales of $60 million and 425+ employment at multi-plant locations in Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, and Alabama. Mark has been responsible for high profile projects from start-to-finish, which added to his entrepreneurial experience in a corporate context. Educated at Louisiana State University and Northwestern State University, Mark’s high energy, positive personality, and generalist approach helps create an environment where entrepreneurs can open up and share their concerns. Knowing the importance of finances, he encourages simplifying the process so entrepreneurs can understand the snapshot of his/her business numbers.

 

Mark’s seasoned business experience aids him in helping entrepreneurs discover what he/she wants, give suggestions of options, and respecting that ultimately, the entrepreneur makes the decisions. Being there for the entrepreneur, Mark serves as a sounding board, not just to solve specific problems, but also to share the burden.

 

 

Having over 37 years of success in Human Resources, Management, and Financial positions, Felix Mathews welcomes the opportunity to bring these experiences to his ELS® team. The many professional memberships he held reflects his connection to community: Louisiana Bankers Association committees, Rapides Bank Trust Committees, and First Commerce/Bank One committees. Felix served as Recruiter for Union Tank Car, the largest tank car leasing company in North America, and one of the largest railcar manufacturers in the U.S. He also worked as Firm Administrator for the professional accounting corporation, Oestriecher & Company, CPAs, as well as Vice President and Human Resources Manager for Rapides Bank/First Commerce Bank/Bank One.

 

Felix’s civic organizations memberships include the Chamber of Commerce, Lions Club, and past President of the Exchange Club. Experience combined with reputation allows Felix to contribute alternative ideas for issues such as work force, fiscal, management, and other challenges facing business owners.

 

Felix’s desire to engage the community reflects his commitment to instilling confidence and building trust with his clients. He is able to establish common ground, listen to their goals, and helps establish both short term and long term plans.

 

Dino Mendicino - Single A Coach

 

With a solid background in accounting and real estate development, Dino Mendicino knows first-hand what it takes to build and grow an entrepreneurial business. Over the past fifteen years, he’s designed, developed, built, managed and sold condominium developments in Florida, warehouse properties, office buildings, a mortgage company, an indoor children’s party facility, and multiple apartments.

When a job transfer for his spouse necessitated a move to Alexandria in October 2001, Dino and his family embraced all that is Central Louisiana. An avid runner, he volunteers with Rapides Junior Runners, helping to develop young running talent for our area. Additionally, he worked with Little League Softball and serves as a table captain for Volunteers of America.

“ELS provides assistance with all aspects of your business: financial, marketing, planning, human resources, operations, etc. – all at your request. There is no reason why every entrepreneur in Cenla would not want to take part; it is the epitome of a successful community working together, trying their best to help each other succeed. Kudos to Cenla for the ELS program.”

 

Dino’s enthusiasm is contagious, and his finance and acquisition background will serve him well as he helps team members grow their businesses.

 

ELS® Performance Coach - Dino Mendicino
561.239.0126
dino@cobaltdev.com

 

Skip Barth’s impressive background includes being a sergeant in the U. S. Army, and 16 years in law enforcement with the Baton Rouge Police Department and U. S. Marshals Service. This experience served him well when he opened his first business, Carl J. Barth and Associates, Inc., a legal investigative agency specializing in civil cases that included workers’ compensation and loss prevention. Dyncorp International hired Skip for his meticulous research and data analyst skills, and he was responsible for tracking purchases and recording expenditures exceeding $3.7 million.

 

Together with his wife Karen, Skip researched a market opportunity, applied his varied business skills and opened three locations of Planet Beach tanning salons in Louisiana. Focusing on customer service excellence, the business received numerous awards and has been quite successful. The Alexandria location alone averaged 41.1 % profit over the last six years. Skip is able to bring these varied experiences, stories, and examples to assist his clients in their entrepreneurial journey.

 

Skip’s philosophy of treating everyone equally and the importance of great customer service serve as the foundation on which he builds his relationships.

 

 

 

Being able to listen well, read a situation, analyze, and then plan a course of action are some of the talents Jim Redman honed during his 30 year banking career. A Louisiana State University graduate, Jim’s banking experience included not only financial services, but also established capabilities in business development, turnaround management, strategic planning, hiring/staffing, and public relations. Serving as senior vice president, branch manager, and regional manager for banks in the Alexandria and Baton Rouge area, he was a top performer who contributed to the growth and profitability of many companies. Jim opened and ran several independent branch banks, which required entrepreneurial ingenuity. He uses these skills when building his relationships with entrepreneurs, suggesting incremental improvements that add up to success over time.

 

Jim’s desire to discover what motivates people is pivotal in establishing a plan for setting goals. Being able to get to the root of a problem, helping to figure out what needs to be done, and instilling confidence is a formula that strengthens an entrepreneur’s skill development.

 

Entrepreneurial League System^® is owned by Collaborative Strategies, LLC, and licensed to Cenla Advantage Partnership. The Entrepreneurial League System^® is a registered trademark of Collaborative Strategies, LLC

 

 www.entreleaguesystem.com  provides additional info on the Entrepreneurial League System^®