BATON ROUGE – The LSU E. J. Ourso College of Business will welcome five new members into its Hall of Distinction on March 19, 2010. Individuals to be inducted are Thomas J. Adamek, Donald J. Gauci, David L. Laxton III, Jerry E. Shea Jr. and Christel C. Slaughter. This select group will be honored during a formal ceremony to be held at the Lod Cook Alumni Center on LSU’s campus.

In conjunction with the 2010 Hall of Distinction Banquet, the E. J. Ourso College will also host its annual Donor Recognition Ceremony. The latter acknowledges individuals and organizations that have gifted $250,000 or more cumulatively for the E. J. Ourso College to the LSU Foundation since the launch of the Forever LSU Campaign. For their generosity during calendar year 2009, the following donors will be honored:

• Founder Level – Toni and Emmet Stephenson
• Philanthropist Level – Amedisys Inc. and Cherie & Jim Flores
• Guarantor Level – ExxonMobil, Shell and Sue Turner
• Provider Level – KPMG and the Walter Lantz Foundation

Adamek is a co-founding member of Stonehenge Capital, L.L.C. and serves as its president, managing director and on its board of managers. Stonehenge is a national specialty finance company with expertise in structured tax credit finance in a variety of areas. Additionally, Stonehenge provides private debt and equity solutions to growing companies. In addition to his work with Stonehenge, Adamek is a director of Aramid Capital Partners, a London-based firm co-founded by Stonehenge in 2006; a member of the board of directors and treasurer of the Louisiana Art and Science Museum and a member of the development committee of Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. He received his bachelor’s in finance from LSU in 1982.

Gauci is a partner with Ernst & Young whose practice is focused on providing information technology risk management assurance and advisory services to clients in the oil & gas, power & utilities, telecommunications, technology, real estate and life sciences industries. Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction, advisory services and strategic growth initiatives. In addition to his responsibilities with Ernst & Young, Gauci is a member of the E. J. Ourso College of Business Dean’s Advisory Council and serves on its executive committee and as chair of its financial committee. Additionally, he serves on the board of the Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center in Houston, Texas and is a member of its executive and governance committees. He received his bachelor’s in accounting from LSU in 1987.

Laxton is executive vice president and chief financial officer of Edgen Murray, a global supplier of specialty steel pipe, fittings, plates, valves and structurals to the energy industry. In addition to his duties with Edgen Murray, Laxton is vice chairman of American Gateway Bank and the chairman of its audit committee and a member of the Louisiana Society of CPAs. Laxton has co-authored articles for Management Accounting and Financial Executive and was recently asked to join the newly forming LSU Department of Finance Advisory Board. He received his bachelor’s in history from LSU in 1971, and a master’s in accounting from LSU in 1976.

Shea is the president of The Bayou Companies Inc., the president of Bayou Coating, L.L.C., and the president of Shea Investments Inc. Acquired by Instiuform Technologies, Inc. in February 2009, The Bayou Companies now represents that organization’s energy and mining division, along with United Pipeline Systems and Corrpro. Bayou Coating, a subsidiary of Stupp Bros., Inc, provides quality pipe coatings on thousands of miles of pipe and hundreds of pipeline projects for customers in the U.S. and around the world. In addition to his professional duties, Shea is a member of the LSU Board of Supervisors and served as its chairman during 2007 and 2008. Additionally, he serves on the board of directors of Stupp Bros., Inc. and on the board of The Bayou Companies, Inc. Shea is a member of the LSU Tiger Athletic Foundation, a charter member of the Top 100 Tigers and a member of the LSU Foundation. He received his bachelor’s in petroleum engineering from LSU in 1972, and his M.B.A. from LSU in 1974.

Slaughter is a principal in SSA Consultants, a nationally recognized consulting and training company that has provided services to hundreds of organizations across the U.S. and Canada. In addition to her professional duties, she is a member of the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and a member of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber of Commerce, Junior Achievement, the Academy of Management and the American Institute of Decision Sciences. Slaughter began her career as an LSU faculty member and served for seven years before leaving for SSA. In addition to teaching in the LSU Flores MBA Program, Slaughter is a past chair of the Louisiana Business & Technology Center’s Advisory Board. She received a Ph.D. in systems management and organization design from LSU in 1979. 

Established in 1996, the Hall of Distinction recognizes individuals who make significant contributions in the areas of business, academia, government, or the community. The Hall of Distinction is not strictly limited to LSU alumni, but nominees should have some connection with LSU.

For more information on the Hall of Distinction or the E. J. Ourso College, contact Wendy Osborn Luedtke at 225-578-8865 or wendy@lsu.edu.