BESE recognizes Venture Global donation and local business for school support

The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education recognized corporate and local community partners during its Dec. 11 meeting, highlighting a multi-year donation from Venture Global and longtime local giving by Paul and Julie Habitson.

Board member Kevin Birkin introduced Venture Global and said the company had pledged $6,000,000 over three years to directly support public school teachers and staff in Cameron Parish, a gift Birkin said would be used primarily for compensation and would affect about 270 employees, increasing pay by roughly 15 percent. "Venture Global is a long term, low cost provider of American produced liquefied natural gas that currently has 4 export terminals in various stages of development, all in Louisiana," Birkin said, and he described the company's Will to Skill vocational program that provides technical training and covers program costs.

Paul and Julie Habitson of Habits Family Crawfish to Go were also honored as local partners in education. Paul Habitson told the board he and his team give back to their community and view their work as a responsibility rather than work done for recognition: "We've always been taught you never do it for the attaboy," he said.

Board members thanked both the corporate and local partners and noted the recognitions were part of broader outreach to connect business and industry with school systems to expand work-based learning and internship opportunities.

The presentations were introduced under agenda item 3.1 and the recognitions took place during the portion of the meeting devoted to community partners.