James R. Asay (Jim) is Director – Corporate Tax for Sempra in San Diego, California where he leads a team responsible for state and local taxes including ad valorem taxes, sales/use taxes, utility user taxes, state and federal excise taxes, state non-admitted insurance taxes, Canadian GST, business licenses, certain aspects of state income taxation and other various taxes/fees.  He began his career as a tax professional more than 30 years ago as a sales/use tax auditor for the Utah State Tax Commission and, prior to joining Sempra early in 2002, he held sales/use and property tax positions with two large manufacturing companies and a firm that specialized in “soft skills” training.  Mr. Asay earned a B.S. degree in Accounting from Weber State University.  He is a member of the Institute for Professionals in Taxation, having earned that organization’s CMI (sales tax) designation (inactive), and is a former President and Executive Board member of the National Association of Property Tax Representatives – Transportation, Energy, Communications (NAPTR-TEC).  In addition, he represents Sempra as a member of both the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the California Taxpayers Association (“CalTax”) and served for three years as the Chairman of the CalTax Board. He was the driving force behind the litigation that led to the California Supreme Court’s precedential property tax opinion regarding treatment of intangible property in Elk Hills Power, LLC v. State Board of Equalization (2013) 57 Cal.4^th 593.

Manish Bhatt is a Senior Policy Analyst with the Center for State Tax Policy at the Tax Foundation. He holds an LLM in taxation from Georgetown University Law Center, a JD from St. Thomas University College of Law, and a BA from the George Washington University. Prior to joining the Tax Foundation, Manish counseled clients on corporate taxation matters at a Big Four accounting firm, served as a judge advocate in the U.S. Coast Guard, advised several startups, and taught business law as an adjunct faculty member at TCU. In his free time, Manish enjoys skiing, sailing, and fly fishing with his family. 

Jason R. Brown, Esq. is the Managing Partner of Advantous Law LLC, a Louisiana-based law firm focusing on State and Local Tax matters. He leads the Tax Controversy, Disputes and Appeals Practice.

For more than 20 years Jason has advised companies of all sizes on all aspects of Louisiana tax law. Jason practices, principally, in the area of tax controversy and dispute resolution, including high-stakes litigation before the Louisiana Board of Tax Appeals and Louisiana’s district and appellate courts. He assists clients at every stage of the audit, assessment and appeal processes, from audit intake, field work and review; to administrative protests and appeals. To the extent matters cannot be resolved at the administrative level, Jason is an experienced tax litigator, achieving many favorable decisions. His experience extends to all taxes imposed by the state of Louisiana and its various local jurisdictions, including sales/use; corporate income/franchise; severance; ad valorem (property); withholding; occupational license; hotel occupancy; and other excise and miscellaneous taxes levied by the state and local authorities. In the sales/use tax context, Jason has vast experience assisting clients with navigating Louisiana’s two-tiered, independent system of state and local tax levy, administration and enforcement. He also has significant experience in the thorny area of Louisiana tax procedure, ensuring taxpayers’ protest/appeal rights (in both the assessment and refund contexts) are protected.

In addition to his tax controversy work, Jason advises clients on tax planning opportunities, including credits and incentives; seeking and obtaining refunds (administratively and, after denial, through appeals to the Louisiana Board of Tax Appeals and the courts); voluntary disclosure agreements; private letter rulings; and in legislative matters (where he is often consulted to formulate and present taxpayers’ perspective – generally or by specific industry – on proposed substantive or procedural law).

Jason is a Principal Member of Independent SALT Alliance, an invitation-only association of respected state and local tax attorneys, CPAs and consultants from nearly every state in the country, where he previously served on the Board of Directors. He also serves on the planning committee for the annual ABA/IPT Advanced Sales/Use Tax Symposium.

Jason is a frequent presenter on state and local tax issues; regularly publishes updates and articles on state and local tax issues, most recently on digital advertising taxes in the ABA-Tax Section’s Tax Times publication; and is often consulted by general and legal news publications regarding Louisiana tax laws or the effects of national laws on Louisiana taxpayers. He has been a guest lecturer for Georgetown University Law Center’s State & Local Tax Certificate program and has served as an adjunct professor of law at Southern University Law Center. Jason participated as a Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) 2019 Fellow and remains active with the LCLD Alumni organization. He received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Southern University Law Center in 2018 and was named to New Orleans CityBusiness’ Leadership in Law class in 2021. He also serves, as the appointed representative of the Louis A. Martinet Legal Society New Orleans and Baton Rouge Chapters, on the advisory committee that chooses the member of the Louisiana Board of Tax Appeals to serve as the Board’s Local Division Judge.

David Cresson was appointed President and CEO of the Louisiana Chemical Association (LCA) and the Louisiana Chemical Industry Alliance (LCIA) in March 2025. In this role, he leads all aspects of both organizations, representing the interests of LCA’s 70 member companies and LCIA’s network of more than 600 companies. His focus is on fostering long-term economic growth and advocating for a strong business climate across Louisiana’s chemical and industrial sectors.

Prior to joining LCA, David served nearly 20 years as Chief Executive Officer of the Coastal Conservation Association of Louisiana (CCA). During his tenure, he managed a statewide board of over 200 members and was a leading advocate for fisheries and coastal conservation through regulatory, legislative, and public outreach efforts. Under his leadership, CCA Louisiana achieved record-breaking membership growth and financial support.

David was born and raised in Metairie. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, where he also served as captain of the baseball team. He and his wife, Melissa, have lived in Baton Rouge since 1993 and have three children: Hayden, David Jr., and Chase.

Tommy Faucheux is president of LMOGA. He has extensive experience managing state government affairs and policy matters. Faucheux previously worked as Director of State Government Affairs for The Dow Chemical Company where he was responsible for government affairs for Dow's Southeast Region in the United States and provided strategic public affairs support to Dow Louisiana facilities. 

Faucheux is Past Chairman of the Board of Directors of Greater New Orleans, Inc. In addition, he has served on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI), on the board of the Public Affairs Research Council and held positions on the American Chemistry Council’s State Affairs Committee, and St. Charles Parish Economic Development Council. Faucheux previously served as Chairman of the GNO, Inc. NextGen Council and as a member of the Board of Directors for both the Southeast Louisiana Red Cross Board and River Region Chamber of Commerce. He is a 2009 graduate of the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute and was recently named one of the Top 20 Rising Talents in the petrochemical industry in Louisiana by the Baton Rouge Business Report. 

A native of Louisiana, Faucheux received a bachelor’s degree in Communications/Public Relations with a minor in Political Science in 2002 from Loyola University in New Orleans. He lives in Luling with his wife Mitzi and two children, Camdyn and Cade. 

Janet Rojas Galati serves as Vice President of Energy Sector Growth at the Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC), where she leads regional strategy to attract employment and investment across a wide range of energy sectors— including oil and gas, hydrogen, ammonia, solar, wind, biofuels, and nuclear. In this role, she collaborates with public and private stakeholders to cultivate a strong pipeline of industry leads, support energy-related economic development projects, and align business growth with state and federal policy frameworks. Janet also represents BRAC on major initiatives such as H2theFuture and FUEL, and she leads the BRAC Carbon Alliance, helping to position Louisiana at the forefront of energy innovation. 
 
Before joining BRAC, Janet served as Director of Industry Recruitment for the Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission (JEDCO), where she managed business attraction efforts and project development for targeted industry sectors. She began her career in economic and workforce development in the Greater Philadelphia region and brings over 12 years of experience working across Florida, Pennsylvania, and Louisiana. Her expertise includes site selection, regulatory assistance, grant writing and management, stakeholder engagement, and incentive programs. 
 
Janet holds a master's degree in public administration and has been recognized as one of the 
2022 Biz New Orleans Women to Watch. She is a 2022 graduate of Leadership Jefferson, an active member of her local Toastmasters Club, and she currently serves on the NAIOP Gulf Coast Chapter board as Treasurer. 

Kristian A. Gerrets currently serves as a Tax Manager and leads Entergy’s State and Local Tax staff, which oversees the multistate indirect tax compliance function for the company and its related entities. He joined Entergy in October 2022, and prior to that, Kristian spent three years as a Tax Manager at Advantous Consulting, a Baton Rouge based State and Local Tax consulting firm. While at Advantous, Kristian managed a wide variety of state and local tax matters for the company’s largest clients, including the indirect tax management of multiple high profile, large scale industrial construction projects.  

Prior to joining Advantous Consulting, Kristian was a Tax Manager for 10 years with multiple Big 4 Accounting Firms, including KPMG LLP and EY, and also served for more than four years as the Director of Business Incentives and Transaction Tax Services at Bourgeois Bennett, a regional CPA and consulting firm based in Southeast Louisiana. During that time, Kristian assisted both large and small clients within a wide variety of industries in resolving complex multistate and federal tax issues as well as partnering with clients to ensure successful and strategic long term growth. His areas of focus include sales and use, business incentives and credits (both negotiated and statutory), income and franchise, as well as ad valorem tax.  

Kristian is a licensed member of the Louisiana State Bar Association, having earned his Juris Doctorate degree from Loyola University School of Law in New Orleans. Additionally, Kristian earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management at the Tulane University A.B. Freeman School of Business, where he also served as an adjunct faculty member from 2012 through 2017. He has served as a presenter for the Institute of Professionals in Taxation (IPT), Council on State Taxation (COST), Southeastern Association of Tax Administrators (SEATA), Tax Executive Institute (TEI), Greater New Orleans, Inc. (GNO Inc.), New Orleans Business Alliance, U.S. Financial Executives Group, Association for Corporate Growth Louisiana (ACGL), Louisiana CPA Society, Loyola University School of Law’s School of Experiential Learning, and the University of New Orleans’ Energy Accounting and Technology Conference.  

Outside the office, Kristian loves living in the New Orleans area and spending time with his wife and daughters as well as their giant, aggressively friendly Golden Retriever. His greatest joys include family movie nights on the sofa, dining out at his favorite Nola eateries, and cheering on the New Orleans Saints and the Tulane Green Wave

Damon Gier serves as the Associate Director of Indirect Tax at Westlake Corporation (formerly Westlake Chemical Corporation). In this capacity, he oversees various areas including sales & use tax, property tax, credits and incentives, superfund tax, and unclaimed property. With over 20 years of experience in the chemical and oil and gas industry, he brings wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table. 

He holds a CMI designation from the Institute for Professionals in Taxation (IPT) and his educational background includes an undergraduate degree from Texas State University in Accounting and a Masters of Taxation from Villanova University. 

Mason Hamilton is the Vice President of Economics and Research at the American Petroleum Institute (API). Mason leads API’s strategy for analysis of energy markets and policy, managing API’s energy markets and policy analysis teams, and communicates to policy makers, media, and the public on energy markets. Mason is a recognized expert in energy market data and the petroleum supply chain. 

Prior to joining API, Mason served as Special Assistant to the Secretary General of the International Energy Forum, the world’s largest organization of energy ministers, where he led IEF’s strategy on analysis and engagement. He also previously served as Senior Economic and Policy Advisor within the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Oil and Gas. Mason also served as a Lead Petroleum Markets Analyst at the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) and was a lead contributor to the EIA’s flagship analysis products This Week in Petroleum, and Today in Energy. 

Mason is the recipient of the Secretary of Energy Achievement Award, holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) in energy policy, and a BA in political science. 

Adam Haynes has over 25 years of experience shaping complex public policies in tax, local government administration, water, and land use sectors. Since 2019, he has served as Policy Director for the Texas Conference of Urban Counties, advocating for urban counties across Texas.  

He also leads APH Consulting, providing government relations and strategic policy advice to businesses and nonprofits. Adam’s background includes senior roles in the Texas Legislature, association leadership, and corporate government relations.  

He holds a Master of Public Administration from UT Austin’s LBJ School of Public Affairs and Bachelor of Arts from Austin College. Known for his collaborative approach and clear communication, Adam brings deep expertise in navigating regulatory and legislative landscapes. 

Professional Background

Tanner Johnson has over two decades of substantive experience handling issues related to coastal restoration and resiliency, federal energy policy, environmental restoration, federal and NGO grant processes and the purchase of land by federal agencies for conservation purposes. Tanner works closely with former Senator Mary Landrieu to assist clients with issues related climate change, federal energy policy, disaster resiliency, adaptation, coastal and wetlands restoration, as well as other environmental and natural resources policy issues.

Prior to joining the firm, Tanner managed the $2.5 billion Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund, a grant fund resulting from the BP oil spill which in part funds coastal restoration efforts in Louisiana, where he distributed over $1 billion of these funds to projects along the coast in Louisiana and Texas.

Outside of work, Tanner enjoys spending time with his wife Brooke and their two sons, Briggs and Bowen, and is an active member of his local community.

Representative Experience

•  Served as regional director for the implementation of a $2.5 billion grant program established as a result of the settlement of federal criminal charges arising from 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
• Represented the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in the Gulf region and managed relationships with state & federal agency leaders, Members of Congress and their staff, as well as other key stakeholders and the public at large.
• Helped develop and adopt Louisiana’s 2007 coastal master plan, entitled Integrated Ecosystem Restoration and Hurricane Protection: Louisiana’s Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast.
• Helped lead the Congressional staff level negotiation of the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act (RESTORE Act), which dedicates 80 percent of civil and administrative Clean Water Act penalties paid by those responsible for the 2010 gulf oil disaster to Gulf Coast restoration.
• Lead staff on the passage of the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 (GOMESA) which provides a share of federal OCS oil and gas revenues to Louisiana.
• Was appointed by both Louisiana Governors Bobby Jindal and John Bel Edwards to the Governor’s Advisory Commission for Coastal Protection, Restoration and Conservation.

Government Service

U.S. Senate, Office of Senator Mary L. Landrieu (D-LA)

Legislative Director, 2009-2011

Legislative Assistant, 2001-2005

U.S. House of Representatives, Office of Congressman Donald J. Cazayoux (D-LA) Legislative Director, 2008

Louisiana Governor's Office of Coastal Activities

State and Federal Legislative Liaison 2006-2007

The White House

Intern, 1996

Articles and Presentations

• VNF LIVE EXTRA: A Deeper Dive into Your Questions on the Natural Resource, Water, Tribal and Resiliency Opportunities in the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, 01/20/2022
• VNF Live: Natural Resource, Water, Tribal, and Resiliency Opportunities in the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, 01/11/2022
• VNF Live – Looking Ahead: Energy & Climate Policy During Biden's Next 100 Days, 04/29/202

Jerry N. Jones is a partner in the Baton Rouge office whose practice includes assisting private and public entities with local, state, and federal governmental regulation; lobbying and governmental relations before local and state stakeholders; zoning; environmental permitting and compliance; public works contracts; contract negotiations, disputes, and administration; and energy, oil & gas. He has assisted domestic and international clients in the development, construction, and operation of world-scale manufacturing facilities. 

Jerry served as City Attorney for the City of Shreveport for eight years prior to returning to private practice. Jerry is serving in his fourth term on Louisiana’s Board of Commerce and Industry after being originally appointed by Governor Bobby Jindal and then re-appointed by Governor John Bel Edwards.  He is now in his fifth year as Chairman of that Board.  He serves his local community as a member of the West Feliciana Parish Board of Adjustment.  Jerry has been admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in Louisiana and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. 

Ray Langenberg is Special Counsel for Tax Litigation at the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.

Ray was born and raised in Houston.  He served as a Houston police officer before attending law school at the University of Texas in Austin.  Following graduation with honors from law school, Ray served as a briefing attorney for Chief Justice Jack Pope of the Texas Supreme Court.  Ray is a former managing partner of Scott, Douglass & McConnico, LLC, in Austin, Texas, where he sued the Comptroller for many years before switching sides.

In his spare time, Ray plays the guitar and sings love songs to his wife.

Ileana Ledet is responsible for leading LED’s efforts to enhance the state’s economic competitiveness and to ensure sustainable growth for generations to come. 

She joins LED with significant experience in economic development, public policy and public affairs at the state and federal levels.

Most recently, Ledet worked on Entergy’s Louisiana’s Economic Development team. Ledet previously served as the Economic Development Representative in Louisiana with the U.S. Economic Development Administration, working with rural and urban communities across the state. Prior to that, she was the Senior Vice President of Policy at Greater New Orleans, Inc., leading efforts to advance state and federal policies to create a thriving regional economy.

Ledet also served as Deputy Commissioner of Public Affairs at the Louisiana Department of Insurance and managed communications and stakeholder engagement at the Louisiana Department of Education. Before joining state government, Ledet worked as a television producer in the Phoenix and New Orleans media markets.

Ledet is fluent in Spanish and graduated from The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs. She has served on several boards, including the Bureau of Governmental Research, KIPP Schools, and the River Region Chamber of Commerce. She is a Distinguished Fellow of the Nancy M. Marsiglia Institute of Justice and served as the Vice-Chair of the Jefferson Ready Start Network.

Ledet and her husband are natives of New Orleans and have two children.

Sarah Magruder is the Owner/Founder, President and CEO of Houston-based Savvy Oil & Gas Consulting, a company that specializes in severance tax and federal, state and sovereign royalties. She launched her women-led consulting business in 2019 and has since invested in recruiting talent to build a highly experienced team that serves a broad range of E&P producers. 

Sarah recently served on the Texas Energy Council Board of Directors and is an active Executive Member and past Board member of the Women’s Energy Network Houston chapter. In 2024, she was the recipient of the "Top Energy Voice" People's Choice award at the GRIT Awards by ALLY Energy. Previously, Sarah was chosen as one of the “25 Influential Women in Energy” by Hart Energy’s Oil & Gas Investor magazine in 2023 and was also honored by the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce with the Trailblazer Award in 2022.  

Sarah currently serves as the course instructor of "Introduction to Severance Taxes" for the University of North Texas PDX program. She is a sought-after speaker at industry events, frequent guest on industry podcasts, and has authored articles in Newsweek, Houston Business Journal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and The Times-Picayune New Orleans.  

Sarah holds a degree in Finance from Louisiana State University and an MBA from the University of Houston-Victoria. 

Megan Mauro serves as Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff at the Texas Association of Business (TAB), where she leads the organization’s advocacy and operational efforts. She launched the Tech Means Business Coalition in 2021 and the Chamber Advocacy Coalition in 2022, driving strategic initiatives that advance Texas’s economic and technological landscape. As Chief of Staff to the CEO, Megan is responsible for executing organizational goals and initiatives, ensuring TAB’s sustained impact and growth. Since joining TAB in 2021, she has led policy efforts on key issues including economic development, workforce, tort reform, tax, and technology policy.

Before joining TAB, Megan was an Associate at Texas Star Alliance, a contract lobbying firm, bringing over a decade of experience in Texas politics. Her experience includes collaborations with Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, and chambers of commerce. Megan’s foundational public policy experience was gained at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, where she coordinated policy and procedures for the Emergency Response Division.

Lori Melancon is the president and CEO of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) and is one of the top place marketing and economic development leaders in the nation. She is known for her creativity, strategic approach, and passion she brings to every project.

Before joining BRAC as CEO, Lori was COO and VP of Marketing at Global Location Strategies (GLS), one of the nation’s top site selection consulting firms.

Prior to GLS, Lori was on the leadership team at the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP), at LED, and she started her economic development career here at BRAC.

During her tenure at VEDP she had a pivotal role in crafting the winning bid for Amazon’s HQ2, helped create Team Virginia—a private-sector funder partnership with the Virginia Chamber to market Virginia, and led site consultant cultivation efforts for the Commonwealth.

Lori began her work in economic development under the leadership of Stephen Moret in 2004 and was a key player in transforming the then Chamber of Greater Baton Rouge to the Baton Rouge Area Chamber. She worked on BRAC’s first campaign, the statewide LA Ethics 1 grassroots effort, and even produced a movie about the region called Revolution in 2006.

Lori earned a bachelor’s degree with College Honors from LSU and a master’s in occupational technology from the University of Houston.

Mike is a 1990 graduate from USL (now UL), with a degree in Business Administration. After college, he obtained a job at Reed Tool Company as a drill bit salesman and worked in both Lafayette and Houma.

In 1994, Mike joined forces with his father's business, Moncla Well Service, a workover company with seven workover rigs. For the next 15 years, Mike, his father Charlie, and the rest of the Moncla family grew their family business through 11 acquisitions into the largest privately owned workover company in the United States. Mike was Chief Operating Officer for the business that serviced seven different states. In late 2007, Moncla Companies sold its business to Key Energy Services, where Mike then served as Division Manager for Key Energy's Southeastern US Division. In 2010, Mike, along with his two brothers & uncle, got back into the family business again by purchasing their previously owned 6 workover barge rigs back from Key Energy. Today, Moncla Workover & Drilling operates 27 land rigs with offices in Lafayette LA, Laurel MS, Giddings TX, Victoria TX, and Seminole TX.

In 2020, Mike took on the role as President of the Louisiana Oil & Gas Association, fighting on behalf of industry at the state Capital for everything oil & gas. Mike currently holds board seats at Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center, Louisiana Business & Industry, and sits on the Advisory Board for the LSU College of Energy Studies. He is the Past Chairman of the Lourdes Foundation, and Past Chairman of the St. Thomas More Foundation. He is a member of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church. He is married to his wife of 27 years, Cathy and has one daughter, Millie.

Patrick J. Reynolds is President & Executive Director of the Council On State Taxation (COST), where he has served since 2016. COST, with a membership of over 500 multistate corporations, is dedicated to preserving and promoting equitable and nondiscriminatory state taxation of multi-jurisdictional entities. He serves on the Advisory Board of the Paul J. Hartman State and Local Tax Forum. He also serves on the Board of Directors and as President of COST’s research affiliate, the State Tax Research Institute (STRI). Prior to joining COST he was Senior Managing Counsel with J. C. Penney and for 14 years provided legal support for audits, litigation, and appeals for income, franchise, sales/use, property and transfer taxes, as well as unclaimed property. Pat started his career with Price Waterhouse in Omaha, Nebraska, and subsequently served for six years as an attorney in the Nebraska Department of Revenue’s Legal Division. He received his JD from Creighton University School of Law and his BSBA – Accounting from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He is a member of the Nebraska and Texas state bars and is a licensed CPA in Texas.  

As Vice President of Regional Economic Development for the Greater Houston Partnership, Danielle oversees the implementation of regional business attraction, business retention & expansion and marketing initiatives that position the Houston region as a global location of choice with the goal of job creation, capital investment and overall market growth. In 2024, the Economic Development Division landed 36 projects, creating 5,045 jobs and $1.14 Billion in capital investment. 

In her prior role as Executive Director of the Conroe Economic Development Council, Danielle was responsible for marketing Conroe to new and expanding businesses. In her six years at the helm, she and her team attracted 30 new or expansion projects to Conroe with an estimated $715 million in capital investment and the addition or retention of 1,637 jobs.  

She received a B.S. from Texas A&M University and is a graduate of both the Community Development Institute (CDI) and OU Economic Development Institute (EDI). Danielle was named a 2018 Top 50 Economic Developer in North America by Consultant Connect. 

Danielle’s professional memberships include the International Economic Development Council, the Texas Economic Development Council (where she served on the Board of Directors), Team Texas (where she serves as Past Chairman of the Advisory Council), and the Texas Economic Development Corporation. She previously served on the Gulf Coast Workforce Board and the Gulf Coast Economic Development District Board. 

Danielle’s community involvement includes her service on the Boards of Directors for the Montgomery County Food Bank, the HCA Houston Healthcare-Conroe Board of Trustees, the Conroe/Lake Conroe Chamber of Commerce (Past Chairman of the Board), Leadership Montgomery County (Past Chairman of the Board), Executive Women’s Alliance (Past President) and New Danville (Past Chairman of the Board). 

She and her husband Stacy live in Montgomery and are the proud parents of two boys.

“Today’s oil and gas companies are innovation and technology creators. People are living longer, healthier and more prosperously because of the pioneering breakthroughs resulting in affordable, reliable and dependable energy sources for every American.  Texas oil and natural gas companies are leading the way to solve challenges and provide sustainable energy to fuel our lives.” 

 – Todd Staples 

Todd Staples was named President of the Texas Oil and Gas Association in November of 2014.  Founded in 1919, TXOGA is the oldest and largest oil and gas trade association in Texas representing every facet of the industry. Staples leads a dynamic team whose mission is to support TXOGA’s vast and diverse membership, which represents over 90% of Texas’ crude oil and natural gas production, operates nearly 90% of the state’s refining capacity, and is responsible for a vast majority of the state’s pipeline network that reliably delivers resources to consumers throughout Texas, across our nation and around the world. 

Working with the TXOGA Board, Staples developed and implemented a multi-faceted approach to educate voters and elected officials on the industry’s contributions to ensure energy policy decisions are based on economic and scientific facts.  Staples has worked to develop coalitions and implement strategies that have enabled the industry to continue to benefit both our economy and our environment.  

Prior to TXOGA, Staples served as the Texas Agriculture Commissioner, winning two statewide elections.  He also served with distinction in the Texas Senate and Texas House of Representatives.   

After graduating with honors from Texas A&M University, Staples began his career on the Palestine City Council where he was a successful small businessman and rancher.  A proud family man, Todd and his wife Janet split time between Austin and Palestine.   

Mia Etienne Strong is an attorney in the Tax Planning and Policy Division within the Louisiana Department of Revenue. Mia has been with LDR for eleven years and has worked on the sales tax team since 2017. During her tenure at LDR Mia has worked in the Office of Debt Recovery and the Office of the General Counsel. Mia has served as a commissioner on the Louisiana Sales and Use Tax Commission for Remote Sellers and was the Confidential Assistant to former Secretary Kevin Richard. Mia is currently the Vice-Chairman of the Multistate Tax Commission’s Sales Tax on Digital Products Work Group. 

Mia is a 2011 graduate of the Paul M. Hebert Louisiana State University Law Center. In 2011 she received a Juris Doctorate, Bachelor in Civil Law and a Masters of Business Administration from the E.J. Ourso College of Business. Mia has a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Louisiana State University. Prior to her time at LDR, Mia clerked for Judge Paul DeMahy in the 16th Judicial District of Louisiana and worked in private practice. Mia is a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and is married with two daughters.  

Matt Tackett, a native of Prestonsburg, Kentucky, serves as President of the Southern Economic Development Council (SEDC), the oldest and largest regional economic development association in North America. Prior to his appointment to SEDC in June 2022, Tackett served as President and CEO of the Kentucky Association for Economic Development (KAED), a multi-business economic development membership organization. Appointed to KAED in October 2017, Matt directed KAED through an administrative and programmatic reimagination as the Association created strategic platforms to enhance professional capacity and to assist, analyze, and accelerate economic development in the Commonwealth. Within the KAED portfolio, Matt spearheaded a 100-million-dollar grant-making program, a global marketing platform, research and legislative initiatives, certified educational curriculums, and a COVID recovery and resilience project designed to amplify economic success in the Commonwealth. Under Matt’s leadership, KAED ascended as the nation’s largest state economic development membership association.

Prior to KAED, Matt served as Executive Director of the Kentucky Gas Association, where he created a holistic membership service portfolio which included legislative affairs, workforce development initiatives, and legal services. Matt has served in federal grant programs, the Office of the Governor of Kentucky, and is the owner of a consulting firm which has focused on economic development, public relations, governmental affairs. Matt holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. He, his wife Ashton, and children Brooks and Olivia currently live in Kentucky.

Dr. Greg Upton is Executive Director & Associate Research Professor at the Louisiana State University Center for Energy Studies. His research interests are at the intersection of energy and environmental economics. He has contributed to over 40 publications and has presented research on these topics to over 200 industry, governmental and academic audiences, including testifying in committees of both chambers of the Louisiana Legislature and a subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives. He is regularly interviewed on live talk radio and other news outlets and has been quoted or cited over 250 times in local and national media including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, USA Today, and NPR. He has taught classes in the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program, the Department of Economics, and Environmental Sciences at LSU. He is the President-Elect for the United States Association for Energy Economics (USAEE), a member of the University Advisory Board to the Center for Legislative Energy & Environmental Research (CLEER) and an appointee to the National Petroleum Council (NPC). He is a legislatively appointed member of the Clean Hydrogen Task Force created by House Concurrent Resolution 64 of the 2024 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature as well as the Task Force on Local Impacts of Carbon Capture and Sequestration created by Senate Resolution 179 of the 2023 Regular Special Session of the Louisiana Legislature. He is part of the Baton Rouge Business Report Forty Under 40 class of 2024. 

Dr. Upton holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Louisiana State University where he also received both an M.A. in economics and a B.S. in economics with a concentration in empirical analysis. 

Mr. Walker leads TTARA’s work on property tax. Previously, he served as the Property Tax Manager for Anadarko Petroleum Corp., where he worked for over 15 years. During his time at Anadarko he served in various roles prior to his manager position. He has experience in property tax appraisal, compliance, and tax policy review, including reviews of local jurisdiction tax rates and budgets. Mr. Walker has prior experience in state & local income/franchise tax, federal income tax, and severance tax. He has held various other tax positions at Smith International and PricewaterhouseCoopers.  He is a certified public accountant and received his BBA in Accounting, Finance, and Real Estate from Baylor University. 

Chad S. Whiteman is vice president for environment and regulatory affairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Energy Institute. Whiteman has more than two decades of experience working on energy and environmental policy, including developing and implementing Clean Air Act policies at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as well as leading executive branch review of top Administration regulatory policies for the White House.

Whiteman is a Clean Air Act expert and is responsible for developing the Institute’s clean air policies and strategies as they relate to Congress and the executive branch.

Before joining the Chamber, Whiteman was deputy chief of the Natural Resources and Environment Branch in the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. There, he provided expert input on the prioritization of agency regulatory and deregulatory actions for White House officials across multiple administrations. He was the executive branch lead for the review of regulatory policy priorities across various statutes impacting onshore and offshore oil and gas production, vehicle fuel economy, biofuels, power plant and industrial emissions, energy efficiency standards for residential appliances and commercial equipment, refrigerant manufacturing, and other sectors.

Earlier in his career, Whiteman was deputy director of the Institute of Clean Air Companies, the U.S. air pollution control technology association promoting the industry to create and maintain vibrant markets for its products and services. He managed the policy committees establishing the outreach priorities for each committee with industry executives on emerging federal and state regulatory policies.

At EPA, Whiteman developed and implemented parts of several power plant market-based cap-and-trade programs, including the Acid Rain Program, the NOx Budget Trading Program, the Clean Air Interstate Rule, and the Clean Air Mercury Rule. He was also the lead analyst for a multiagency effort to quantify the potential air quality impacts of increased nuclear generation as one of the initiatives under President George W. Bush’s National Energy Policy.

Whiteman has an M.S. in environmental engineering and a B.S. in civil engineering both from West Virginia University.

Dr. Mark E. Zappi, PE has over 25 years working with energy and/or waste management technologies ranging from basic research to full-scale commercialization.  Dr. Zappi serves as the Executive Director of the Energy Institute of Louisiana at UL, Director of the UL Center for Environmental Protection, and the Director of the UL’s Louisiana Energy Extension Service (one of the first in the US). He holds a BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Louisiana and a MS and PhD in Chemical Engineering from Mississippi State University. He is a chaired professor of chemical engineering on the faculty of the UL College of Engineering. Dr. Zappi has over 250 technical publications, given over 500 technical presentations, holds six patents, and is a registered professional engineer within the State of Louisiana.  Dr. Zappi’s publications have been cited over 7,000 times within the research works for other researchers. He has secured over $150M in R&D funding and has managed numerous multi-million, multi-partner projects. Dr. Zappi has been active with recruiting, evaluating, and assisting new industries into Louisiana along with helping industries commercialize technologies.

Bob Adair, CMI, is Senior Advisor with Advantous Consulting, L.L.C.  He holds the CMI designation in Property Tax from the Institute for Professionals in Taxation.  He has over 35 years property tax experience in 15 states and basic experience in 20+ other states through various positions with Phillips 66, ConocoPhillips, Entergy, Shell Oil Company, and Dresser Industries.  His primary experience includes property valuations, incentives, tax planning, and tax policy/legislation.  Since 2010, he has chaired the Tax Relief for Pollution Control Property Advisory Committee with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.  Prior to retiring from Phillips 66 in 2022, he also chaired the Tax Committee for the Texas Oil and Gas Association and Property Tax Committee for the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association.  He is a previous President of the Louisiana Association of Tax Representatives and chaired Tax committees with the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association, Louisiana Chemical Association, Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, and U.S. Oil and Gas Association, Mississippi/Alabama Division.  Bob has been a guest speaker before national, international, and state organizations, including: the American Petroleum Institute; The Energy Council; Institute for Professionals in Taxation; International Property Tax Institute; Wichita State University’s Appraisal for Ad Valorem Taxation of Communications, Energy and Transportation Properties; National Association of Property Tax Representatives – Transportation, Energy, and Communications; and various state business organizations and agencies.  He has testified on various property tax matters before state legislative committees, agencies, and local governmental bodies in Texas, Louisiana, and other states.

Rachael Averett currently serves as the Director of Sales and Use Tax. She joined Advantous as a Senior Manager in the Sale and Use Tax practice in 2021. Rachael has practiced in Indirect Tax for the last 23 years in Texas and Louisiana. Rachael previously served as an Associate at a public accounting firm and within industry for a multi-state manufacturer. She also served as Director at an international tax consulting firm for the last eleven years. Rachael specializes in multi-state sales and use tax audit defense and reverse audits, with expansive experience in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Georgia. Rachael received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance from Louisiana State University. She serves as a member of Council on State Taxation (COST), Southeastern Association of Tax Administrators (SEATA), and Certified Member of Institute for Professionals in Taxation (IPT). She has also presented for IPT, Tax Executives Institute, Inc. (TEI), and Lorman Education Services.

Jason M. DeCuir, MBA, JD, LLM, is Co-owner and Partner with Advantous Consulting, LLC, a leading multi-state tax services firm headquartered in Louisiana, with offices in Texas, that uniquely delivers customizable, end-to-end solutions ranging from turnkey compliance services to high-level planning and advisory consulting. His focus is on multi-state growth initiatives, strategic alliances, acquisitions, and expansion of all business and service lines. Jason oversees Advantous’ Sales and Use Tax, Property Tax, Income and Franchise Tax, Appeals and Disputes, Government Relations, and Business Development teams. Mr. DeCuir is also the Founding Partner of Advantous Law LLC, a Louisiana-based law firm, which exclusively focuses on State and Local Tax law matters.

Mr. DeCuir began his career as a law clerk to Judge Frank J. Polozola of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana. He then practiced as a Transactional and Tax Attorney at several large law firms, where he was Partner. Prior to joining Advantous in 2020, Jason was Principal at a global tax services firm where he was responsible for a broad range of SALT issues in multiple states, primarily focused on dispute resolution and advocacy. He also served as Chief of Staff, Assistant Secretary and Executive Counsel at the Louisiana Department of Revenue (LDR), where he was an advisor to three State Secretaries and to the Governor regarding legal and policy matters affecting state taxation. During his tenure at LDR, Mr. DeCuir managed the Litigation, Policy and Legislative Services, Criminal Investigation, and Public Affairs Divisions.

A national expert in the field of state and local tax policy, Mr. DeCuir has been an esteemed tax industry professional for over 20 years, representing businesses across all industry sectors and managing complex tax matters. He is also a policy and legislative expert within the walls of many State Capitols across the country, advocating for sound tax policy ideas and reforms.

With respect to tax policy, Jason is actively involved with and frequents as a guest speaker for national organizations such as the Council on State Taxation (COST), the Institute for Professionals in Taxation (IPT), Tax Executives Institute, Inc. (TEI), the Federation of Tax Administrators (FTA), the Multistate Tax Commission (MTC), and the Southeastern Association of Tax Administrators (SEATA). He has also made appearances on state and local television programs and can be heard on local talk radio shows serving as a subject matter expert in the industry of taxation.

Mr. DeCuir has been appointed to serve on a multitude of state councils and commissions, most recently as the Chairman of Louisiana Association of Business and Industry’s (LABI) Board of Directors and is also the Chairman of its Taxation & Finance Issue Council. He serves on the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association Board of Directors, the Texas Association of Business Board of Directors, the Taxpayer for IRS Transformation, the Louisiana Sales Tax Streamlining and Modernization Commission, the Louisiana Tax Institute, the Louisiana Task Force on Structural Change in Budget and Tax Policy (HCR 11), the PAR Constitutional Advisory Council, the PAR Tax Advisory Committee, and the Mississippi Department of Revenue Business Advisory Council. He has served on the Governor’s fiscal transition team to advise on budgetary and tax issues and was appointed Chair of the Louisiana Economic Recovery Task Force by Senate President Page Cortez and Speaker of the House Clay Schexnayder to revive the state’s economy due to the impacts of COVID-19. During the 2020 special session, Jason was appointed Chair of the HR 31 Centralized Sales and Use Tax Administration Study Group to develop legislation to centralize Louisiana’s sales tax collection system. In 2013, the Governor of Louisiana entrusted him in spearheading tax reform efforts and was successfully instrumental in reforming the structure for tax appeals in the state of Louisiana, increasing the state’s COST scorecard from a “D-” to a “B.”

Jason earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Howard University where he earned Academic All-American as a placekicker in the football program. He also earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Louisiana Tech University, a Bachelor of Civil Law and Juris Doctorate degree from Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center, and a Master of Laws degree in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center.

He is active in the community, serving on the Boards of the Food Bank, Boys and Girls Club, Cristo Rey Franciscan High School, Inspire Charter Academy, Salvation Army, and Young Leaders Academy. He is a member of the Federal, State and Local Bar Associations in Louisiana. In his spare time, Jason enjoys golfing, boating and is a color commentator for high school football on a major television network in Louisiana.

Jimmy Leonard, MBA, Co-Owner and Partner, Advantous Consulting, Jimmy Leonard has nearly 20 years’ of experience specializing in state and local business incentives, sales/use taxes, and property taxes. His career began at the Lafayette Economic Development Authority, where he spent three years recruiting companies to locate and expand operations in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana. He then joined a publicly traded accounting firm in 1998 to establish its Louisiana Business Incentives Group Practice. Over the next seven years, he assisted companies in identifying, negotiating, and securing Louisiana business incentives while also providing sales/use tax and property tax services. During his tenure, he held leadership roles such as Southwest Region Strategic Relocation and Expansion Service Practice Leader from 2001 to 2005 and Louisiana State and Local Tax Practice Leader from 2003 to 2005.

Jimmy has worked on projects totaling over $15 billion in investment and has secured over $500 million in bottom-line savings for clients. At Advantous, he oversees the technical and strategic aspects of the design and delivery of all business incentives, tax credit, sales/use tax, and property tax projects.

Jimmy holds a bachelor’s degree from Millsaps College and a Master of Business Administration from Louisiana State University.

Blaike Lee Ordes, JD, D.C.L., joined Advantous Consulting in 2022 as a legal intern while attending Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center (“PMH”). Blaike graduated from PMH in May of 2023, passed the July 2023 Bar, and was sworn in on October 16th, 2023. Blaike now serves as a Legal Associate on the Appeals and Disputes team and as a Policy and Legislative Affairs Associate on the External Affairs team.

While at PMH, Blaike enjoyed serving the community in her spare time. She was a member of the Public Interest Law Society where she served as Head Community Service Chair. In this position, Blaike arranged multiple community service opportunities for the students and faculty at PMH such as donation drives and days of service. She was recognized for organizing the 2022 Fall Day of Service where over 100 law students contributed nearly 300 hours of volunteer work. Blaike also served as the Community Outreach Chair for the Society of Asian Lawyers where she organized service events for the Asian community. Lastly, Blaike served as a Commissioner for the Barristers’ Bowl. Barristers’ Bowl is a charity event put on by law students to raise money for a charity of their choosing. In her last year as Commissioner, Blaike and her team raised over $26,000 for a Make-A-Wish child, far exceeding their goal of $15,000. Blaike continues to serve the community through as Co-Chair of the Advantous Community Service Team.

Matt Rookard is the Senior Manager of External Affairs for Advantous Consulting. Mr. Rookard focuses his efforts on building relationships with community partners and business organizations. 

Mr. Rookard began his career at Louisiana Economic Development (LED) where he served as a Project Manager servicing a diverse collection of projects throughout the State of Louisiana.  Mr. Rookard then served as the Senior Vice President of Business Development for Greater New Orleans, Inc. (GNO, Inc.), where he oversaw Business Recruitment, Business Retention, and Research for the 10-parish area in southeast Louisiana.

Mr. Rookard later became the Chief Executive Officer of Terrebonne Economic Development Authority (TEDA) in Houma, LA where he brought a shuttered economic development organization back to fruitful operations. 

Throughout his career, Mr. Rookard has served on the Board of Directors for several chambers of commerce and non-profit organizations.

Mr. Rookard is a graduate of Louisiana Tech University.  He and his wife, Kelly, are parents to three boys – Spann (9), Evariste (7), and Teddy (4).

Kim Wallett is a senior business incentives expert who brings over 15 years of experience to Advantous Consulting, L.L.C. In her role as Senior Manager,  Kim manages the technical and supervisory aspects of business incentives projects for a wide portfolio of clients, providing guidance on the identification, management, and compliance of various federal, state, and local business incentives offered by governing bodies. Kim is a primary resource for the Quality Jobs Program, Enterprise Zone Program, Industrial Tax Exemption Program, Cooperative Endeavor Agreements, Digital Interactive and Media Software Program, Work Opportunity Tax Credit, and Employee Retention Tax Credits related to natural disasters and COVID-19. 

Kim collaboratively works and consults with our External Affairs team, contributing to our business development, marketing, and government relations efforts. She has established strong ties throughout the community, building valuable relationships with chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, business and industry associations, and state and local officials. Kim currently serves on the Board of Directors for Louisiana Industrial Development Executives Association (LIDEA), co-chairs Ellevate Louisiana’s Taxation and Economic Development Committee, and is a member of Greater Baton Rouge Industry Alliance (GBRIA). 

Kim graduated from Louisiana State University’s EJ Ourso College of Business with a Bachelor of Science in International Trade & Finance. Outside of work, Kim is an active member of Jefferson Baptist Church, LSU Alumni Association, and Phi Mu Alumnae.