LAHO History:
During the summer of 1989 Steve Leon, Director of University Housing and Terry Passman Assistant Director invited a small group of Housing Directors to meet on Southeasterns campus and discuss the formation of a state association for University Housing Officers.  LAHO was born!  Attending the meeting were Dottie Brooks Northeast Louisiana University (Monroe); Margaret Vinti University of New Orleans; Renee Nesbitt Louisiana State University and Steve Leon and Terry Passman Southeastern.     Over the following years this group continued to grow to include nearly every college in the state that had campus housing.  The group used opportunities at both LACUSPA and SEAHO to continue to formulate the organization.  Housing administrators visited each others campus and benchmarked best practices at each school.  Numerous policies and procedures were streamlined and/or changed as a result of meetings and visits.  The group came to rely on each other to resolve numerous challenges. Early on one common thread at every meeting was the need for more training with student hall staff.  It was with this idea that the concept of a state wide training workshop would come to light.  It was decided that a student conference in the late Spring would be best in order to prepare students for the fall semester and that all campus leaders would be invited, many of the leadership skills needed by Resident Assistants could be transferred to most student leadership positions.  It was also decided that a central location be chosen, and the facility would be within everyone’s budget.    The first RA training conference was held March 5&6, 1993 at Camp Maryhill Renewal Center in Pineville, Louisiana. Our Host at Maryhill was Sister Ann LaCour.  Brit Katz, Northeast La. University Chaired the inaugural LA Rainbow conference for 104 Resident Assistants and numerous housing administrators and speakers from around the state. 

Participants included Steve Leon, Southeastern; Terry Passman, Southeastern; Dottie Brooks, Northeast; Dr. Bob Bowman, Northeast; Marian Griffin, Southern; Margaret Vinti, UNO; Huey Gardner, UNO; Darren Lynn, UNO;  Harold Boute, Northwestern; Tracie Najolia, Northwestern; Joy Jeffers, Centenary; Peggy Young, Centenary; Renee Nesbitt, LSU; Janie Brown, LSU and others.    Dottie Brooks served as President and Awards Chairperson  Steve Leon served as Program Chair Morris Welch was Past President  Janie Brown was Hospitality Chair  Peggy Young was Registration Chair Each Chairperson received a special plaque and recognition at the banquet.    The awards banquet was held in a tiny dining hall.  Award winners included:  - Program of the Year - LSU, Baton Rouge for "Haunted Mansion"  - Staff Development Program of the Year - Loyola Univ for "Cultural Diversity Workshop"  - LAHO Distinguished Service Award - Renee Nesbitt, LSU, Baton Rouge  - Kajun Kilometers Award - Southern University (bring the largest number the greatest distance)  -LAHO Spirit Award - Northeast Louisiana University  - Always Hallways/Hall of Fame Award - Brit Katz, Northeast Louisiana University  -LAHO President's Award - Morris Welch, LSU, Baton Rouge    The 1994 conference was again held at Camp Maryhill, the conference was called Radical Retreat. It was during this conference the officers decided to give the conference a permanent name Equipping Resident Assistants (ERA).  Since that time, the ERA Conference has been held at Dry Creek Baptist Camp and Tall Timbers Baptist Conference Center.    

Previous Leadership

 President

1989-90                Steve Leon—Southeastern (Chairman, no president the year of formation)

1990-91                Steve Leon—Southeastern 

1991-92                Morris Welch—LSU  

1992-93                Dottie Brooks—Northeastern Louisiana University (Monroe) 

1993-94                Steve Leon—Southeastern  

1994-95                Sabrina Laurant—Nicholls    

1995-96                Denise Martin—McNeese  

1996-97                Debora Baker—LSU (Baton Rouge)

1997-98                Connie Davis—Southeastern 

1998-99               

1999-00

2000-01

2001-02 

2002-03                Dawn Miller—University of Louisiana at Lafayette

2003 – 2004         Aimme Anderson, Southeastern Louisiana University

2004 – 2005         Shakira Hardison, Grambling State University

2005 – 2006         Dawn Miller, University of Louisiana, Lafayette

2006 – 2007         Kevin “K.D.” Linkous, Louisiana State University

2007 – 2008         Nicholas Clegorne, Louisiana State University

2008 – 2009         Marc Nicholls, McNeese State University

 Business Manager

2002 – 2004         Louisiana Tech University

2004 – 2006         Mary Wallace, Louisiana State University

2006 – 2008         Casey Jowers, Louisiana Tech University

 Newsletter Editor

2003 – 2004        

2004 – 2006         Amanda McDaniel, Southeastern Louisiana University

2006 – 2007         Marc Nichols, McNeese State University

2007 – 2008         Jolanda Taylor, Southeastern Louisiana University

2008 – 2009         Danielle Klein, Tulane University

 SEAHO Representative

2002 – 2004         David Smith, Louisiana Tech University

2004 – 2006         Renee Richard Snider, Louisiana State University

2006 – 2008         Morris Anderson, Southern University

2008 – 2010         Jolanda Taylor, Southeastern Louisiana University/Grambling State University

ERA Coordinator (This position was introduced in 2007)

2007 – 2009         Dawn Broussard, University of Louisiana Lafayette

Member at Large  (This position was introduced in 2007)

2007 – 2009         Celena Trahan, Louisiana State University/Tulane University

Technology Coordinator (This position was introduced in 2007)

2007 – 2009         Renee Richard Snider, Louisiana State University