Board of Directors

PRESIDENT

Chef Dwynesha "Dee" Lavigne was born and raised in New Orleans. She was professionally trained at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Chef Lavigne is the owner of Deelightful Roux School of Cooking, the only African American-owned cooking school taught by a New Orleans native. Chef Dee is teaching hands-on classes, guiding students through a tour of Southern cuisine. Chef Dee is also a passionate advocate for special needs inclusion and a community volunteer.

VP OF PROGRAMS

Jennifer is Director of the Aarón Sánchez Impact Fund, a program of Emeril Lagasse Foundation, where she leads fundraising and oversees scholarship and grantmaking programs that uplift Latino youth through food. Previously, she served as Executive Director of the Louisiana Hospitality Foundation, managing $3.6 million in grants and services. A nonprofit leader with expertise in fundraising and program management, Jennifer also volunteers with Team Gleason and serves on the board of Les Dames d'Escoffier New Orleans. She holds a bachelor's degree from Loyola University New Orleans.

VP OF PHILANTHROPY

Rebecca built a foundation in guest-centric service as a host at Emeril’s Delmonico, then fell into the world of cocktails as a volunteer at Tales of the Cocktail, becoming part of the exponential growth of the festival. Rebecca joined the team at Dickie Brennan & Company and later became the assistant general manager of Bourbon House. Rebecca joined the team at Broussard’s as the general manager in 2017, and served as the Area Manager for Broussard’s and Bombay Club. Today, she is the Regional Director of Operations for the Ruby Sipper Restaurant Group.

VP OF COMMUNICATIONS

Colleen has been elbow-deep in the print and digital publishing industry — books, magazines, newspapers, websites, you name it — for more than 25 years. She’s a top-of-the-masthead editor, an eye-for-the-minutiae project manager, published author and freelance writer. She is the author of “The Mere Mortal’s Guide to Fine Dining,” “Low & Slow: Master the Art of Barbecue in 5 Easy Lessons”, “Low & Slow 2: The Art of Barbecue, Smoke-Roasting & Basic Curing”, and other titles too long to put here. (Google it. Don’t judge.)


TREASURER

Nicole is a New Orleans-based writer, forever student of food culture, and enthusiastic eater. She co-owned Windowsill Pies, an award-winning pie and tart company, for over a decade. Today, she serves as Director of Communications and Marketing for the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana.

SECRETARY

Mia is the Director of Operations and co-owner of La Petite Grocery. Devillier earned a degree in Business Management and Marketing at Loyola University, and began her career in management at Martin Wine Cellar. She returned to the University of New Orleans for a Master’s in Accounting and spent three years with Deloitte & Touche, all while cultivating her lifelong passion for hospitality. She held positions across the service industry for more than 25 years — including with the House of Blues and restaurants such as Lilette, Juan’s Flying Burrito, and Marigny Brasserie. She joined La Petite Grocery in 2009 as General Manager and, alongside her husband, Chef Justin Devillier, became co-owner in 2010.

VP OF MEMBERSHIP

For Suzanne, life is beautifully defined by three elements: wine, dine, and great design. As the visionary behind the Lifestylist® brand, she has spent decades shaping product innovation and culinary styling for global giants like LG/SKS Appliances, Home Depot, and Thermador. Now, Suzanne is channeling that elite expertise into an underserved market. With her new brand, Re:Wines, she is pioneering premium, alcohol-removed wines to elevate the senior living dining experience.

TERM • 2023 - 2024

TERM • 2020 - 2023

TERM • 2017-2020