Monday, Jan. 23
January 23, 2012Kate Cleo Cherry Ivey
January 26, 2012
When Lenar Whitney began a home-based dance studio immediately after high school to help pay college expenses, she had no way of knowing that her steps would one day lead her to the Louisiana Legislature as a state representative.
“They say this legislative position is a part-time job, but it is a very busy, full-time part-time job,” Whitney said one week after being sworn into office.
Having earned a degree in business, Whitney continued to manage her dance studio and grew that operation, eventually opening her Studio 371 in 2007.
The following year, Whitney expanded her business experience and joined AccessCom as an account executive, where she sells business-class voice and data services. “This is a telecommunications firm,” Whitney said. “We are presently merging with broadband IE Solutions and do telecommunications.”
A freshman representative, Whitney, who serves on the Republican State Central Committee, was approached by her peers to run for the District 53 seat as state Rep. Damon Baldone reached his term limit in 2011.
“Some of the people on the committee looked at the outlay of the district and said I could probably run,” the new political figure said.
Intending to demonstrate how her business experience could prove beneficial for public concerns in Baton Rouge, Whitney explained that in her commercial work she represents entities to companies and follows the process of a sale from fact finding and introduction to completion and delivery. Skills to accomplish those tasks, she confirmed, are needed among legislators.
“In representing the district you get to know the people,” Whitney said. “You get to know what their issues, needs and concerns are. Going to Baton Rouge to represent them, well, there is a lot of follow-up contact and being able to provide people of the district with the information and services they need from the state.”
The legislator compared her campaign experience to cold calling in sales n a task many people find to be the most challenging. “That was the most enjoyable part of my campaign,” she said. “I really like meeting people and communicating with them and trying to understand their concerns. That is part of being a representative in business and in the legislature.”
NAME: Lenar Whitney
TITLE: State representative, account executive, business owner
COMPANY: State of Louisiana, AccessCom, Studio 371
ESTABLISHED: 2007
ADDRESS: 371 School St., Houma
TELEPHONE: (985) 853-0030
WEBSITE: whitney@legis.la.gov
AGE: 52
EDUCATION: Nicholls State University
FIRST JOB: Retail work at DH Holmes
GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: Running a successful dance studio for 35 years
ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE SELF: Optimistic
ADVICE TO OTHERS: Anything is possible
WOMAN IN BUSINESS YOU ADMIRE: Her great aunt, Laise Ledet, who was a teacher and French ambassador to the Cajun culture from Pointe-aux-Chenes because of her promoting the culture of Louisiana and family.
