Member Spotlight
Carma & Jon Manns
You served as Board Chair of the Community Foundation and have been an Annual Member for more than a decade.
What has kept you invested in the Foundation's mission over the years? What are you most proud of from your time as Board Chair?
I was invited to be on the Community Foundation SWLA board in 2010. In that initial time period, the Foundation was lacking focus. It wasn’t until Sara Judson took over as the organization’s leader that we started getting things done.
At first, it was little accomplishments, like demonstrating the Public/Private synergy in getting a dog park constructed downtime in record time or lobbying the DOT to include a bike lane on the planned bridge over Contraband Bayou (which is in progress).
Now the Community Foundation SWLA is a major factor in bringing large-scale projects to fruition, like the $40 million Mid City Neighborhood project. There are several very effective charity organizations in our town that I support, but as far as making lasting changes/improvements, Community Foundation is the most impactful.
What excites you about Bayou Greenbelt?
I finished my 40-year career at PPG Industries as plant manager at the Lake Charles Facility. One of my interests in that role was exploring ways to make this area attractive to young professionals.
When I first had the concept of Bayou Greenbelt explained to me, I knew this was a potential game changer in improving how young people perceive Lake Charles. The project is an amazing way to bring something unique to this region. When you see how stunning the transition of Contraband Bayou on McNeese campus from a weed-choked drainage ditch to a pretty water feature, it is hard not to get excited
Where did your passion for bike paths begin?
I have always placed exercise as a priority in my life. Early on this was mainly accomplished through jogging. Eventually, my knees became an issue, and I transitioned to rollerblading. After 10 years (and numerous falls), I settled on getting my exercise through riding my bike.
I am fortunate to live in the southern part of town with decent shoulders on the side of the road, but if you want to bike to a restaurant closer to town, riding your bike is quite dangerous. We have the ability to make significant improvements in providing safe bike routes in the area, and progress is being made, we just have to keep a focus on taking advantage of opportunities as they arise.
You were one of the eight speakers at the inaugural PechaKucha event in April. What was that experience like? Beyond sharing your passion for collecting vintage beer cans, what did you enjoy most about the evening?
Click the image above to view Jon’s presentation!
That was a fun experience! I was asked about making a presentation about my beer can collection and I said I could do that in my sleep. However, following the guidelines of 40 slides with a 20-sec limit on each slide was a challenge. The facility (Southlake Theater) for the event was an outstanding location for the evening and the fast-paced design of the presentations made for very entertaining evening. Plus, the audience participation made it fun.
Just for fun—what's your favorite bike ride?
For our 50th wedding anniversary, Carma and I went on a 6-day bike ride around the Island of Mallorca, off the coast of Spain. The whole adventure was over the top on scenic views, the places we stayed and the people we met.
Carma and Jon off the coast of Spain.