Our first Guest Speaker was Dr. Florent Hardy Jr., great nephew of Nonco. The series started on Thursday, May 1, 2014 at 5:30 p.m. at the KC Hall in Arnaudville. Dr. Florent Hardy Jr., State Archivist and Director of Archival Services, Archives Division, of the Secretary of State Tom Schedler's office spoke about the free services provided by the Louisiana State Archives and the valuable resources available to Louisiana citizens. For example, people go there to research their family's ancestries to map out a family tree. Archives also have historical information for you to listen to (audio tapes) to read, or pictures to look at, i.e., birth and construction of the New Orleans Superdome, speeches from Earl Long, stories about Sheriff Cat Doucet, etc.
Hardy earned a doctorate from the LSU College of Education in 1974. He is a member of the college’s Peabody Society Dean’s Circle and the Peabody Society Alumni & Friends Board. Dr. Hardy has received numerous awards. He was recently recognized in Archival Outlook January/February 2014, a publication by the Society of American Archivists. On April 8, 2011, he was honored by the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation with their 2011 Education Award.
Our second guest speaker was Arnaudville native John E. Sturgis, a 32 year veteran of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. While with LDWF, Department of Public Land Systems in the Wildlife Management Areas, he served from 1983 - 1997 as a biologist. From 1997 - 2013, he worked with the Department's Education Section, serving as Education Program Coordinator. Mr. Sturgis currently serves as Hunting Heritage Coordinator where he deals with recruitment and retention of hunters. He also works with the Archery in Louisiana Schools and Explore Bowhunting Programs. Write a description for this list item and include information that will interest site visitors. For example, you may want to describe a team member's experience, what makes a product special, or a unique service that you offer.