Kathryn Goppelt
Chair
At-large Kathryn married Lou Goppelt in 1984 and they have 5 children. Kathryn's education includes a B.S. from Iowa State University, Ames IA (1973), Beloit of Ames 1973-1975, AIM (Sudan) 1975-1977, Navigators (United States) 1977-1980, Navigators (Jordan) 1980-1984. Kathryn supports the Republican party because in our two party system the platform of the Republican party is most closely aligned with her personal convictions of pro-life, pro-marriage (one man, one woman), pro-second amendment, limited government and lower taxes. She decided to run for the ARPEC because she wants to promote the party platform of conservatism with issue-based support and endorsements and to increase public awareness and participation. |
Al Robert
Vice-Chair
District 2 Endorsements Chair Events & Fundraising member Al is married to Theresa Opperman and they have 3 children and 5 grandchildren. Al is a graduate of Ascension Catholic High School and L.S.U.with a B.S. degree in Management. He is a life-long resident of Burnside, LA. with six siblings. Al and Theresa are the owner-operators of The Cabin Restaurant, which is located in Darrow. He is a life-long fiscal and social conservative who has been registered as a Republican since 18-years of age. Al made the decision to run for the APREC because he felt he could help and work with other like-minded individuals to make a difference. He wants to promote Republican causes and to recruit and elect Republican-minded citizens. As an ARPEC member, Al will oppose non-conservative agendas and/or legislation. |
Cheryl Fontenot
Secretary/Treasurer
District 9
Media & Technology Chair
Voter Registration member
Ascension (which means to rise above) is the place Cheryl calls home. On November 20, 1946, Emily Andermann and Hubert "Jennings" Kernan, became the parents of Cheryl Ann. She graduated from Gonzales High School, attended Baton Rouge Vocational Technical School and then started a career in finance.
Cheryl married Stefan Joseph Fontenot and raised 5 sons with 11 grandchildren. Stefan also is the father of one son with a previous wife and has 4 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. Since raising her boys, she has started a small business (The Jambalaya Shoppe), graduated from Leadership Ascension, served as Director to Church United Women,
served as Parish Councilman from 2004 through 2007 representing District #4 and is now retired.
The reason Cheryl is serving as an elected Republican Executive Committee member for a second term is because of her family. Cheryl believes in leaving a place better than you find it. Her desire is to serve and live with the attitude that when "life gives you lemons, you make lemonade".
By serving on the ARPEC, Cheryl has a desire to make others, especially the young people of Ascension, aware of their need to become involved in our government for the purpose of bringing our country back to the founding father"s standards like those that her dad's brother, J. A. Kernan, gave his life for during WWII. She feels that our Nation is in trouble and needs help.
District 9
Media & Technology Chair
Voter Registration member
Ascension (which means to rise above) is the place Cheryl calls home. On November 20, 1946, Emily Andermann and Hubert "Jennings" Kernan, became the parents of Cheryl Ann. She graduated from Gonzales High School, attended Baton Rouge Vocational Technical School and then started a career in finance.
Cheryl married Stefan Joseph Fontenot and raised 5 sons with 11 grandchildren. Stefan also is the father of one son with a previous wife and has 4 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. Since raising her boys, she has started a small business (The Jambalaya Shoppe), graduated from Leadership Ascension, served as Director to Church United Women,
served as Parish Councilman from 2004 through 2007 representing District #4 and is now retired.
The reason Cheryl is serving as an elected Republican Executive Committee member for a second term is because of her family. Cheryl believes in leaving a place better than you find it. Her desire is to serve and live with the attitude that when "life gives you lemons, you make lemonade".
By serving on the ARPEC, Cheryl has a desire to make others, especially the young people of Ascension, aware of their need to become involved in our government for the purpose of bringing our country back to the founding father"s standards like those that her dad's brother, J. A. Kernan, gave his life for during WWII. She feels that our Nation is in trouble and needs help.
OPEN SEAT!
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Viki-Dawn Landry
District 3
Endorsements member Viki-Dawn Landry graduated high school in 2015 and is currently attending River Parishes Community College (RPCC) for her associate's degree in Criminal Justice. She has been interested in government for quite some time, so when her grandfather decided to retire from his position on the ARPEC she decided it would be a perfect opportunity for her to get involved and start learning more. She is pro-life, pro Second Amendment, and believes in limited government. |
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Carl Benedict
District 4
Endorsements member |
Kathy Edmonston
District 5
Endorsements member Kathy has worked for Ascension parish schools for 20 years as a parent facilitator. She has 4 grown children with 4 grandchildren (boys). She obtained a B.A. in English from LSU. Kathy ran for the ARPEC because she supports the values of less government, reduction in spending, less taxes and conservatism. Kathy wants to further impact our parish by living by and voting for conservative ideals. Kathy won her race for the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education in 2015 and has been serving since January 2016. |
OPEN SEAT!
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Malcom L. "Mac" Edmonston, Jr.
District 7
Events & Fundraising member Mac is the owner of a wastewater business, Rooster Lips Company, Inc. He has successfully owned and operated his company in Ascension Parish and the surrounding area since 1993. Mac ran for Parish Council District 7 in 2016, coming in second by less than 300 votes. Mac is a family man, with his wife Connie they have 4 children, 3 grandchildren and 2 on the way. Mac is pro-life, loyal and hard working and he upholds Christian values. |
Douglas Foster
District 8
Events & Fundraising member Douglas Foster is a native of New Orleans. After serving in the U.S. Navy for four years, Doug returned to Louisiana to attend Louisiana State University where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications with a concentration in Political Communications. He then earned his law degree from Southern University. Doug is married to Paula Ann Robertson of Thibodaux, Louisiana and together they are the parents of triplet boys. (From the Gordon McKernan website) |
Pam Alonso
District 10
Events & Fundraising chair Endorsements member Pam is the owner of Notary Depot, LLC, a full service notary and public tag in Dutchtown. She is the chair of the Legislative committee of the Louisiana Notary Association (LNA), and is committed to assisting the new notary through mentorship and growing the reach of the LNA to each and every corner of Louisiana. She has been married to Michael, a disabled veteran, for 28 years, has a married daughter and feels blessed to be ‘MiMi’ to one-year-old (red headed) grandson, Blaize. (Adapted from the LNA website) |
Joe Opperman
District 11
Voter Registration chairman Joe came to Gonzales with his family in the summer of 1968. He graduated from E.A. in 1972. Joe married Nina in 1979 and they have 3 children. Joe pursued a law enforcement degree with 2 years at Southeastern and two years at LSU. He acquired a full-time sales position at Southland Fire & Safety in 1978. Joe supports the Republican party because he believes in family values, faith in God, fiscal responsibility and a strong military. Joe feels that some local officials think their ideas and opinions are more important than input from citizens. He thinks there are more Republicans in the parish but they have not registered to vote. Joe feels that since the Republican party in the state has grown in the last eight years, the citizens of Ascension parish (the fastest growing parish in the state) must encourage and support candidates who believe in the core values and fiscal responsibility of the Republican party. He thinks people should be involved, locally, with candidates and issues that affect citizens. |
Brad Bourque
At-large
Media & Technology member As a life long resident of Ascension Parish, and as a Christian, I believe that the strength of our community and our nation, lies within the family unit, (God, Man and Woman). I believe in less taxation and limited government and that governments priority is to uphold the constitution of United States. I believe in higher education, the sanctity of life from conception and the preservation of our free market system. |
Lynelle Johnson
At-large
Voter Registration member Lynelle has been active in Parish politics since 2014, when she ran for Justice of the Peace for the 3rd Justice Court in Ascension Parish. Professionally, she is an established and diverse local business woman. She is also an accomplished and respected statewide Notary Public. Lynelle takes great pride in everything she does, valuing compassion, diligence, and dedication in work. |
Bob Reid
At-Large Media & Technology member Bob attended schools here in the Greater Baton Rouge area and earned his Chemical Engineering degree from LSU in 1969 and graduated number 1 in his Master of Business Administration Class of 1971 also at LSU. He is married 46 years to his lovely wife Pamela, they have two grown sons both married and two grandchildren. He served as a commissioned officer in the US Army in Europe before embarking on his corporate career. He left the Petrochemical Corporate world to start his own business in 1994 and is still the CEO & President of his own company, Diversified Direct Distribution Inc, specializing in Real Estate, Direct Marketing and Personal Entrepreneurship Coaching and Training. He is one of the founding Board Members of the Tea Party of Louisiana (TPoL). Bob attributes his success to honesty, integrity and hard work coupled with his ongoing dedication to serving and making a difference for his family and loved ones. I am a Republican because its platform is the only one aligned to my conservative and Christian beliefs. I want to help ensure the Republican Party stays conservative and supporting government by the tenants of our founding Constitution, Declaration of Independence and as a Christian Nation. |
OPEN SEAT!
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