Acadian Ambulance Service Inc.

Paramedic Dean Landry voted Employee Owner of the Year throughout Five-state area of ESOP Companies

The Southwest Chapter of the ESOP Association, a regional organization of companies in Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico, in which employees are owners through Employee Stock Ownership Plans, presented its Annual Award for Employee Owner of the Year to Acadian Ambulance Service's Dean Landry. Pictured are Michael Keeling, President of the National ESOP Association, and Acadian Ambulance Paramedic Dean Landry.

The Southwest Chapter of the ESOP Association, a regional organization of companies in Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico, in which employees are owners through Employee Stock Ownership Plans, presented its Annual Award for Employee Owner of the Year to Acadian Ambulance Service's Dean Landry. The presentation was made at the association's eighth annual conference in Dallas.

Acadian Ambulance Service was honored as one of its employee owners received the highest possible award, the Employee Owner of the Year Award. Paramedic Dean Landry is a dispatcher and nine-year Acadian veteran who also serves as Acadian's ESOP Committee Chairman.

Awards were given out in four categories: Most Effective ESOP Committee, Best ESOP Employee Communication, ESOP Employee Owner of the Year, and ESOP Company of the Year.

Michael Keeling, President of the National ESOP Association, presented Landry with the ESOP Employee Owner of the Year Award. In accepting the award Landry thanked the Southwest Chapter and the administration of Acadian Ambulance.

"I would be naive if I thought I was the best employee in the five-state area that this award represents," Landry said, "I accept this award on behalf of the over 2,000 employee-owners of Acadian Ambulance.”

This year's theme of the ESOP Conference was "Employee Owners to the Rescue," highlighting various companies' experiences with both Hurricanes Rita and Katrina.

In Acadian's nomination to the Southwest Chapter it stated, “ Dean's impact upon the ESOP Committee started in 2003, and has been so profound that he was asked to stay as Chairman for the next three years. Recently over 200 Acadian employees lost their homes or suffered great damage due to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. To help the Acadian family get back on their feet, Acadian created the Employee Disaster Relief Fund. Dean was the only field employee named to the Disaster Relief Board.”

Attending the conference with Landry was his supervisor, Acadian Ambulance VP of Operations Clay Henry. “Dean is a highly charismatic and creative employee,” said Henry. “He has had a very positive impact on educating all of our co-workers on the importance of the responsibilities that come with being an employee-owner. We are very proud and fortunate to have Dean on our team.”

Henry presented a video featuring Acadian's response to Hurricane Katrina during the Awards Banquet. Henry also served as a panelist at the Friday morning conference discussing Acadian's specific role in response to the 2005 hurricane season.

As Employee Owner of the Year, Landry has the opportunity to vie for the Employee Owner of the Year Award at the national level. The winner will be announced in May at the National Conference in Washington, DC.