Our Founders
Mr. R. Keith Broussard, CFP
founder and executive director, conceived Magnolia, CDC as an institution for change in community development in its target area. Mr. Broussard brings to the organization over 25 years of expertise and experience in organizational development and planning in the private sector. He is a Certified Financial Planner with extensive background in financing and community planning.
In housing, Mr. Broussard has served on the board of a Certified Housing Development Organization (CHDO), which was instrumental in developing housing ownership and rental projects in the Lafayette and St. Parish. Through his LLC, KCB Capital Management, he has assisted the City of Opelousas in obtaining over $2 million in grants for housing, policing and infrastructure development.
He assisted, designed and implemented St. Landry Parish’s Hurricane Gustav parish wide recovery program. This project included developing a citywide roofing program, a parish wide drainage program, and the purchase of a much needed laddered fire truck.
Mr. Broussard has developed his housing expertise through various community development training programs that include the following:
NeighborWorks Training Institute:
- Professional Certification Affordable Housing Program
- CDBG and Home Training Programs
Housing Assistance Council:
- Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Program
- USDA 502 Loan Packaging Certification Program
- USDA Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI) awardee.
Louisiana Housing Corporation (LHC):
- Certified Housing Development Organization (CHDO) Training
- LIHTC Training
Additionally, Mr. Broussard has developed business and personal relationships in the community that assist the organization in its mission of building sustainable communities. His ability to network with the banking industry, local and federal agencies, and other CDCs provide resources that are valuable to the development of the organization’s effectiveness in the community.
Dr. Constance Broussard
Education Program Manager, brings more than 30 years of experience in education to the organization. She is currently and for the past thirty years employed by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She began as a her career as a high school English teacher prior to serving as a counselor in the university’s Freshman Division. She later developed the Learning Center, a center that provided tutoring, counseling, individualized instruction, and workshops. She currently holds the position of Associate Director of Off Campus Trio Programs for the Department of Special Services and Project Director for the Upward Bound programs.
Dr. Broussard has taught at all levels- junior high, high school, and college. She has worked with individuals from adolescents to adults. In addition to teaching, she has developed course content and established curricula at both the secondary and the post-secondary level. Dr. Broussard has been involved in grant writing for 25 years, serving as the lead writer on several grants. She has managed programs for first generation low-income individuals for 20 years, working with both students and parents. She developed tutoring programs that provided assistance to students having academic difficulty and workshops for students needing to develop strategies to improve scores on state exams and college entrance exams.
Dr. Broussard, a licensed professional counselor, has devoted her life to educating and counseling individuals in need of academic intervention and education attainment. She has developed relationships with professors, principals, teachers, counselors, and district personnel. Her work experience and conference attendance have also afforded her many opportunities to meet and network with individuals who can provide support and assistance with the educational component of the CDC. Her lifelong goal has been to help students achieve their academic potential and to continue their education beyond high school. She plans to continue this work through Magnolia, CDC. Her educational background, counselor training, networking, and grant writing experience make for a great fit for the CDC.
As illustrated, the core management of Dr. & Mr. Broussard, with their combined talent and background provides the CDC with the ability to shorten the development curve and become a successful organization in the core areas of education, housing, community and small business development.