Meet The Board
Stacey Berger
Member Experience Manager
Stacey Berger is the principal of Berger Family Partners, LLC and CHQ Capital, private investment firms focused on real estate and early-stage business opportunities. He is an executive in residence at the Lepage Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Freeman School of Business at Tulane University. With over 30 years in commercial real estate financial services including as Executive Vice President at PNC Bank, Stacey brings deep industry knowledge to his role at Gulf South Angels.
Rick Bond
Baton Rouge Development
Rick owns and operates several businesses in Baton Rouge, including an investment advisory firm (Clear Net Worth), a real estate brokerage (Clear Properties), a general contractor (Bond Construction Co.), and a small law practice (The Bond Law Firm). He also serves on the Boards of Baton Rouge General Hospital and Gulf States Insurance Company. Rick brings a broad range of experience and expertise to his work with Gulf South Angels.
Jay Culotta
Lafayette Development
Frank J. Culotta, Jr., M.D. is a retinal specialist in Lafayette, La. In addition to his medical practice, he has served on numerous professional, civic, and non-profit boards throughout the region and is actively involved in educational, athletic, and arts organizations. A graduate of Leadership Lafayette and Leadership Louisiana, Dr. Culotta founded the Lafayette Junior Leadership program in 1990. He became involved in angel investing to further support entrepreneurship in the region.
Marigny deMauriac
Women Member and Northshore Market Development
Marigny deMauriac, CFP®, CEPA®, ABFP®, AAMS® is the founder of deMAURIAC, a 100% women-owned Registered Investment Advisory firm based in New Orleans. She has led initiatives impacting 1,100+ women-owned businesses across five states through the Women’s Business Enterprise Council South. She serves on several advisory boards advancing entrepreneurship in the GNO area and has been featured in Business Insider, Yahoo Finance, and Voice of America.
Mike Eckert
Founder and Chairman
Mike Eckert was part of the founding team that launched The Weather Channel and Weather.com, where he served as CEO for 14 years. He has also chaired the Atlanta Technology Angels and served as a Fellow in Georgia Tech’s Venture Lab. His experience spans leadership, investment, and advisory roles across multiple industries.
Byron Leblanc
Public Policy, Marketing, and Public Relations
Byron LeBlanc is the president of LeBlanc & Schuster Public Relations, Inc., a highly regarded firm serving regional and local clients since 1976. A charter member and past chairman of the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, Byron has been a leader in community affairs and civic engagement for decades.
Gay Le Breton
Lafayette Market Development
Gay Le Breton is the head of the Mergers & Acquisitions group at Chaffe & Associates, Inc., specializing in transaction structuring and negotiaion, business valuation, and competitive sale processes. With a career that began at Bankers Trust Company in New York, she brings deep financial expertise and leadership to her work with Gulf South Angels.
Lee McMillan
Board Member
Lee McMillan is the founder of Brush Creek Investments, a broadly diversified private investment manager based in New Orleans. Before founding BCI in 2019, Lee served as Senior Equity Research Analyst at Clarkson Platou, a London-listed and maritime focused investment bank, with coverage responsibilities spanning the global hard commodity complex and a specialized focus on Chinese trade flows.
Jeff O’Hara
Deal Screening, Alabama-Florida Market Development, and Member Education
Jeff is an entrepreneur who has founded/co-founded 11 businesses in hospitality, tech, and real estate, with several recognized on the Inc. 5000 and Seminole 100 lists. After three decades in New Orleans and a successful exit in 2023, he now focuses on early-stage investing across industries including hospitality, technology, biotech, consumer staples, and alternative energy. He also serves as a strategic advisor, board member, and mentor to emerging companies.
Cynthia Pazos
Public Policy, Marketing, and Public Relations
Cynthia has dedicated 33 years to Diabetes Healthcare, founding a leading diabetes products and education company, and later establishing the Pazos Education Fund to support students with Type 1 Diabetes. She continues to empower women entrepreneurs through Blossoming in Business and holds leadership roles in various organizations, including the Women’s President’s Organization and the Gulf South Angels.
John Roberts III
Deal Screening
John Roberts III is a former convenience store chain owner turned entrepreneur, angel investor, and venture capitalist. As a partner in startups Moxey and Mariposa Technology and co-founder of Boot64 Ventures, John has made 32 startup investments. He is deeply involved in the local business community, serves on several boards, and actively mentors early-stage entrepreneurs.
Richard Robbins
Board Member
Richard Robbins is a physician and entrepreneur who founded a multi-state entity, which he sold to a public company in 2017. While he has continued consulting engagements, he spends the majority of his time mentoring early-stage businesses, engaging in charitable endeavors, and pursuing his childhood ambition of being a writer. Richard has recently published his fifth novel, three of which have been on Amazon Top Twenty best seller lists in their genre.
Paul Saltaformaggio
Board Member
Paul brings over 21 years of experience in retirement and financial planning, having worked with MassMutual and Capital One, where he served on advisory boards. His passion for client-focused service led him to found Hibernia Wealth Management, offering tailored financial strategies to engineers, petrochemical employees, and business owners.
Daryl Schloz
Board Member
Daryl Schloz is a retired John Deere executive with a 38-year career spanning multiple roles across seven factories and corporate operations. His experience includes international business responsibilities that have taken him to over 40 countries. A proud Iowa State engineering graduate, Daryl now applies his expertise to supporting growing companies.
Dann Schwartz
Deal Screening and Alabama-Florida Market Development
Dann Schwartz is a serial entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience founding and growing companies in medical devices and e-commerce. Since 2005, he has applied his expertise in manufacturing, distribution, patents, and quality management standards as a consultant, focusing on driving business success and innovation.
Fern Watters
Women Member Market Development
Fern Watters is a retired attorney with a passion for volunteerism. She has dedicated herself to philanthropy, most recently serving as Program Head and Vice Chair of Destination: College, a nonprofit focused on improving educational opportunities for under-resourced high school students in Westchester County, New York.
Scott Whittaker
Public Policy and Lake Charles Market Development
Scott Whittaker is the Chairman of the Business Section at Stone Pigman law firm and a 30-year veteran corporate lawyer. He has handled hundreds of M&A and corporate finance transactions, representing companies from startup through expansion and exit.