At a ceremony Aug. 25 in Lafayette, Brett Wicke Bordelon, second from right, received the Louisiana First Lady’s Award for her work with 4-H’ers in Cameron Parish. Also pictured, from left to right are First Lady Supriya Jindal; Brett Thibodeaux, Jakin Morales, Maeleigh Conner, all Cameron Parish 4-H’ers; Bordelon, and Ruby Miller, LSU AgCenter 4-H agent in Cameron Parish who helped nominate Bordelon for the award. (Photo by Bruce Schultz. Click on photo for downloadable image.)

News Release Distributed 08/29/11

LAFAYETTE, La. – Louisiana’s First Lady honored a Lake Charles woman Aug 25 for her volunteer work with 4-H.

Brett Wicke Bordelon received the First Lady Award from Supriya Jindal for making a positive difference in the lives of youth.

“I am honored to present Brett with this award and thank her for introducing the great outdoors to children across Louisiana,” the governor’s wife said. “The work she does inspires a love of the outdoors, while also encouraging children and adults in their lives to come together and spend more time exploring Louisiana’s beauty together.”

Bordelon formed a partnership between 4-H and the Coastal Conservation Association of Louisiana, recruiting volunteers to teach children and youth about fishing and conserving marine resources.

Ruby Miller, LSU AgCenter county agent in Cameron Parish, was among those nominating Bordelon for the award.

“I like having her with our kids because she’s such an outstanding role model,” Miller said of Bordelon. “She has been a chaperone at many 4-H events.”

Bordelon understands the value of investing in youth, Miller said. “One can’t help but be impressed with her dedication to improving the lives of young people of Louisiana.”

Bordelon was active in 4-H as a girl, and her father is Gary Wicke, a retired LSU AgCenter county agent. Her mother, Cindy Boated Wicke, was a 4-H volunteer. 

Bordelon works for LHC, and the award was made in a surprise ceremony at the company’s headquarters in Lafayette.

Jarrett Thibodeaux, 14, of Creole community in Cameron Parish, also attended the event. He said Bordelon and the other volunteers have passed along tips for fishing and their ethical approach to the environment.

“Simple things like that help a lot,” Thibodeaux said.

Bordelon is the president of the Lake Charles CCA Chapter, the oldest in the state, according to CCA director David Cresson. “We believe that through her work as a CCA volunteer, she has had a profound impact on local kids.”

Bordelon also oversees the CCA Lake Charles annual Trout Shootout, a fishing tournament for children.