Gary Cazaubon, left, receives the LSU Dairy Science Club’s Honorary Lifetime Member Award from Phil Elzer, LSU AgCenter program leader for animal sciences. (Photo by Tobie Blanchard)

Bruce Jenny, LSU dairy science professor, presents Rachel Brown with the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board scholarship. Brown also received LSU Dairy Scholar Award for dairy food technology. (Photo by Tobie Blanchard)

Stacey Vignes, center, receives the LSU Dairy Scholar Award for dairy production from dairy science professor Cathy Williams, right, and LSU Dairy Alumni Association president Rebekah DiCicco. (Photo by Tobie Blanchard)

News Release Distributed 05/07/14

BATON ROUGE, La – Dairymen and students were recognized for their contribution to Louisiana’s dairy industry and the LSU College of Agriculture’s dairy science program at the LSU Dairy Science Club and Dairy Alumni Banquet on May 3 at the Lod Cook Alumni Center.

Thee Dairy Science Club gave Gary Cazaubon the Honorary Lifetime Member Award. Cazaubon, who grew up on his family’s dairy farm in Folsom, Louisiana, spent most of his career with the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. He was the department’s dairy specialist, the southeast regional milk specialist, the state raw milk product and tanker program specialist, and the milk and dairy program administrator.

Cazaubon also is a member of the National Conference of Interstate Milk Shipments, the Louisiana Dairy Fieldmans Association and Dairy Trailblazers Association. He retired in 2013 and lives in Folsom.

Donnie Fisher received the Dairyman of the Year award. Fisher, a resident of Keatchie, Louisiana, is a third-generation dairy farmer and operates two dairies milking about 450 Holsteins.

Fisher has served on the Board of Directors of the Louisiana Pure Milk Producers Association, the Southeast Council Board of Mid-America Dairymen Inc. and the Southeast Council Board of Dairy Farmers of America. He is currently serving on the Louisiana Dairy Promotion Board, the Louisiana Farm Bureau Dairy Advisory Committee and the DeSoto Parish Water System Board where he is the secretary/treasurer.

Rachel Brown, a senior in dairy science from Jennings, was one of only 19 students in the country to receive the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board Scholarship. This achievement was recognized at the banquet. She also received LSU’s Dairy Scholar Award in the area of dairy food technology. Brown is the outgoing first vice president of the LSU Dairy Science Club.

Outgoing Dairy Science Club president and dairy science senior Stacey Vignes, of Pontchatoula, received the Dairy Scholar Award in dairy production. Vignes also was recognized as the Dairy Science Club’s outstanding member.

Brian Rizk, of Lafayette, was recognized as outstanding senior club member, and Lindsey Owens, a freshman from Marrero, received the award for highest scholastic average and outstanding first-year club member.

The Dairy Science Club promotes dairy production and LSU’s dairy science program.

“The club also provides service to LSU and the community by volunteering at events such as state livestock show, farm day, ice cream sales and 4-H events,” said Cathy Williams, dairy science professor.