Lafayette couple Nick and JoAnn Pugh named Philanthropists of the Year for Lafayette Parish
Photo courtesy of Community Foundation of Acadiana
By Adam Daigle
Nick and JoAnn Pugh will receive the 2018 Leaders in Philanthropy Award for Lafayette Parish from the Community Foundation of Acadiana and Hancock Whitney during an awards luncheon Nov. 15.
The Pughs’ success as entrepreneurs in the communications technology industry helped them establish the Pugh Family Foundation, which is focused on developing and implementing new and innovative strategies to support students and educators, especially those working in high-poverty communities. The foundation supports after-school tutoring programs and nonprofit organizations, including Hope for Opelousas, New Hope Community Development of Acadiana, Boys & Girls Clubs of Acadiana, the Lafayette Education Foundation, the Lafayette Parish Public Education Stakeholders’ Council and One Acadiana.
Nick Pugh grew up in Lafayette and graduated in electrical engineering from USL (now University of Louisiana at Lafayette). His love of science and engineering has fueled his longtime volunteer leadership of UL Lafayette’s successful picosatellite program, and he is a founding member of Acadiana Open Channel and a graduate of Leadership Lafayette Class XXVII.
JoAnn Pugh is an Abbeville native and a business administration graduate of Northwestern State University. Her passion for gardening has led to her volunteer service in leadership roles with a number of local and statewide horticultural organizations. She is a past president of Lafayette Garden Club, and she and Nick have worked together on the board of directors of Habitat for Humanity Lafayette.
Leaders in Philanthropy Awards are presented each year to outstanding individuals or couples from each of the eight parishes of CFA’s primary service area who have made a philanthropic impact in their communities through substantial charitable contributions to or by attracting substantial contributions for nonprofits, churches or schools.
https://www.theadvocate.com/acadiana/news/business/article_04a85cf8-c5b2-11e8-8e11-1b9341a8c865.html