Director's Corner Steven Strength, PE, PTOE, LTAP Director

As we mentioned in our last Technology Exchange, several changes have been in the works at LTAP. Courtney Dupre has been promoted to LTAP Program Manager, and now we welcome Victor Lockwood as our new Business Manager. He will most likely be your first contact in the LTAP office, answering the phone, helping with course registrations, and running the many business functions of the LTAP center. Stay tuned for more personnel updates in our next edition! Meanwhile, here is some information about Victor and his professional background.

Victor is an accomplished professional with over 20 years of experience in business and client relationship management, contracts administration, and financial collections and operations. He previously worked as Grants and Development Coordinator at LSU where he also served as Cost Center Manager for LTRC and assisted in all departmental sponsored projects.

He had an interesting beginning of his career as Finance and Human Resources Officer for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Washington D.C. where he earned five promotions and seven Exceptional Performance Awards. In 2000, he ventured into liaising with national insurance carriers and managing a team of 14 third-party claims specialists as Collections Supervisor for McKesson Specialty Pharmaceuticals in Harahan, LA. He successfully ran his own franchise of Snap Fitness clubs in four locations in Gonzales, Prairieville and Plaquemine from 2007 to 2014. He also showed his prowess as Proprietor of America’s Swimming Pool Company in Baton Rouge that generated 85 monthly accounts and a revenue of over $350,000 in less than three years.

In addition to his day-to-day business duties, he is looking forward to learning about the roles that our transportation and public works agencies play and seeing the results of our efforts to provide training and technical assistance services that make a difference for our locals. Welcome aboard, Victor!