Slidell Alumni Hurricane Relief Fund

The Slidell Alumni Hurricane Relief Fund was created by members of the Slidell High School Class of 1984.
Our Board of Directors is comprised of a diverse group of professionals combined to form the perfect body of leadership.

Tony Beard, Chairman

Tony Beard is the CEO of an internet consulting company with operations based in New Orleans, Louisiana. For ten years, Mr. Beard served as technical consultant for a national non-profit organization with over 12,000 members and is also the owner of a highly-trafficked website serving over 45,000 U.S. Notaries Public. Mr. Beard is an expert in internet communications, e-commerce, and interactive website development.
Though the data center housing Mr. Beard's internet operations, including this website, is located in downtown New Orleans, it sustained no physical damage from Hurricane Katrina. However, the declaration of martial law in New Orleans and the subsequent seizure of all diesel fuel not intended for life-support systems crippled the data center's emergency generators. This forced a temporary move of Mr. Beard's entire operations to Ft. Worth, Texas. Operations were resumed in New Orleans one month later when faith in the city's power systems was finally restored.
Mr. Beard resides in Gonzales, Louisiana, just 40 miles west of New Orleans and 15 miles from Baton Rouge, Louisiana's state capitol. Aside from a broken tree, fence and windshield, his property sustained no damage from Katrina. Lately, he has been living out his lifelong dream of playing with chainsaws and operating heavy equipment.

Ronny Kastner, Director
Agent Ronny Kastner is an Assistant Chief for the U.S. Border Patrol, a division of the Department of Homeland Security. When communications in and out of Slidell were nonexistent, Agent Kastner recognized the value of keeping his former classmates informed through our Alumni website. Agent Kastner was essentially the first "boots on the ground" in Slidell and posted daily updates from his brother's home in Denham Springs, Louisiana. Reports included the state of classmates' homes, the homes of their relatives, and the city of Slidell in general.
Residents of Slidell, Louisiana, Ronny and Sheri Kastner are the parents of two beautiful little girls, Brittany and Faith. The Kastner residence received five feet of flood water, destroying over 95% of their personal belongings, including family photos. The lack of available housing in Slidell and the new school year starting forced Agent Kastner to send his family to live for four weeeks with relatives in Dallas. Agent Kastner's family returned when conditions improved in Slidell and he had a rental home waiting for them. The Kastners have finished gutting their home and are starting to rebuild, yet Agent Kastner still finds time to help others through his enthusiastic involvement with our organization.

Ric Poirier, Director
Aldric Poirier, Jr. is a partner in the law firm of Blue Williams, L.L.P. with offices in Metairie and Mandeville, at both ends of Lake Pontchartrain's Causeway Bridge. Mr. Poirier is a member of the Louisiana State, Mississippi State, Federal, Jefferson Parish, and New Orleans Bar Associations and also serves on the Board of Directors of the Federal Bar Association in New Orleans.
Aldric Poirier, Jr. is known to friends(and anyone making a donation to us) as Ric. Residents of Mandeville, Louisiana, Ric and Jennifer Poirier are the proud parents of a brand new baby girl, Madeleine Grace, born just two weeks before Hurricane Katrina. The Poiriers are presently making repairs to their home, including the new baby's room, which was destroyed when a tree crashed completely through it during the storm.

Patrick Mahoney, Director
Patrick Mahoney is the owner of PAR Environmental Corporation specializing in asbestos, lead and mold remediation. PAR Wrecking Corporation provides complete building demolition and select structural demolition. Both companies operate throughout the New York Metropolitan Area. Mr. Mahoney resides on several foundations and has extensive experience with charity fundraising.
Patrick and Kathleen Mahoney and their three beautiful children, Patrick, Aidan and Faith reside in Nyack, New York, just north of New York City. Even from 2,200 miles away Katrina hit close to home when Col. Joe and Marcia Mahoney's home was engulfed in five plus feet of water, JB and Marie Mahoney's home was flooded with three feet of water and Erin and Patrick Berrigan's home in Abita Springs was struck by two 120 ft. pine trees.
Some of you may remember Patrick from the Slidell High School state champion boys golf team in 1984. That was the first and only year that both the Slidell High School boys AND girls golf teams won their state championships simultaneously. Patrick is happy to report that golf is still a part of his life, along with being a husband, father and coach.

Laura Willems Hodgson, Director
Laura Hodgson brings to our organization over 11 years of volunteer management experience and, until moving to Palmdale, California this past June for her husband's job transfer, was a Slidell resident and served as Director of Education and Volunteers at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans.
Mrs. Hodgson's mother still lives in the center of Slidell near Fremaux Ave. Her garage received floodwater but thankfully not her house. The storm surge actually stopped at her neighbor's house. She did have three trees over 80 years old topple, leaving her with two new skylights; but minor damage compared to everyone else. Laura's mother escaped all harm - that's what counts.
Laura and husband Bill already had their hands full with two children, Katarina and William, but are now celebrating the recent arrival of their third child, Amanda, born on November 9, 2005. Now that the baby's here, we've reduced Laura's workload to just 35 hours a week. (Just kidding)

It should be noted that our board members receive no salary, nor compensation for our efforts. While Tony Beard, Ronny Kastner, and Ric Poirier are Slidell High School Class of 1984 graduates who have all sustained property damage from Hurricane Katrina, we are each precluded from receiving any benefits from the Slidell Alumni Hurricane Relief Fund.
Also, Agent Kastner's role with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security should not be construed in any way as an endorsement of our organization by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.