Tag: Benny Cenac Towing

Benny Cenac Towing Co. Sponsors TFAE Run

This article is also featured on cenac.com

The Benny Cenac Towing Company, Cenac Marine Services, was proud to provide a stage sponsorship for the Terrebonne Foundation for Academic Excellence (TFAE) 5k Run for Excellence and Food Fest on Saturday, May 12. As stated in the Houma Times, by executive director, Katie Potier, “This popular race travels through historic downtown Houma, ending at the Houma Courthouse Square where you can then enjoy the best after party in town. With more than 1000 race participants and more than 3000 attendees, the TFAE Run for Excellence is one of the largest 5K and after parties in town. One thing that makes it unique is that once you pay your admission fee (or race fee) you don’t take out another penny while here. It’s all-you-can-eat-and all –you-can-drink and I think people appreciate that it is all inclusive.”

Terrebonne Foundation for Academic Excellence (TFAE) began in 1991 as local leaders recognized the need to provide additional support to Terrebonne Parish public schools. TFAE, an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was created to assist in fundamentally improving education for our local students. They believe that our future is in the hands of our children. Their purpose is threefold: to create a partnership of responsibility between educators, business, community organizations and parents; to stimulate the learning of our children so that they may become responsible citizens capable of competing in the global economy and; to provide educators with resources that encourage creativity in the classroom.

Since the inception, TFAE has awarded more than $1,000,000 grant dollars to Terrebonne Parish public school teachers. In 2012, TFAE expanded their efforts in promoting education and literacy in the Terrebonne community by implementing the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. This program provides one age-appropriate book per month to Terrebonne Parish children until their fifth birthday and is free to all participants.

TFAE continues to support education through grants, the Imagination Library, Lending Libraries, as well as recognizing and honoring Distinguished Scholars and Inspirational Educators at their annual TFAE Celebrates Excellence event.

As an avid supporter and advocate for education, the Benny Cenac Towing Company has been a longtime supporter of TFAE and was thrilled to partner alongside other main sponsors for this event.  Other sponsors included TGMC Community Sports Institute, The Times, and Blue Cross Blue Shield- especially when it came to supporting such a noble cause. The Run for Excellence is the primary fundraiser for TFAE. The funds are used to help local educators fund their programs through grants. TFAE has become a valuable source for Terrebonne’s public schools– funding various projects including classrooms with Google Chromebooks.

There are several ways to get involved and to support the Terrebonne Foundation for Academic Excellence. Be on the lookout throughout the year for ways to help this phenomenal group including next year’s 5k run and food fest slated for May 11, 2019. Benny Cenac Towing is always on the lookout to be a part of these great community events that are also for a wonderful, charitable cause and they continue to be involved in or donate resources towards local education efforts.

For more information, or to make a donation, please visit the Terrebonne Foundation for Academic Excellence website.

 

 

 

Benny Cenac Towing Co. Sponsors Conservation Awards

On March 17, 2018, The Houma based Benny Cenac Towing Company, partnered with the 54th Governor’s State Conservation Achievement Awards Program banquet as a sponsor for the remarkable occasion. The ceremony was held at Boudreaux’s in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. “The banquet was held to recognize and celebrate three individuals and three organizations for their outstanding achievement in natural resource and conservation and education in 2017,” according to the Louisiana Wildlife Federation, who hosted the event.

The 2017 recipients celebrated at the conservation awards ceremony included individuals, Bren Haase who received the Governor’s Award, Conservationist of the Year, Edward Jame Bodker who received Volunteer Conservationist of the Year, and Nova Clarke who received Conservation Educator of the Year. The organizations that received awards were the Red River National Wildlife Youth Conservation Corps that received the Youth Conservationists of the Year award, the Louisiana Public Square “Coastal Restoration: The Next Wave” produced by LPB awarded the Conservation Communicator of the Year, and South Wings which received Conservation Organization of the Year. The awards themselves, handsome statuettes of majestic wild animals, are unique to the program and highly coveted by all who receive them.

The Louisiana Wildlife Federation was incorporated in 1940 and was part of a movement that focused on conservation throughout the United States.  An early focus of statewide conservation advocacy groups was removing politics from fish and wildlife management decisions.  The popular concept to achieve this was to create a bipartisan citizens commission to set policy and oversee the operation of the state fish and wildlife agency. This idea was vigorously promoted by the Wildlife Management Institute and was one of the first objectives of the Federation, achieved in 1952 with the establishment of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC).  Today, the organization continues to work on initiating the protection and preservation of our state’s natural resources.

According to Terry L. Melancon, LWF president, “For over 40 years the federation’s annual conservation awards program has recognized those individuals, organizations, and businesses who have gone ‘above and beyond’ in their efforts to conserve fish and wildlife resources, to enhance opportunities for all of our citizens to enjoy the outdoors, to improve the quality of the environment, and to educate and advocate on behalf of our natural resources here in Louisiana.  Thanks to the participation of hundreds of Louisiana citizens who have, over the years, encouraged good conservation work by submitting nominations to the program, these awards are widely acclaimed as the most prestigious recognitions of conservation accomplishment that are presented annually in our state.”

Mr. Arlen “Benny” Cenac, CEO and owner of Cenac Marine Services, is well known as an avid outdoorsman in addition to his passion and interest in coastal restoration and conservation. He has event developed his own levee system on his personal ranch in order to preserve the land he loves. The Benny Cenac Towing Family has also contributed to coastal levee maintenance and restoration in the past. When asked about the Louisiana Wildlife Federation and his support of it, he stated that sponsoring this event wasn’t even a question. “The conservation and education of Louisiana wildlife and coastal restoration are two things that have always been significant to me. To be a part of celebrating the people who cherish the importance of these things just as much as I do is a dream come true.”

Thank you to all of those who were able to attend the event and congratulations to the very significant men and women who have conquered these achievements. We look forward to celebrating and supporting this award program in the years to come.

To learn more about Mr. Cenac’s philanthropic efforts and the causes he supports, please visit the philanthropy section of our site.

 

Benny Cenac Towing Co. Reflects on 2017

As 2017 comes to a close and 2018 begins, the Benny Cenac Towing Company has taken some time to look back on the phenomenal year they’ve had. Benny Cenac and his towing company, had an outstanding year in 2017 and it’s something they are very proud of.  The team was very fortunate to be a part of so many momentous events in the Houma area.  In this moment of reflection, they see what they have been able to accomplish, and set their eyes on what is to come.

Community

One of the guiding principles that make up a large part of the Benny Cenac Towing Company culture is service. Not only does the team value service for its customers and partners, but they equally value service in the company’s South Louisiana community.  Two of their greatest community achievements in 2017 that both Cenac and his team were remarkably proud to be a part of were the donation of a barge to the South Central Louisiana Technical College and their participation in the Houma Downtown Christmas Festival.

The barge donation was finalized and christened in November 2017. The dedicated barge, which measures 158 feet by 40 feet, is an exact replica of a standard Cenac Marine Services tank barge with all the bells and whistles. Mr. Benny Cenac, CEO of Cenac Marine Services, expressed his gratitude and excitement in being able to donate this important piece of equipment to the college during the christening of the barge. He explained his hopes for the future of his Houma and South Louisiana community that will be directly affected by this gift as it will provide elite training and mold qualified personnel to be future industry front-runners. The Benny Cenac Towing company is very much looking forward to a building and maintaining a strong relationship with those at South Louisiana Community College as they watch the outcome of the barge donation grow over years to come.

Cenac Marine Services was privileged to participate in the Downtown Houma Christmas Festival for the 2nd year in a row. Being able to contribute to the addition of the Christmas Festival was something they were looking forward to all year. It is vital for the area to have family friendly events that can become a part of yearly holiday traditions. The Cenac family had a great time participating in the events, both through volunteer setup and attending the festival and parade. They are once again looking forward to continuing to support and participate in this event year after year.

Education

Benny Cenac and the Benny Cenac Towing team have been dedicated to the success of the company and their hard work is always marked. Cenac Marine Services and Benny Cenac, have always been dedicated in their endeavor to providing the absolute best for children and young adults when it comes to education. For that reason, Cenac is especially proud of the part they could play in assisting the local educational community in 2017.

First, Mr. Arlen B. Cenac made several donations to the Stella Learning Center including two laptops for classrooms in order for them to use a Promethean Board. The Promethean Board is a specific brand of interactive whiteboard that allows one to project an image from a laptop or a computer, as well as, interact with the board through touch or specialized pens. This allows the students to access interactive learning. There were also two, $2,500.00 scholarships for children with disabilities to help defray cost of tuition, as well as a donated Terrebonne Parish Act 3 Curriculum which brings their curriculum up to date for that age group. And finally, Cenac contributed funds for new playground equipment and mulch.

Another memorable partnership Benny Cenac made in 2017 was with Edward Douglas White Catholic High School when he fast tracked a notable donation to the school so that they could begin construction on a new and improved facility. “Mr. Benny’s donation will provide a solid foundation in order for the program to meet its goal to open this updated and newly renovated facility,” stated President, Tim Robichaux.

Mr. Cenac also teamed up with Vandebilt Catholic High for the Sacred Heart Scholarship Fund. The 2017-2018 school year was the first of many years for the Arlen “Benny” Cenac, Jr. Sacred Heart Scholarship Fund. The scholarship was and will continue to be dedicated towards tuition assistance of children from families in financial need. The awards will range from $1,000 to the total cost of tuition per year and may extend multiple years while a student is enrolled at Vandebilt Catholic High. The criteria for being eligible for this grant will be based on need, desire, recommendation and selection.

Mr. Cenac stated, “The influence of a great education is something that cannot be replaced. I want to make sure I am doing my part in helping these young adults achieve greatness along with building strong core values of integrity and excellence.”

As always, all of the success at Cenac Marine is credited to the wonderfully dedicated team. The entire team is eternally grateful for each and every one of them and are looking forward to what 2018 will bring for the Cenac Team.

For more on Houma Philanthropist, Benny Cenac’s support for education, click here.

 

Benny Cenac Towing Co Donates Barge to LA Community College

Tuesday, November 14, 2017 was a beautiful day in South Louisiana for The Benny Cenac Towing Company  and a local community college.  The organizations dedicated a fully refurbished barge for their workforce training program. The South Louisiana Community College staff, Cenac Marine Services, and some key public dignitaries participated in the event.  This article talks about the unique celebration that took place  for the workforce training program.

The Benny Cenac Towing Company, Cenac Marine Services, has held many vessel dedications over the years. However, this event was unlike any other.  This time, they were honored to have donated the fully refurbished barge to South Louisiana Community College’s Workforce Development Training program in a ceremony held at the Cenac headquarters.

Jermaine Ford, SLCC’s associate vice president for economic and workforce development said in a prepared statement, “When partners like Cenac Marine Services make an equipment donation like this reconditioned barge, they are directly contributing to a well-qualified workforce in our region. This barge will be a classroom for our students and is a learning environment that is second-to-none in providing real-world experience. Our students will be better prepared to tackle jobs in the oil and gas industry because of this partnership and this donation.”

The very first open enrollment class began in August 2018. Depending on the size of the class, hands-on barge training can last approximately eight hours. The goal of the South Louisiana Community College and their Maritime training program is to offer the class every two weeks, dependent on instructor availability. The school is currently utilizing two Cenac Marine Boat Captains as tankerman instructors during their off time.  The Cenac Towing instructors have been certified through the state of Louisiana to teach the course. It takes a total of 32 hours to complete the course. After completion of the course, the students are then required to complete basic firefighting training before they can obtain a tankerman certification.

“Terrebonne Parish is and always will be near and dear to our hearts here at Cenac as our birthplace,” Benny Cenac said in a prepared statement. “This company will always invest in continuing to produce the best marine personnel in the business. This also assists in making training more readily available to the area. We are all for supporting maritime education, especially so close to home.”

The barge, which replicates a standard Cenac Marine Services tank barge is currently located in Munson Slip in Houma, LA. The SLCC tankerman training is being held at the location. People interested in taking the class can register on site at the school’s Maritime and Corporate Training Center located at 331 Dickson Road in Houma, LA. Captain Carl Moore, Assistant Dean of Marine Operations said, “The barge donated by Mr. Cenac and Cenac Marine services has been a game changer.  We’re excited to be able to offer hands on, real life experience while under the supervision of an instructor. This will help everyone in a way we just haven’t been able to in the past.”

To learn more about South Louisiana Community College and its Maritime training offerings, please visit, http://www.solacc.edu. More information on this inaugural class was featured on Workboat’s website and on our blog as well. To read about the barge dedication that took place in 2017 please see this article.