If you travel around Louisiana, you see enormous differences from north to south. And even more from east to west. It’s always been this way, to some extent. But the differences have arguably never been as extreme as they are now.

Here in Lafayette, and in Acadiana in general, we’re going through some pretty major changes as we adjust to the new reality of the oil business. Meanwhile, just an hour’s drive away, around Lake Charles, there is an enormous boom. So enormous that it’s by some measures the biggest growth region in the country.

On this edition of Out to Lunch, Andrea Moreau sits in for Peter Ricchiuti and takes a look at what exactly is going on at either end of that one hour drive between Lafayette and Lake Charles with Chad Thielen and Debbioe Springer. Chad has his finger on the pulse in Lake Charles, and Debbie is on the front line in Lafayette.

Debbie has been in the energy business for 37 years and is founder and President of Lafayette based Audubon Energy. Debbie started out in the oil business as a very rare breed – a female Landman. After conquering the good old boy network, Debbie was President of another energy company before founding Audubon Energy in 2012.

It would take too long to list everything Chad Thielen can get accomplished in a day, but here’s the short list. Chad is President of Lake Charles based land management company, Lacassane Company.  He is president of the Morganfield and Belle Savanne developments, which he’s developing with the folks who developed River Ranch in Lafayette. And if that’s not enough, Chad also manages a handful of oil and gas exploration companies. And there’s more, but again, that’s the short list. 

Photos at Cafe Vermilionville by Gwen Aucoin.