MEET OUR members
OUR CO - FOUNDERS
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Founder, Interim Executive Director
Glenda Shannon Pollard grew up in mid city Baton Rouge . She graduated from Episcopal High and Mississippi University for Women.
Glenda is married to Jeffrey Pollard whose family has been in the Real Estate and development business since the ‘50s in Baton Rouge. Glenda and Jeffrey own Pollard Partners, LLC which sells beautiful homes in Baton Rouge and surrounding parishes. Glenda is a member of The Baton Rouge Jr League and First Presbyterian Church.
“I saw the litter explosion in Baton Rouge over the past 2 years and had to do something. I started organizing friends and family to help clean up our city. Clean Pelican was organized to do just that so our children can return home to their nest after college and are proud of their city.”
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Founder + Board Member
Johanna attended LSU and earned her law degree from LSU. She has been an active community volunteer and has practiced law in Baton Rouge for almost 30 years. Johanna is currently a law partner in the law firm of Landreneau & Associates.
“As a Baton Rouge native, mother and small business owner, I believe that creating a beautiful, clean community is a way to love each citizen of our state by making our state a more welcoming and safe place to raise our families and grow our businesses. I feel that being a part of Clean Pelican is a way that I can show love for my neighbor.”
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Board MemberMatt was born and raised in Baton Rouge, received a Bachelors Degree in Marketing at LSU and a Masters of Science in Global Business from Pepperdine University. Now, he runs a tech startup in downtown Baton Rouge, Kinesics, building technologies for human movement.
“As a small business owner and native to Baton Rouge, I want to see the best version of our city - one that attracts high class talent and provides a safe and beautiful place to work and live.”
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Board MemberA Louisiana native, Paul was born in New Orleans then spent time working in the oilfields of South Louisiana, living in Lafayette and graduating from then-USL. Calling Baton Rouge home since 1988, he now develops and manages commercial real estate.
“I travel the state extensively on business and pleasure and appreciate the rich artistic and cultural heritage and natural beauty of Louisiana. Picking up litter is one of the easiest ways for me to show my love for our state and my fellow citizens. I am encouraged by the recent initiatives at all levels to address the litter problem. If you see someone picking up litter and can’t stop and help them for a little while, at least give them a honk and a wave!”
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Secretary/TreasurerSara Downing is a Louisiana native who earned her B.S. in accounting from Louisiana State University in 1990. She has worked with TWRU since graduation and became a partner in July 2002. An active volunteer in the Baton Rouge community, Sara is a member of the Rotary Club and First United Methodist Church. Sara assists with fundraising for both Boys Hope Girls Hope and American Cancer Services. She is a past president of the Junior League of Baton Rouge and the Baton Rouge Little Theater Board of Governors. She was a La Society of CPA’s Public Service Award Nominee and is a graduate of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber’s “Leadership Baton Rouge” program. In 2005, Sara was honored as one of Baton Rouge Business Report’s “Top 40 Under 40.” In her leisure time, she enjoys fishing,
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Board MemberA Louisiana native, Julie was raised in Shreveport but has lived in the Baton Rouge area since earning her law degree from LSU. Following law practice, she served in various leadership positions chairing special events primarily with the Junior League of Baton Rouge. An Episcopal School parent for eighteen years, Julie served as Parent’s Guild Co-President during the school’s fiftieth anniversary year. She also volunteers with the Baton Rouge Bar Association working in various pro bono projects providing legal aid to those in need. A breast cancer survivor, she recently participated in the “Bust Breast Cancer” event, which raises funds for Woman’s Hospital’s outreach programs. A proud Mom of three adult children, she wants Louisiana to be the best place for young people to return and call home.
“I am an outdoor enthusiast and very passionate about our duty to be good stewards of God’s beautiful creation, our earth. The litter problem in our amazing state must stop! I was drawn to Clean Pelican as a vehicle in which I can contribute and make a difference in this problem and also educate our youth, who are the future leaders of our ‘Sportsman’s Paradise’.”
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Board MemberBrian Francis is the Vice President of Rates & Regulatory Affairs for the Louisiana Division of Atmos Energy. With a background in finance, Brian has held various financial and leadership roles over the last 25 years within investment management, global manufacturing, and utility industries.
From his days growing up on the family farm, to being a member of the environmental club in college, to actively improving the communities he has lived in, Brian has been passionate about litter prevention.
Brian and his wife, Amy, live in Baton Rouge with their golden retriever, Fonzie. Brian enjoys playing guitar, as well as running with the Varsity Sports running group. Brian has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Eureka College and an MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. He is also a Certified Public Accountant.
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Board MemberDeane is a Baton Rouge native who earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Louisiana State University and her Law degree from Loyola University. In addition to practicing law, her prior work experience also includes, serving as the Executive Director of the Louisiana Manufactured Housing Commission, a state licensing and regulatory agency then housed in the Governor’s office. Deane has served in many varied leadership positions within the Junior League of Baton Rouge, as well as within her church community. She also served as the 2015-2016 Parent's Guild Co-President of the Episcopal School of Baton Rouge where her children attended school.
“One of the local issues that I feel most passionate about is the dire need to create a cleaner and more beautiful Capitol City that all our citizens can enjoy, and this passion has attracted me to Clean Pelican who shares this vision for creating a cleaner and more beautiful city.”
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Board MemberTodd leads the group at GAUDIN LAW GROUP, INC. (GLG), a boutique firm focusing on family and property-related projects. October 2024 will mark Todd’s 28th year of serving clients in the areas of adoption and estates. Over these years, he’s lectured at dozens of classes for attorneys and the public in the areas of adoptions, legal custody of children and adults, testaments, and estate succession and administration.
Important professional values for him: attorneys should speak to clients using words clients can easily understand, and; we must constantly pursue the threefundamental attorney “callings”– to be peacemakers, warriors, and guides.
Important moral values for him: be courageous, trustworthy, and generous.
He manages a staff of five, and when not at his office, he is active in local non-profits (e.g., BATON ROUGE BAR ASSOC., GRANDPARENTS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN, CLEAN PELICAN, and KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS), or enjoying festivals, musical and artistic events, time with his animals, which included honeybees. He lives in Baton Rouge, his wife’s name is Hope, and they are the parents of four children.
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Board MemberShane was born and raised in Baton Rouge before moving out of state for almost ten years. After starting their family, Shane and his wife knew it was time to move back to Baton Rouge. The unique mix of people, architecture, and businesses that make Baton Rouge are home. Shane is owner of design company Shane Griffin Designs and interior retail shop MARCH. Shane has served on various community and church boards.
“I chose to live and raise a family in Baton Rouge because of its culture, its beauty, and the community that makes it so unique. I think the cleanliness of a city is a direct representation of its citizens. There is no denying that our great city has a litter problem. Being a part of Clean Pelican is a way that I can make an impact by simply cleaning up our community and making Baton Rouge a beautiful place to call home.”
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Chair, Board of DirectorsI am an entrepreneur at heart. To this day, I continue to own and operate my own business. Over the last several years, I have found joy in helping other businesses as an employee and consultant find their branding identity through public relations, business development and community outreach.
“I am a member of Clean Pelican, because I absolutely love Baton Rouge, but I am tired of making excuses for our city having a litter problem. This is the one thing that I know I can do for Baton Rouge that will make an impact today.”
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Board MemberSecretary and Social Media Director
A Baton Rouge native and LSU alum, Caila has spent many years in economic development, leading projects and research to enhance the livability of Greater Baton Rouge. With a background in policy, litter abatement, beautification, and placemaking, Caila is deeply committed to community engagement. Place and service oriented, she is an alum of the AmeriCorps VISTA program and has participated in leadership programs such as Forum 225’s Barton Leadership, LANO’s Community Leaders, and was a 2023 graduate of the America Walks Louisiana State Walkability program. Caila has also served on former Governor John Bel Edwards' Statewide Litter Abatement and Beautification Task Force and the Brighten Up Baton Rouge Task Force. Recently, she was accepted into the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana’s Coastal Leadership Institute, a program that focuses on empowering citizens for effective advocacy in coastal restoration. She resides in the vibrant Mid City of Baton Rouge with her wife, Jessie, and their rescue lab, Pimento.
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Board MemberWill was born in and grew up in Vicksburg, MS before moving to Baton Rouge to attend LSU where he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering. He is the Sr. Business Development Lead for SWCA Environmental Consultants.
“Louisiana and our Nation are dealing with so many complex environmental issues that Clean Pelican’s simple and straight forward vision and mission really resonated with me. Being able to simply engage with my neighbor about picking up litter and a clean environment to ultimately create a clean land and clear water is an easy way for me to make a big impact with my time and in the community I live in. A no-brainer!”
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Board MemberJason is the Vice President of Business and Network Development at Baton Rouge General Hospital. He most recently served as Exec. Director of Access and Business Development at FMOL/OLOL. As a former college baseball player and worldwide missionary, he brings a spirit of teamwork and compassion to everything he does.
“Over the past 15 years, my family and I have enjoyed the culture and character of Baton Rouge. I was immediately drawn to Clean Pelican because taking care of the city I call home is something I’m proud to invest in and promote. It’s fun to connect with amazing people who share the goal of creating a more beautiful space to work, live, and play. You’ll not only see the difference; you’ll feel it!”
