Deidre Arceneaux, Louisiana Insurance Guarantee Association (LIGA), a 32-year veteran of the insurance industry was installed as the president of the Bayou Chapter of the CPCU Society. She was installed during a virtual ceremony held Dec. 17.

She succeeded Sara Lieux, Farm Bureau, who will serve as immediate past president.

Other officers installed along with Arceneaux were Nathan Strebeck, Louisiana Department of Insurance, vice president; Paulette Spedale, Summit, secretary, and Katherine LaPorte, Craig D. Gremillion and Associates, treasurer.

Arceneaux began her career in the insurance business after graduating from the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette) with a degree in personnel management.

She got her start in the industry after she attended a job fair at the University of Southwestern Louisiana and the representative from State Farm Insurance Company piqued her interested in a career in insurance. She decided that, since her uncle was a State Farm agent, she would take a job in adjusting claims for State Farm.

Arceneaux worked for State Farm for almost 29-years. She started as an adjuster before eventually working her way up to team manager, and then she joined LIGA as the claims manager. She has been with LIGA for almost three-years.

As president of the Bayou Chapter of the CPCU Society, Arceneaux would like to start having in-person meetings again by the end of her term. Currently the chapter meets virtually the third Thursday of the month.

The Bayou Chapter is scheduled to host its annual charity golf tournament this year on Oct. 20 at the Pelican Point Golf Course in Gonzales. The proceeds from the golf tournament will benefit the Bayou Chapter’s scholarship program. Last year, even though the golf tournament was canceled, the chapter gave eight scholarships to students in the Insurance and Risk Management program at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. “We would like to be able to give scholarships to all of the students that apply,” Arceneaux told the Reporter.

Among the benefits she sees in being a member of CPCU is networking with a wide range of industry people. “This allows members to keep up with what is going on in the industry,” she said. In addition, she told the Reporter that “last year CPCU expanded the education opportunities available to members online.”

Arceneaux believes that the biggest challenge facing the insurance industry in Louisiana and the nation is getting more adjusters and underwriters to work in the industry. “With the mergers and consolidating of offices, where are new entrants into the industry going to work to learn the insurance business?,” she asked.

In addition to the CPCU designation, Arceneaux holds the AIC (Associate in Claims), AIM (Associate in Risk Management) and the CCLS (Casualty Claim Law Specialist) designations.