BATON ROUGE — The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities (LEH) has announced the appointment of four Louisiana residents to its Board of Directors, bringing a range of expertise – from art to education to finance.
“The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities is proud to be represented by a board of directors as diverse as the communities we serve. This is reflected not only in the hometowns of our new board members, but in the unique areas of expertise they bring to the table,” said Miranda Restovic, executive director and president of the LEH. “Last year, the LEH invested more than $14 million in Louisiana communities and reached nearly three million residents. I am confident that our new board members will help us continue that legacy of stewardship.”
The New LHA Board Members
The new Board members are Leigh Anne Chambers, who is a university administrator from Bossier City, Becky Gottsegen, who is an artist from Baton Rouge, Stephanie Halphen, who is a CPA/CFF from Lafayette and Drew Tessier, who is a senior director of public affairs from Baton Rouge:
Leigh Anne Chambers
Leigh Anne Chambers, of Bossier City, serves as the executive director of events and community initiatives at LSU Shreveport, where her primary passion is connecting the community to campus through continuing education, events, and K–12 programming. With more than 15 years of leadership experience in arts and nonprofit administration, she has served in key roles with the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra, Bossier Arts Council, and the North Central Louisiana Arts Council. Her career has focused on building partnerships that bridge education, workforce development, and the arts—expanding access to programs that strengthen the region’s cultural and economic vitality.
Chambers currently serves as president of the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra Board and has led statewide nonprofit initiatives supporting organizational growth and community engagement through her service as past chair of the Louisiana Alliance for Nonprofits.
Becky Gottsegen
Becky Gottsegen, of Baton Rouge, is an artist who often uses her work to bring attention to causes important to her. Since 2022, she has been sculpting portraits of men who have been exonerated in Louisiana. This work has been shown in four venues during the past year. She has also worked for years as the artist chairman for Bust Breast Cancer, an annual fundraiser put on by Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, that raised more than $700,000 this year. She started an art program for developmentally disabled adults at OLS Community Homes and travels monthly to Alexandria to work with the residents.
Gottsegen graduated from the University of New Orleans with a liberal arts degree. She served as a member of the Advisory Board of the LSU Museum of Art from 2019 to 2024 and was a member of the Collections Committee.
Stephanie Halphen
Stephanie Halphen, of Lafayette, has Louisiana roots that run deep. She’s a descendant of Dr. Michel André Halphen, who immigrated to New Orleans from France in the late 1700s. Inspired by his legacy, she’s devoted her life to community service, including leadership roles as board president of a private school and a tennis club and active participation in local fundraisers, mission trips and cultural events such as the Books Along the Teche Literary Festival. She believes strongly in preserving Louisiana’s rich cultural identity through history, arts and tradition.
Halphen will use her experience as a CPA/CFF to support the organization with sound stewardship and strategic decision-making.
Drew Tessier
Drew Tessier, of Baton Rouge is a gubernatorial appointee to the LEH board and is the senior director of public affairs for Union Pacific Railroad, with 19 years of experience. In this role, Tessier implements Union Pacific Railroad’s corporate strategy for public affairs, government relations, legislative advocacy, corporate philanthropy, and crisis and corporate reputation management in Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas and Memphis, Tenn. During his time at Union Pacific Railroad, he has been closely involved with significant public-private partnerships and industrial development in the states of Louisiana and Arkansas.
He graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree in Business Administration and a master’s in public administration. He serves on several business and community boards, including the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, New Orleans World Trade Center, Public Affairs Research Council, Louisiana Arts and Science Museum and Shreveport Regional Arts Council.
New LEH Officer Appointees
Although only four individuals are joining the board as new members, the LEH also announced a separate slate of existing board members who will serve in newly appointed officer roles. They are:
Linda Holyfield, Chair
Linda Holyfield, of Monroe, is the founder and retired president and CEO of Specialty Management Services of Ouachita, a healthcare management and consulting company. She is a member of the Council for a Better Louisiana, the Children’s Coalition, the ULM Foundation Board and the Food Bank of NE Louisiana Board. She has served on the LEH board of directors since 2019.
Kellen Mathews, Vice-Chair
Kellen Mathews, of New Orleans, is a partner at Adams & Reese in Baton Rouge, where he practices in the areas of commercial litigation and administrative law. He is a graduate of Millsaps College and LSU’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center and has served on the LEH board of directors since 2020.
Mark Gremillion, Treasurer
Mark Gremillion, of Lafayette, has an extensive history of civic engagement in his community, including serving on the Lafayette Board of Zoning Appeals, Lafayette Planning Commission, and the Vestry of Ascension Episcopal Church. Gremillion, an alumnus of Louisiana State University, is a seasoned real estate appraiser with a statewide footprint. He has served on the LEH board since 2016.
Marie Moyse Schlesinger, Secretary
Marie Moyse Schlesinger, of Metairie, was educated at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, participated in the World Campus Afloat program and graduated from LSU. She earned her juris doctor from Loyola University. Before practicing Social Security disability law, she worked in the Trust Departments of two local banks. She has served on the LEH board of directors since 2019.
About the LEH Board of Directors
The LEH board is statewide, and members are residents of Louisiana. Members represent the cultural, academic, philanthropic and business communities. Board membership is voluntary, and members typically serve three-year terms with the option to renew twice. Members attend four full board meetings per year, participate with subcommittees to support short- and long-term organizational goal attainment and aid in the cultivation of relationships that support organizational advocacy, fundraising and program/initiative success.
About the LEH
The LEH maintains a singular presence throughout Louisiana as the only private nonprofit dedicated to making an impact in the cultural and education sectors in all Louisiana parishes. Its mission is to partner with communities, institutions and individuals to explore Louisiana’s past, reflect on the present and imagine the future.
The LEH works with federal, state and local governments to improve educational outcomes and preserve the state’s cultural traditions. The organization has established a strong reputation with corporations and foundations and is trusted to deliver responsive, sustainable programs for and with Louisianans, such as the award-winning Prime Time series of programs and 64 Parishes magazine and online encyclopedia.