June 19, 2008

McNeese State athletic director Tommy McClelland was recently honored as one of the ten 2008 The Times/Fusion Five Up and Coming under 40 business leaders in Southwest Louisiana.

A banquet honoring the 10 was held at the Isle of Capri with newly appointed Secretary of Labor Tim Barfield, Jr. as the guest speaker.

McClelland is beginning his second year as athletic director at McNeese and during that time he's helped launch a new look for the university's athletic program.

He was instrumental in the turfing of Cowboy Stadium, formulated a two week excursion taking McNeese athletics to surrounding cities and communities which is now in its second year, put together a "Partner with the Pokes" program and initiated a drive to sell 8,000 season tickets in football for 2008.

Plans are in the works for the construction of a new $8 million field house beginning as early as next spring while women's softball and soccer programs moved into a new women's field house just this past week.

A graduate of Northwestern State and a native of Basile, McClelland was a football and track letterman at the university. He served the university as a graduate assistant while obtaining his master degree and he was employed by the Southland Conference, assisting with championship events and securing corporate sponsorships.

Prior to his appointment as athletic director at McNeese, McClelland served as the university's coordinator of athletic events, sales and marketing.

Also honored as one of the top 10 by The Times were Raymond Caesar, the owner of RayGyms in Lake Charles, Susan Davis Mestayer, the executive director for Rebuilding Together-Calcasieu, Avon Knowlton, the executive vice president of the Greater Beauregard Chamber of Commerce, Josh Rogers, the general manager of O'Charley's Restaurant, Wendy White McGown, owner of Signatures Salon, Troy Trahan, president of Trahan Construction, Tracie Doescher, executive assistant in the Office of Economic Development for Jeff Davis Parish, David Sickey, vice-chairman of the Coushatta Tribe, and Tommeka Semien, the executive director of the Literacy Council of Southwest Louisiana.