By David Vitrano

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – Ironically, due at least in part to the presence of Hurricane Alex in the Gulf of Mexico, the final class held at LSU’s mobile classroom — called “How Long Can You Tread Water” — was sparsely attended.

According to Daniel Vloskey, mobile classroom and training coordinator with LSU’s E.J. Ourso College of Business, session attendance usually drops after lunch. Couple that with persistent downpours, and it drops even further.

“The first day was packed,” said Vloskey.

Those who did fight their way through the bad weather, however, were treated to a workshop dealing with an often-overlooked area of business management, disaster preparation.

Throughout the course of the hour-and-a-half session, Jerre Madere of the Louisiana Small Business Development Center impressed upon attendees the importance of having a plan to sustain a small business in the event of a disaster. And although the timing seemed perfect with a storm already churning, Madere pointed out that a disaster may strike at any time.

Her entertaining and thorough talk addressed a variety of situations, including that other disaster currently unfolding off the coast of Louisiana. She also stressed the importance of having a plan not only for the event itself but for the aftermath of a disaster as well.

One attendee, Chris Howard of Total Supply in Reserve, said he attended several of the sessions and found them very informative, especially those led by Madere.

Two others, Lisa Carey and Kerry Parker of Homeless Outreach Ministries, concurred.

“They’re very enlightening, very informative,” said Carey.

She explained she and Parker had attended all the sessions offered.

“We’re trying to get some marketing ideas,” Carey said.

That final session at the mobile classroom varied somewhat from the others, which focused on such matters as networking and marketing. Generally, all the sessions were aimed at small businesses.

The mobile classroom was brought to LaPlace through the efforts of the River Region Chamber of Commerce. Vloskey said the last time the classroom-on-wheels made an appearance in LaPlace was back in 2006.

“We’re looking to go to other cities in the River Region in the future,” said Vloskey.