Cody Smith, CMA
Position: President
Cody is currently Accounting Manager for Acadian Companies where he is primarily responsible for the Ambulance division as well as preparing operating statements and proforma statements for acquisition targets. Prior to joining Acadian in 2023, he worked in several accounting roles with increasing responsibilities with Compass Minerals, an essential minerals company, for over 10 years. At the height of his career with Compass Minerals, he was Controller at the Cote Blanche Island Salt Mine in St. Mary Parish.
Prior to joining Compass Minerals, he worked in credit, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and customer service in the manufacturing, utility and finance industries. He is a Certified Management Accountant and is in the process of obtaining his Certification in Strategy and Competitive Analysis. In addition, he volunteers his time with Louisiana Jeepers, a not-for-profit organization as Treasurer. Cody holds a Master's of Science, Accounting and a Bachelors of Science, Business Administration.
Cody is excited about the opportunity to serve on the board of IMA's Louisiana Chapter to help advance the Management Accounting profession through education for young professionals and networking with local professionals through social events and professional development. As a student and young professional, Cody did not like the idea that accounting professionals' development was mostly viewed as public accounting, taxation, and auditing and preferred to focus more on the managerial and cost accounting aspects of the profession. His vision is to bring more awareness of the management accounting profession to young professionals as alternatives to the traditional routes.
Tyler Francis, CMA
Position: VP of Administration and Webmaster
Tyler Francis is the Chief Administrative Officer at Spero Management, where he oversees the back-office operations for a diverse portfolio of healthcare companies. He earned his Certified Management Accountant (CMA) designation in April 2024, demonstrating his expertise in financial planning, analysis, control, and decision support.
Prior to his current role, Tyler served in the United States Marine Corps as a Mandarin Linguist, showcasing his adaptability and dedication to challenging pursuits. His global perspective was further enhanced by his experience teaching English abroad in Cambodia.
Tyler's commitment to the accounting profession extends beyond his day-to-day responsibilities. He is an active member of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Accounting Advisory Board, where he contributes to shaping the future of accounting education.
As the VP of Administration and Webmaster for the IMA Louisiana Chapter, Tyler is excited to leverage his diverse background to support the chapter's mission. He looks forward to fostering connections between professionals, promoting excellence in management accounting, and contributing to the growth of the chapter and its members.
Dr. Andrea Drake
Position: VP of Engagement
Dr. Andrea Drake is the Humana/McCallister Professor of Accounting at Louisiana Tech University. She has published in top accounting journals including The Accounting Review, Behavioral Research in Accounting and Advances in Management Accounting.
She is currently the faculty advisor for the IMA-North Louisiana Student Chapter. As Vice President of Engagement for the Louisiana Chapter, she is looking forward to coordinating engaging and relevant events for IMA members.
Lisa Marie Kent, CMA
Position: Treasurer
"Lisa graduated from The University of Southern Mississippi in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and has been working in the finance and accounting field ever since. She continuously demonstrates her expertise in financial planning, analysis, control, decision support and professional ethics and achieved her Certified Management Accountant (CMA) in 2021. In her current role as Controller at Petro Guardian LLC, Lisa oversees the finance and accounting for 13 companies.
Lisa enjoys giving back to her community which is why she is excited to join the IMA Louisiana Chapter as Treasurer to help support the chapter grow and build connections with like-minded professionals. She was previously on the IMA Conference Committee and is currently the Treasurer of another non-profit organization, Gulf Coast Italian American Cultural Society.
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Tisha White, CMA
Position: Secretary
"Tisha is currently the Director of Finance/Admin/HR for the Louisiana Chemical Association. Prior to this, she was Director of Accounting for the Louisiana Dental Association. Her accounting career began even earlier than that, when she worked on documentation for an accounting module at a software company and discovered that she wanted to learn more about the accounting world. Tisha also serves as Treasurer for You Aren't Alone Project, a non-profit that focuses on changing the conversation around mental health.
Tisha is excited to serve on the IMA Louisiana Chapter to show accounting professionals that there is another career path in the accounting world besides tax and audit. "