Julie Simon-Dronet, Market Vice President of the Acadiana operation of Cox’s Southeast Region, will deliver the keynote address to graduates during South Louisiana Community College’s Fall 2018 graduation.
Graduation will be held Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018, in the Cajundome Convention Center starting at 6 p.m. More than 800 students are candidates for graduation. This year’s ceremony also includes graduates of the college’s Adult Education program.
The Acadiana footprint for Cox Communications spans approximately 100 miles with Lafayette as the main location and additional Field and Retail operations in Abbeville, New Iberia and Patterson. In her role at Cox, Simon-Dronet is responsible for providing leadership and focus while leading the workforce, overseeing business operations, and providing community engagement for the Cox organization.
She served as the 2014 Chairman of the Board of the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce which transformed from a local Chamber into a nine-parish regional organization named One Acadiana.
In addition to the Chamber, Simon-Dronet has held leadership roles in several community organizations such as United Way of Acadiana, Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center’s Foundation, Leadership Lafayette, St. Thomas More Catholic High School Board, and the Lafayette Education Foundation. She was recently appointed to the Board of the University of Louisiana Alumni Association and the Hospital Board of Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center.
Prior to joining Cox, Simon-Dronet spent 17 years at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette as the Director of Communications and Marketing where she served in a key strategic role. Her professional background also includes serving as Marketing Director of a psychiatric hospital and as a Copywriter in a local advertising firm.
Simon-Dronet is a lifetime member of the Alumni Association at the University of Louisiana in Lafayette and a graduate of Leadership Lafayette IV and of the 2011 Class of Leadership Louisiana.
She is a life-long resident of Acadiana and holds a B.A. in English/Journalism with a Public Relations Minor. She and her husband, Keith, reside in Lafayette. They have two adult daughters, Sara Dronet Young and Natalie Dronet Weaver.
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