Meet Our Team

Paul is a native of south Louisiana who learned an appreciation for good cooking at an early age. He loves nothing more than preparing a large meal for his three children—Zachary and twins Hallye and Greer, their cousins and friends. His specialty is jambalaya prepared in a very large black pot. He loves being outside and exploring our country’s National Parks.

Paul has 30 plus years of management experience in a variety of senior operational and financial roles in various industries. He most recently owned a company that specialized in the automation of the procurement cycle for its customers. Previously, he was part of the senior management team of a specialized food manufacturer and a national construction company. Early in his career, Paul worked for Arthur Andersen & Co. and PepsiCo.

Paul has a BS in Accounting from Louisiana State University and holds a CPA license.

Ryan, his wife Marta, and son Jack, live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. They enjoy family, food, sports, fun and outdoors, while staying busy with work and school.

Ryan has 20 years of experience in Marketing, Sales & Ecommerce building and growing Consumer Packaged Goods Brands at Black & Decker, RB (Reckitt Benckiser) and Community Coffee.

Ryan holds a BSBA - Marketing, Summa Cum Laude from the University of Southern Mississippi, 2002.

Mollie lives in the country with her daughters, Ellie and Lucy, and husband John. They keep busy on the farm with many animals, the girls sporting events and visiting Taylor, their third daughter, in Missouri. Mollie grew up in the Sonoran Desert but was always drawn to return home to the Southern food, fishing and family. 

She has been with Acadian Kitchens since 2013 and has served in a variety of roles working her way up to her present position.

Mollie has her Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Arizona and a Master’s in Higher Education Administration from Southeast Missouri State University.

Leslie is a native of South Louisiana. She, her husband Jerry and children Carson and Mya lead a very active life including sports and traveling with Puerto Rico being her favorite destination.

She has 20 plus years of food manufacturing experience with McIlhenny Company, including research and development, quality, chemistry, sensory analysis, food science and auditing. She developed new products as well as conducted flavor and tasting training. Leslie audited international and domestic suppliers for conformance with FDA guidelines.

Leslie is a member of the Institute of Food Technologists, the Research Chefs Association and the Society of Sensory Professionals. She has a Master of Science in Food Science from Kansas State University and a Bachelor of Science in Toxicology with a Minor in Chemistry from the University of Louisiana Monroe. Leslie is an SQF Lead Auditor and HACCP certified.

Adriene is our longest tenured team member (over 10 years now) & is a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She lives in Scott, Louisiana with her family.

Adriene enjoys working, spending time with her family & taking care of her new grandkids.  Several of Adriene’s family members also work here at Acadian Kitchens. We rely on Adriene for “everything around here!”. She manages the production floor & team members on a daily basis to ensure our tasty Ragin’ Cajun & Cajun’s Choice products get produced on time & to the quality our customers know & expect.

Al Nugent lives in Scott, Louisiana & is a native of Rayne, Louisiana. Al enjoys hunting, fishing, camping & traveling.

Al is our Plant Engineer at Acadian Kitchens & has almost 30 years experience in plant maintenance & equipment design with authentic Louisiana & Cajun / Creole food production. We rely on Al to keep the equipment & plant running smoothly on a daily basis so you can enjoy Ragin’ Cajun & Cajun’s Choice products everyday.

Peyton is a native of New Iberia, Louisiana, but currently resides in Lafayette.

He enjoys traveling, spending time with his dog, cooking, being outdoors, watching sports, and hanging out with friends & family. Peyton holds a BSBA-Management from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, 2021.

Carson was born & raised here in South Louisiana. He is currently attending The University or Louisiana at Lafayette where he is studying business administration. He has worked through many positions in the company such as blending, warehouse, sales, and shipping & receiving.

When he is not at work, he enjoys the outdoors more specifically fishing, it is his favorite hobby. He also spends a lot of time traveling & hanging out at his camp in Grand Isle, LA.

We were excited to welcome Chris Ramirez to the team in June 2024! Chris & his family reside in San Antonio, Texas where they recently moved after living for a while in New Orleans, Louisiana. Chris has an extensive background in Sales & Business Development in Food & Consumer Packaged Goods. 

Chris is focused on growing our business and distribution with both new & existing customers in both Retail & Foodservice. Reach out to Chris or the rest of our sales team for opportunities to grow with Ragin’ Cajun & Cajun’s Choice. Welcome Chris!!

Kristi was born and raised in Lafayette, LA & currently resides in Youngsville with her husband, Michael and 2 daughters, Murphy and Marley. Kristi loves traveling, playing any outdoor sport or activity, hanging with friends and playing beach volleyball weekly with her husband. They are always on the go with both girls playing 5 or more sports during the school year and coaching a few sports at their school.  Kristi graduated from University of Louisiana Lafayette & previously worked for Bruce Foods (Louisiana Hot Sauce). Kristi is thrilled to be working in the growing & exciting Cajun Food industry again!