Meet Our Team

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Paul Leleux

Chief Executive Officer

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 Ragin' Cajun Jambalaya prepared in a very large black pot. He loves being outside and exploring our country’s National Parks with his wife, Lisa.

Paul has 30+ 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.

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Ryan Schemmel

Chief Commercial Officer

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.

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Mollie Humes

Director of Operations

Mollie has two daughters, Ellie and Lucy. They keep busy with numerous pets, the girls sporting events and traveling. 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.

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Leslie Hall

Plant and Quality Control Manager

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.

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.

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Peter Tarka

Controller

Peter is a native of Houston, Texas but currently resides in Broussard, Louisiana with his wife Sarah. He has a passion for food and cooking, and volunteering to cook for any event with family and friends. Away from the office, Peter enjoys traveling, officiating sports, and spending quality time with family and friends.

He most recently worked as a Tax Manager and Corporate Accountant for an International heavy-civil and industrial construction company overseeing their American Subsidiary’s Tax Compliance and Intercompany transactions. Prior to this, Peter worked for Price Waterhouse Cooper and KPMG in their tax practice serving clients in Asset Wealth Management and Wealth Management Tax Services.

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Adriene Williams

Production Supervisor

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.

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Al Nugent

Plant Engineer

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.

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Peyton White

National Sales Manager

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.

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Carson Hall

Warehouse Manager

Carson was born & raised here in South Louisiana. He is currently attending The University of 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. 

Outside of work he likes to go on adventures with his Fiancé and their dog. His favorite hobby is spending time outdoors, more specifically fishing. He has a camp in Grand Isle, LA and that is his go to spot for his free time.

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Kristi Taylor

Accounts Receivable & Accounts Payable

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!

We Love What We Do

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