Board of Directors
Carmen Sims is the owner of Boardwalk Consultants and currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer of Richardson Medical Center in Rayville, Louisiana. A south Louisiana native, Ms. Sims has proudly made Franklin Parish her home for more than 40 years. She is a 1992 honor graduate of Northeast Louisiana University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a 2020 graduate of Louisiana State University Shreveport with a Master of Business Administration.
Before establishing her consulting firm, Ms. Sims owned and managed home health and hospice agencies for over two decades. She serves on the Board of Directors of Franklin State Bank and actively participates on the boards of several local non-profit foundations. Ms. Sims is a strong advocate for advancing rural communities and promoting sustained community development.
Carmen Sims President
Heather Carroll is a co-owner of JEH Carroll Investments as well as of a row crop farm in Gilbert, Louisiana. Ms. Carroll graduated with honors from ULM in 1997 with a B.S. degree in AgBusiness. She went on to study at LSU, earning a M.S. in Horticulture. A strong community advocate, Ms. Carroll sits on several boards and has pushed for economic growth in Franklin Parish.
Heather Carroll Vice President
Mr. Free is a Licensed Civil Engineer and Construction QC/QA specialist. He developed his in-depth understanding of how to optimize quality and project delivery throughout his 33-year career delivering roadway and bridge construction and contract administration with LA DOTD. Mr. Free previously served as LA DOTD District 58 Administrator where he led an over 200-person multidisciplinary staff of senior engineers, technicians and administrative personnel ensuring quality delivery. He directed all of Chase District operations including construction, maintenance, engineering, traffic services, business, ferry operations, roads, bridges and other LA DOTD facilities throughout the district’s six parishes. He was responsible for staffing construction projects, maintenance, operations including movable bridges and miscellaneous incidents 24/7 for the entire District. Mr. Free also served in the capacity of Project Engineer, District Construction Engineer, Area Engineer, and Operations Engineer.
Ken Free
Heather Carroll is a co-owner of JEH Carroll Investments as well as of a row crop farm in Gilbert, Louisiana. Ms. Carroll graduated with honors from ULM in 1997 with a B.S. degree in AgBusiness. She went on to study at LSU, earning a M.S. in Horticulture. A strong community advocate, Ms. Carroll sits on several boards and has pushed for economic growth in Franklin Parish.
Sandra Robinson Secretary/Treasurer
Howard Dee is the President and CEO of WSB. He previously served as Senior Vice President and Chief Lending Officer of WSB. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Northeast Louisiana University (University of Louisiana Monroe) and is a graduate of the LSU Ag Center Leadership Program and the LSU School of Banking. Howard Dee is a part-time cattle farmer & real estate investor who serves as an Advisory Board Member of the Winnsboro Salvation Army, an Advisory Board member of the LSU Ag Center NE District, and is the pianist for First United Pentecostal Church in Winnsboro, Louisiana, and is married to Tara Rollins Smith.
Howard Dee Smith
Heather Carroll is a co-owner of JEH Carroll Investments as well as of a row crop farm in Gilbert, Louisiana. Ms. Carroll graduated with honors from ULM in 1997 with a B.S. degree in AgBusiness. She went on to study at LSU, earning a M.S. in Horticulture. A strong community advocate, Ms. Carroll sits on several boards and has pushed for economic growth in Franklin Parish.
Brad Chapman
Blake Kramer is the current administrator of Franklin Medical Center in Winnsboro, LA. A Winnsboro native, Mr. Kramer graduated with honors from the University of Notre Dame in 2000 with degrees in economics and philosophy. He went on to study at LSU’s Paul Hebert Law Center, earning his Juris Doctor and BCL in 2003. As an associate with the law firm of Hammonds and Sills, Mr. Kramer represented primarily school boards and other public bodies. In 2006, he was hired by Franklin Medical Center as in-house legal counsel, later assuming the roles of compliance officer and risk manager. He was promoted to the position of hospital administrator in January of 2010. He became a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives in 2019.
Blake Kramer
Samantha Sheppard Executive Director
Samantha “Sam” Sheppard is passionate about building strong communities and driving growth. She serves as the Executive Director of the Industrial Development Board of Franklin Parish, where she focuses on economic development, business recruitment, and retention. She’s also the director of Winnsboro Main Street Inc., working to revitalize and preserve the historic downtown of Winnsboro.
A proud graduate of Louisiana Tech University with a degree in Marketing, Samantha was a member of Kappa Delta Sorority and later served as one of seven Leadership Development Consultants for National Kappa Delta. She is also a graduate of Leadership Franklin (2022), a program that further strengthened her leadership skills. Over the years, she’s gained valuable experience in marketing and recruiting across healthcare, agriculture, and construction industries.