LCSS Executive Board 

President: Carla Powell Lewis

Carla Powell Lewis is a native and resident of Baton Rouge, LA, and a locally, state, and nationally recognized Social Studies educator with over 20 years of experience. She is the Immediate Past President of the East Baton Rouge (EBR) Parish School Board and currently serves as the District 3 School Board Representative. Carla is also active on the Executive Board of the Louisiana Council for the Social Studies and has served on the Executive Board of the National Council for the Social Studies. Carla's leadership extends to various organizations, including the EBR Branch of the National Association of University Women, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Junior League of BR, Phi Delta Kappa International, and the National Coalition of 100 Black Women of Metro BR. Recently, Carla launched Spirit of Excellence Learning Systems, an educational consulting firm providing instructional coaching in social studies content, state standards, classroom management, and test preparation. A graduate of Southern University, Carla holds a Bachelor's Degree in Social Studies Education and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership. Carla is married to Darryl and the mother of five children. Carla strives to impact positive change and develop productive citizens in her community.

President-Elect: Vickie Hebert

Photograph and biography coming soon! 

Vice President: Mary Brower

Mary Brower is a high school Social Studies educator with more than 11 years of teaching experience in St. Landry Parish. Her professional career began as a Paralegal in 2000, followed by earning a Bachelor of Arts in English (2013). In 2014, she transitioned into education and has remained committed to teaching Social Studies at the high school level ever since. She earned a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a Social Studies concentration in 2015.

In addition to her work in public education, Mrs. Brower currently serves as the Director of Religious Education at Queen of Angels Catholic Church, reflecting her commitment to faith-based leadership and community engagement.

Mrs. Brower has participated in several prestigious professional learning experiences, including the Gilder Lehrman Summer Institute (2019), American Battlefield Trust Summer Institutes (2022–2025), the National WWII Museum Summer Teacher Institute (2025), and the Sphere Institute (2025). As a Sphere Alumni, she has been awarded a Fellowship which she will begin in March of 2026. She has also been selected as a Master Teacher by the WWII Museum for their 2026 Summer Teacher Institute.  These experiences inform her instructional practice and reinforce her dedication to historical inquiry, civic understanding, and student engagement. She is the Student Government sponsor, a member of the ILT team, and Chairperson for SIP at her school.  She is a member of NCSS where she was a presenter at the 2025 conference on the benefits of using Virtual Reality in the classroom.  She served a 4 year term (2021- 2025) as President of the PTO at her son's school, Ecole St. Landry. She is also a member of Kappa Delta Pi, a professional organization whose mission is "Excellent teachers build thriving communities and create lifelong opportunities by providing quality, equitable education for all."

Elementary School Representative: Franki Lambert

Franki Lambert is a dedicated secondary social studies educator with 24 years of experience in Assumption Parish. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Social Sciences from Louisiana State University and a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and Supervision. She currently teaches 9th-grade Civics at Assumption High School and has previously taught across multiple elementary and middle school grade levels.

Throughout her career, Ms. Lambert has focused on empowering students with strong historical and civic knowledge, fostering critical thinking skills, and cultivating an understanding of students’ roles in society—while consistently promoting diversity, inclusion, and equitable learning experiences. Her leadership extends beyond the classroom, as she has provided district-level curriculum leadership, served on her school’s Instructional Leadership Team for 15 years, led student educational trips to Washington, D.C., and contributed to statewide initiatives through LEAP committees and Teacher Leader Advisor roles.

Ms. Lambert supports social studies education in Louisiana because she believes deeply in preserving history and inspiring that same passion in students and educators across the state.

Middle School Representative: Heather Koonce

Heather Koonce is a Middle School Social Studies Content Specialist with Calcasieu Parish Public Schools and brings 18.5 years of experience in education supporting teachers and students across the district. Her professional background includes teaching American and Louisiana history, serving as a school dean, leading instructional teams, and mentoring new teachers—all with a strong focus on helping students connect historical content to their lived experiences.

Ms. Koonce is a proud alumna of multiple prestigious professional learning institutes, including the White House Historical Association Teacher Institute, the George Washington Teacher Institute, and the Friends of the World War II Memorial Teacher Institute, among others. These experiences reflect her deep commitment to continued learning, civic education, and instructional excellence. They have shaped her leadership approach, curriculum design, and support of meaningful civic learning in classrooms.

She believes social studies education is essential because Louisiana students deserve to know their history, find their voice, and understand how learning empowers them to make a lasting impact in their communities and beyond.

High School Representative: Dr. Rebecca Kuhn

Dr. Rebecca Kuhn serves as the Global and Social Studies Director, AP Psychology teacher, Mock Trial sponsor, and Youth and Government sponsor at the Episcopal School of Baton Rouge. A member of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) and the American Psychological Association (APA), Rebecca is a career social studies teacher.  She has taught Service Learning & Community Impact, AP World History, US History, US Government, Ethics, AP Human Geography, Intro to Sociology, and Social Problems.  Prior to moving to Baton Rouge, she taught high school in South Korea and South Florida. Originally from Kansas, she holds a B.A. In interdisciplinary social studies from Sterling College (Kansas), an M.A. In sociology from the University of Kansas, a Ph.D. in social theory and media studies from Florida Atlantic University, and an M.A. in curriculum and instruction from Louisiana State University - Shreveport. Rebecca believes that all students in Louisiana deserve quality instruction in social studies, and one of the best ways to achieve this is by classroom teachers supporting one another. Meaningful social studies instruction today builds the engaged citizens of tomorrow.

College/University Representative: Dr. Julie Cappo

Dr. Julie Cappo is a professor at Louisiana Tech University, specializing in Social Studies instruction. With over 25 years of experience supporting Louisiana’s teachers and students, Julie leads professional development for K-12 Social Studies educators. She holds a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from ULM, where she was recognized as the Outstanding Graduate Student for two consecutive years.

Julie has taught PK-12 and was District Teacher of the Year. Julie has judged Social Studies fairs at local and state levels. She is a frequent presenter at state and national conferences, including LRA, LCSS, LERA, MSERA, and the Louisiana Historical Association. Julie serves as a reviewer for the National Council of the Social Studies, and as a volunteer archivist for the National Archives. Dr. Cappo is dedicated to advancing Social Studies because it empowers students to understand their heritage, engage thoughtfully as citizens, and shape a stronger future for Louisiana communities.

Legislative Representative: Donald Broussard

Donald H. Broussard, Jr. is the 11th Grade Academic Counselor for New Orleans Charter Science & Mathematics High School (New Orleans, LA.) and Educational and Debate Consultant for his own company, Urban Education & Debate Connections, LLC. (Denham Springs, La.). Mr. Broussard started teaching in 2006 at Walter L. Cohen Sr. High School (New Orleans, La.) and taught Civics and Economics. Later Mr. Broussard taught World Geography, World History, U.S. History, Psychology, Sociology, and all AP courses in the discipline of Social Science and English. Mr. Broussard competed in Speech and Debate from 1994-1998 where he competed in LD Debate, Policy Debate, Extemporaneous Speaking, Original Oratory, Declamation, Student Congress & Oral Interpretation and won several District and State Championships throughout his time competing. He started several Speech and Debate programs in Middle School, High School and College from Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Massachusetts, Nevada and Alabama. Donald coached several District, State Champions and National Champions NCFL and NSDA since 2001. Mr. Broussard is also the Head Coach for Team Morocco World School Debate Team, The passion Donald has for Social Sciences & Speech and Debate is great and is honored to share his experiences and knowledge to the future minds and leaders of this country.

Member At Large:  Dr. Natalie Keefer

Natalie Keefer is an Associate Professor of Social Studies Education, Graduate Coordinator, and Co-Director of the Louisiana Center for Research and Education on Languages and Literacies (LA CREoLL) at the University of Louisiana Lafayette. Dr. Keefer holds the Joan D. and Alexander S. Haig/BORSF Endowed Professorship and received the 2021-2022 UL Lafayette Research Excellence Award. She has ten years teaching experience as a high school social studies teacher in Tampa, Florida. Presently, Dr. Keefer is President of the NCSS International Assembly and Editor of the Journal of International Social Studies. In Louisiana and beyond, Dr. Keefer’s social studies research and scholarship include supporting social studies pedagogy in French immersion and multilingual contexts, citizenship education, and human rights education.

Louis Lloyd President Emeritus 2025/LCSS Historian: Dr. LaChina Clay

Photograph and biography coming soon!