Brown Eagle Owner and CEO Lela Mae Wilkes received an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Northwestern State University during their spring commencement ceremonies on May 11, 2022. Wilkes received the honor from NSU President Dr. Marcus Jones during the ceremony for graduates of the School of Business and Technology.
Wilkes graduated with a business degree from Northwestern State University in 1968. In the years following, she established herself as a pioneer in the petrochemical service industry. Wilkes was a founding member of the Louisiana Chemical Industry Alliance and served on its first board. She eventually became full owner and CEO at Brown Eagle, where she led the company to the forefront of providing innovative 3PL and 4PL logistics solutions for chemical manufacturers in Louisiana and across America. Wilkes never stopped giving back to NSU during her career, serving on both the NSU Foundation Board of Directors and the School of Business Dean’s Advisory Board.
“I am deeply touched by this honor from Northwestern State University,” said Wilkes. “This university has meant so much to me, and receiving this award brings everything full circle in a special way. I would not be where I am today had it not been for Northwestern instilling in me that I could be and do whatever I wanted to be and do, and making me feel that I was part of the Northwestern community.”
Brown Eagle is a 100% woman-owned, Louisiana business that is recognized as the third largest woman-owned business in the Capital Region by the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report. The company has more than 50 years of experience as a one-stop solution for industrial facilities’ post-manufacturing needs, providing contract labor to manage and operate clients’ packaging, bulk material handling, third-party logistics, warehousing and shipping functions. Brown Eagle services multinational Fortune 500 chemical manufacturers and is recognized across the Gulf South for its consistency, experience and industry expertise.