About College Planning of Louisiana, Inc.

Our Founder:

Susan A. Thompson, CEO & President of College Planning of Louisiana, Inc. and President of Value Driven Learning, LLC, a Baton Rouge, Louisiana college funding company and performance enhancement consulting company has more than 23 years extended business experience in effective organizational and learning management, career and employee counseling, human resources application and education, training and development, curriculum design, presentation, follow-up analysis, audit compliance, organizational development, leadership, executive management skills, management of learning function skills, and return on investment strategies.

She attained her Ph.D. in Business Administration with a 4.0 GPA and graduated from the University of Oklahoma, number one in her class with a 4.0 GPA, earning a Master of Human Relations degree. Her studies concentrated in the behavioral science studies with a focus in organizational development & career counseling. Susan earned a Bachelor of Arts from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, with a concentration in English & technical writing. She has served in the corporate capacity managing the learning function. She began her 22 years in an organizational capacity designing learning programs dedicated to the transfer of organizational learning and concluded as an executive managing the organizational learning function for 1500 employees. She spent the later part of her corporate working years exploring, learning, and engaging in the college planning and student positioning process. From this love and desire to learn, College Planning of Louisiana, Inc. germinated.

She is known for her excellent ability to assess data, create strategies, interpersonal and facilitation skills and thorough knowledge and understanding of organizational development, communication, and counseling theory and practice. Susan’s exceptional communication skills, both written and spoken have enabled her to effectively help others organize and focus their goals and objectives, master self-management and learning, attain effective project coordination, deal with multiple responsibilities simultaneously, and improve performance both on a personal and business level. Additionally, she is educated in understanding the college planning and student positioning process from personal experience, study, theory, and actual application.

Mrs. Thompson’s many areas of expertise encompasses: strategy development, coaching and career counseling, business management, human resource development, management skills, performance enhancement training, corporate university application and management, technical education, training trainers, curriculum development, presentation & delivery dynamics, group interaction, cause and effect assessment, problem solving, project management, safety & health. Accredited through Department of Labor, Susan is also an OSHA train-the-trainer, receiving her instruction at Northern Illinois University, 1997, as well as an accredited OSHA Outreach Instructor and a Certified Training and Development specialist. In addition, she has published articles on a self-created problem solving theory. Also, she is a certified procurement specialist. And, she has published a book on Organizational Learning Theory and Knowledge Management. She is in the process of publishing another book book called Packaging You for Successful College Admissions.

Also, she is certified in return on investment with a focus on statistics and its application to learning practice and theory.

She is an active member of the following related organizations: The National Institute of Certified College Planners, Former Board Member of International Association for Continuing Education and Training, Mediators and Arbitrators Academy, American Society for Training & Development, Board of Directors for the National Association for Continuing Education and Training, President of Board of Directors for National Association for Enhanced Education, the American Society of Training and Development (former VP of Marketing & Board member), and committee leader for evaluation of the Training and Development Certificate Program at University of Alabama at Birmingham (Mrs. Thompson is responsible for designing, authoring, creating, and originating the first Training and Development Certification Program in Alabama based on the National ASTD competencies which is now acknowledged nation wide).

Our Team of Professionals

College Planning of Louisiana, Inc. has orchestrated a winning team of professionals to assist in all areas of our business. Each of these professionals possesses a unique expertise. The team members are as follows:

• Susan A. Thompson, Ph.D., President, College Planning of Louisiana, Inc. s.thompson@collegeplanningla.com.  
• Merl M. Thompson, CFO & Treasurer, College Planning of Louisiana, Inc.
• Fallon L. Lambert, B.S. Research Specialist/Student Coach – accountable for college searches, college visit coordination, supervised application completion, scholarship searches, sports packages, and student coaching – f.lambert@collegeplanningla.com.
• Brandon L. Sullivan, B.S.  ACT Specialist/Student Coach – accountable for ACT class instruction, ACT one on one instruction, ACT course design, and student coaching – b.sullivan@collegeplanningla.com.  
• Susan K. Poulos, B.S.  Administrative Assistant/Office Coordinator – CPLAAdmin@collegeplanningla.com.
• Client Care Center, Mr. Stuart Siegal, CCPS – accountable for all federal and institutional forms processing.