Lake Charles native Kelli Brignac said she is raising her three children to care as much about the city as she does.

Brignac, 35, has been running her own marketing company, Bonne Communications, since January. She spent several years in cities like Baton Rouge and Memphis, but she and her husband, Blake, eventually settled in Lake Charles in 2013. They have three children: Cecilia, 6, Ruby, 3, and 20-month-old Mary Evelyn.

Brignac graduated from St. Louis Catholic High School in 2005 and later attended Louisiana State University. She graduated in 2009 during the midst of the economic downturn, but found a job in the marketing department for Raising Cane’s in Baton Rouge.

Brignac moved to Memphis in 2011 to work for Obsidian, a marketing agency. She and Blake chose to live together in Memphis after having a long-distance relationship.

After moving to Lake Charles in 2013, Brignac continued to work remotely for Obsidian. She and Blake returned to Louisiana to be closer to their families. Blake’s family resides in Ascension Parish.

Life in Lake Charles was a welcome change from the fast pace of bigger cities, Brignac said. She said she found herself spending far less time running errands.

“When I came back, I found out I could get somewhere in 15 minutes, and it’s not next to my house,” she said.

Even the local news had more of a positive slant, Brignac said.

“I saw a lead story on horse therapy for children with autism,” she said. “I love when the lead story is good news. It’s tough to live somewhere where there is a lot of bad news.”

Having family within driving distance also has its benefits. When Hurricane Laura hit in August 2020, Brignac was on her last week of maternity leave. After evacuating, they returned to find their home with no power or water. They stayed with Blake’s family, who got Cecilia enrolled in pre-K in Pairieville. Her mother-in-law babysat Ruby and Mary Evelyn, then two months old, so she and Blake could work.

Brignac said she and Blake returned the favor after Hurricane Ida hit southeastern Louisiana last August.

While working for Obsidian allowed some flexibility in Brignac’s schedule, the job still demanded her to travel. The historic rainfall and flooding throughout Lake Charles last May had her considering a career change, despite their home being spared of any damage.

“I left that morning on a 6 a.m. flight to Dallas,” she said. “By the time I landed, my kids were in the bathroom. If I would have been in the street near my home, water would have been up to my chest. The water came up to the front door and receded.”

Brignac said she eventually left Obsidian in December to have more control over her time and stay in the workforce. She said she continues to get some contract work from the agency.

Brignac said their family was lucky to continue living in their home after Hurricane Laura. She said the ceiling in the kitchen was caved in, and it had to be gutted.

“We put up some Visqueen,” she said. “Last June, we said we had to do something, so we got some sheetrock. We’re just waiting on drywall.”

Brignac said Blake switched careers after moving to Lake Charles, becoming a financial advisor. She said he continues to work from home because the Capital One building, where his office sat, remains in disrepair since Hurricane Laura. Having him at home allowed for more time to spend with Mary Evelyn during her infancy, she said.

Brignac said she loves that Lake Area residents, even those who lived away for some time, continue to build on the community. She said some of the faculty who worked at the Our Lady Queen of Heaven Elementary and Middle School, where she attended, now have other relatives employed there. That was one main reason she wanted to send her children to these schools.

“That’s the benefit of being here,” she said. “I wanted to send them to a place where I know everybody.”

Looking forward, Brignac said she wants to provide her children with all Lake Charles has to offer. After Hurricane Laura, she took Cecilia to volunteer in a food distribution line.

“I’m always looking for things for them to do,” she said. “I love seeing them build their own networks.”