Carla Buntyn is a Shreveport native. She received her Bachelor of Business Management with a minor in business administration, a Master of Human Services, and a Ph.D. in criminal justice. Carla identified the urgency of needs for individuals who desired a second chance at success in the community and, in 2013, founded Compassion for Lives.

Until I met Kristi Gustavson at a recent press conference, we had only communicated by email after I contacted her about meeting for lunch. I knew she was the executive director of the Community Foundation of North Louisiana, but other than that, I knew very little about the 1996 Byrd graduate.