Velika Hurst-Trahan has been a major advocate for women and children throughout Southwest Louisiana for over two decades. In her career at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana as a marketing account manager, she has had the opportunity to witness firsthand the physical, emotional and mental needs of children in the community. She has worked on the front lines to support health care and social services that promote the well-being of vulnerable populations.

Velika began her career in health care working in the Blue Cross mailroom. Through her determination and passion, she was able to work her way up to the position she is in today. She has applied that same enthusiasm and grit to her approach with volunteer work in the community and continues to advocate in the best interest of children and women in Southwest Louisiana.

Velika is known to someone in almost every room she enters, and her commitment to community has driven her to serve on the boards of several organizations providing vital services to children, including the Family and Youth Counseling Agency (FYCA). She has supported FYCA in innumerable volunteer roles through critical moments of growth, helping it to provide support services for abused and neglected children, grief services for children suffering the loss of a loved one, and mental health services for everyone in the region.

After reaching her term limits, Velika continued to serve on the advisory board of the Shannon Cox Counseling Center, a division of FYCA, where she advocates for mental health services for children, youth and families.

Velika is known as loyal, cheerful and determined to her family, colleagues and the many, many people privileged to call her a friend.