Spring 2026 Undergraduate Ceremony Speaker

Paula A. Shepherd

Paula A. Shepherd is the senior vice president and chief operating officer of Banner Plans and Networks, which serves more than 1 million people across six states. A 25-year veteran of health care coverage leadership, Shepherd is charged with advancing Banner Plans and Networks’ mission to transform health care delivery by aligning insurance with coordinated care.

A native of Napoleonville, Louisiana, Shepherd most recently served as executive vice president of health plan operations and technology for Blue Cross Blue Shield, a health insurance company serving 1.9 million people in Louisiana. At Blue Cross, she headed the largest division within the company, which included customer service operations, enrollment and billing, claims operations, core system configurations, and other duties that directly impacted customers and corporate operations. She also promoted diversity and social justice, most notably in her partnership with 100 Black Men in the “Get the Facts, Get the Vax Campaign.”  She was also head of the African-American Employee Group at Blue Cross. 

Shepherd earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Southern University and A&M College, a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Phoenix, and a juris doctor degree from the Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge.

A member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Shepherd’s community service extends to serving on the governing boards of the Capital Area United Way in Baton Rouge and the Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights in New Orleans.

Possessing a wealth of Shepherd ministerial and leadership experience, Shepherd is the co-founder of Philadelphia Christian Ministries in Baton Rouge with her husband, Apostle C. L. Shepherd. They have two children, Curtis Jr. and Taylour.  

Shepherd also lovingly embraces her role as a grandmother, or more preferably to her, “Nana.”