A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Lou was born on February 5, 1945. A member of the Class of 1962 of Jesuit High School, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Louisiana State University in 1966.

After graduating from LSU, he proudly served his country as a member of the NASA Apollo 8 Mission Control Team in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Over the next 50 years, he continued his career in senior management, executive and consulting roles at multiple corporations, including IBM, McDermott, and Entergy. He was a member of the initial graduating class of the Tulane University A.B. Freeman School of Business Executive MBA program, earning his degree in 1985. He founded the Sandoz Group, a voice and data systems design firm,

Lou was moved by music, both as a musician (clarinet, piano) and in service to the community. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the OZONE Music Foundation. He also served as a Commissioner/Vice Chairman (2014-2016) of the St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana Levee Board. An avid New Orleans Saints and LSU Tigers fan, he enjoyed fishing, the art of cooking and spending time with his family.