Board Members

Allen Cormier – President

Allen was born and raised in Lake Charles, LA.  Allen graduated from McNeese State University earning a Bachlors’ in Music Education and a minor in Criminal Justice. Allen enlisted and served four years as a United States Marine.  After his service, Allen returned to Lake Charles to begin his career in law enforcement.  Allen continued his education while working full time and graduated fromMcNeese State University with a Master’s in Criminal Justice and a Master’s in Emergency Management and Homeland Security from Arizona State University.  Allen has used his passion of teaching and learning to find ways to develop those around him.  

After experiencing a stress related illness, Allen began focusing on how stress affects the body and ways to combat the stress that first responders face.  Through his own battle with stress and critical incidents, Allen found there is a need for mental health support in the first responder community and has taken a proactive role in removing the stigma first responders face when dealing with mental health.

Tyler McKnight – Vice President

Tyler is proud to be a board member for the non-profit organization “With You”. Tyler has 8 years of prior law enforcement experience and began his career as a first responder at the age of 19. Tyler started his career working in corrections at the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office in Lake Charles Louisiana. Throughout his career, Tyler served as a patrol officer, crime deterrent unit training officer, and Detective for the Vehicle Crimes Investigative Unit. In April 2023, Tyler made the decision to leave law enforcement after a great and successful career. Tyler experienced many critical incidents throughout his career and learned mental health support should be a priority for first responders. Tyler loves to share his experiences that affected his mental health and has found talking about the incidents has helped him tremendously.

Lane Boyt – Treasurer

Lane began his law enforcement career in 2016 and is a member of his local police department’s SWAT team. Lane hopes that With You can open up local mental health services for first responders in need. Lane hopes to raise awareness for mental health for first responders and how first responders’ physical health also affects their mental health.

Adam Richard – Secretary

Adam Richard began his career in law enforcement in 2018 with the Lake Charles Police Department, working as a part-time Administrative Clerk under the communications division, while also attending McNeese State University for Criminal Justice. Adam found himself amidst a tight knit community of law enforcement and other first responders, and knew he was in a place he could easily call home. Adam joined the department full-time shortly thereafter as a patrol officer.

Adam’s personal inspiration and goals for With You are aligned with being able to provide resources to all first responders who have trouble coping with effects of the job-related stress and anxiety.  Stress not only affects our performance at work but also affects our families and home lives. Adam is a husband and father of 3 children and understands all too well the difficulties of coming home from work and trying not to unload stresses on family members.

Adam has learned through first-hand experience that sometimes trauma is found within the home itself. In August 2022, after the birth of their 3rd child, Adam received a phone call while on duty from his wife saying that she was having a massive post-birth hemorrhage at home. Adam, along with other patrol officers and ambulance staff, were able to get to Adam’s wife where she was found lying unconscious due to major blood loss. With the help of the assisting officers and ambulance staff, Adam’s wife was rapidly transported to a local hospital for an emergency operation and several blood transfusions which saved her life.  While tending to his wife, fellow first responders stayed at his home to tend to his children. Fellow Officers and other first responders came together to provide aid for Adam and his family in his greatest time of need. His wife is now healthy and recovered. Adam considers this incident to have proven that the bonds between first responders have no limits and views his mission as being able to provide resources for other first responders dealing with similar traumas.

Michaella Cormier – Board Member

Michaella was born and raised in Lake Charles, LA. As a hometown girl, she graduated from McNeese State University earning a BS in Exercise Science. She also graduated from University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston with a Clinical Doctorate of Physical Therapy. She returned to Lake Charles after graduation to be mentored at Partners in Physical Therapy and develop a specialty in pediatric therapy. Along with her interest in treating adult orthopedic patients, she also found a passion for helping patients with cancer and lymphedema. Through her course of study, she has been able to expand her knowledge in wholistic health and wellness, including earning a certification in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. This has allowed her to identify and address mental barriers to maximize her patients’outcomes in reaching their goals.

Candace Boyt – Board Member

Candace is a native Texan that has been in the SWLA area since 2009. She has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State University. She began pursuing advanced degrees in counseling and criminology before switching over and earning a master’s degree in special education. 

She was a special education teacher for 15 years before moving over to pupil appraisal. She is currently pursuing her educational diagnostician specialist master’s.

She is an advocate at heart. She has been a part of the first responder field, in some capacity, her entire adult life. She specializes in sarcasm and advocating for those who don’t always have the voice to advocate for themselves.