Lafayette native Emily Hamner runs the Pinhook Foundation , which her father started in 1987 to serve the community. Hamner dedicates her time and the foundation's resources to organizations that focus on Lafayette's social issues, with the goal of making the city a better place to live and visit. The Pinhook Foundation collaborates with other family foundations to increase their impact.

This interview was edited for length and clarity.

When did you decide it was a good time to get involved with your family's foundation?

I graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2000 with a business degree. I came to run the family real estate business. After both of my grandparents passed away, most of their assets were put into the foundation, and so we had a lot more money t

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