Episode 8 – Beauregard Parish; Lisa Adams

The Southwest Louisiana Economic Intel Podcast continues looking at each of the parishes in the SWLA region. Beauregard Parish has the most timber in our region, but there’s much more to the area. Join us as we talk to Lisa Adams. She is the Director of the Greater Beauregard Chamber of Commerce. We discuss how Lisa came into the position, the Beauregard Parish economy, and delve into the role of the local chamber and the efforts underway to grow their parish economy. Finally, we talk about how the Beauregard Parish economy will develop in the future.

https://www.beauchamber.org/

https://growingbeauregard.com/

https://www.atlantafed.org/economy-matters/regional-economics/2023/12/18/from-no-mans-land-to-everyones-town-deridder-louisiana

The podcast is also available on Apple and Spotify.

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Episode 7 – Erin Davison and Ben Drouilhet; Big Brothers Big Sisters

The Southwest Louisiana Economic Intel Podcast takes a break from looking at each of the five parishes in Southwest Louisiana to discuss charitable endeavors and donor/volunteer opportunities and how those play a role in the local community, lives of citizens, and the local economy. Today we are joined by Erin Davison and Ben Drouilhet. Erin is the CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of SWLA. She has been at the helm of BBBS through the pandemic and SWLA natural disasters. Ben Drouilhet works here at the SWLA Economic Development Alliance as a Chamber Member Agent and is directly involved as a Big Brother in the organization.

The podcast is also available on Apple and Spotify.

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Episode 6 – Cameron Parish: Part 2, Kim Montie

The Southwest Louisiana Economic Intel Podcast continues looking at each of the parishes in the SWLA region. Cameron Parish is so unique that we must spend two episodes exploring this area. This part focuses on the current situation of the Cameron Parish economy and what is in store for the area in the future. Join us as we talk to Kim Montie. She is the Director of the Cameron Parish Port, Harbor, and Terminal District, which falls in line with the role of economic development. We discuss how Kim came into the position, the Cameron Parish economy, and all the local challenges and successes that go along with the recovery. Finally, we talk about how the Cameron Parish economy will develop in the future.

The podcast is also available on Apple and Spotify.

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Episode 5 – Cameron Parish: Part 1, Clair Hebert Marceaux

The Southwest Louisiana Economic Intel Podcast continues looking at each of the parishes in the SWLA region. Cameron Parish is so unique that we must spend two episodes exploring this area. This part focuses on the history of the Cameron Parish economy and some of the economic development aspects that went into its amazing transformation. Join us as we talk to Clair Hebert Marceaux. She is the former Economic Development Director for the Cameron Parish Police Jury and the former Director of the Cameron Parish Port, Harbor, and Terminal District. We discuss how Clair came into the position, the Cameron Parish economy, all the local challenges and successes that went along with experiencing an industrial construction and manufacturing boom, as well as her outlook for where the parish and region headed.

The podcast is also available on Apple and Spotify.

For more information, please visit her LinkedIn profile:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/clair-hebert-marceaux-pced-cled-749b8492/

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Episode 4 – Jefferson Davis Parish, Creed Romano

The Southwest Louisiana Economic Intel Podcast begins looking at each of the parishes in the SWLA region. We begin with Jefferson Davis Parish. Join us as we talk to Creed Romano. He is the President and CEO of the Jefferson Davis Parish Economic Development Commission, Tourist Commission, and Chamber of Commerce. We discuss how Creed came into the position, the Jefferson Davis Parish economy and some major developments, as well as his outlook for where the parish and region as a whole are headed.

For more information, please visit their web page and follow their social media.

https://jeffdavis.org/

https://twitter.com/JeffDavisParish

https://www.facebook.com/jeffdavisparish

 

 

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Episode 3 – Mike Smith and Alena Maschke, The Advocate Newspaper Reporters

Mike Smith and Alena Maschke are reporters for The Advocate newspaper who were assigned to report on the recovery of the region from the natural disasters. Both moved to the SWLA and immersed themselves in all aspects of the recovery process. Join us as we discuss how they came into the position and their experiences in the community. We also examine how SWLA compares to other regions and what really stood out to them about the SWLA economy. Finally, they are asked how their time in SWLA will affect their future assignments.

For more information and to read their stories, please visit their web pages and follow their social media.

Mike Smith:

https://www.theadvocate.com/users/profile/mike%20smith/

https://twitter.com/mikejsmith504

Alena Maschke:

https://www.theadvocate.com/users/profile/alena%20maschke/

https://twitter.com/AlenaMaschke

https://www.alenamaschke.com/

The podcast is available here as well as at Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

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Episode 2 – Alberto Galan, Assistant to the Parish Administrator – Calcasieu Parish Police Jury

This week’s guest, Alberto Galan, is the Assistant to the Parish Administrator of Calcasieu Parish and has been heading up all facets of the Long-Term Recovery Plan for the area. Join us as we discuss the process of heading up this effort as well as the funding coming in and how it’s allocated. We also discuss how people and businesses can apply for funding and how this long-term plan is actually being implemented. Finally, we discuss the next steps in the recovery process and how he thinks these recovery efforts will affect the region’s economy in the future.

For more information on CPPJ recovery, please visit https://www.restore.la.gov/ and https://www.calcasieu.gov/residents/long-term-hurricane-recovery-framework.

The podcast is available here as well as at Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

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Episode 1 – Jim Rock, Executive Director of the Lake Area Industrial Alliance

Jim Rock is the Executive Director of the Lake Area Industry Alliance (LAIA). Prior to heading that organization, he worked for companies such as PPG, Axiall, and Lotte. Join us as we discuss topics such as the LAIA itself, the SWLA “industrial base”, how the Lake Charles economy has changed, how COVID has affected the industries he represents. Finally, we discuss how he thinks the industrial sector of the economy will change heading into the future and environmental concerns. The podcast is available here as well as at Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

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