For 30 years, Leadership Ascension has worked to develop the next generation of civic and business leaders in one of Louisiana’s fastest-growing parishes, pairing leadership training with hands-on community impact projects.
The Ascension Chamber-affiliated program, which runs from January through November, accepts a class of roughly 30 to 36 participants each year representing businesses of all sizes—from major industrial employers to small business owners and entrepreneurs. Applications open each fall and are reviewed by a committee that evaluates leadership potential, employer support and recommendation letters.
Facilitator Amy Velez, a 2016 graduate of the program, says the organization has evolved beyond simply introducing participants to parish government and institutions
“One of the things that we really started talking about was, ‘How do we make this more of a true leadership program and not just a get-to-know Ascension program?’” Velez says. “Some of our main sponsors, which is no secret, are the industry. They want real leadership.”
Participants begin the year with leadership and personality assessments before being divided into four project teams designed to balance varying leadership styles and communication approaches.
Each team develops and executes a community-focused project over the course of the year, often partnering with local nonprofits, schools or civic organizations. This year’s projects include creating professional clothing closets and career-readiness support for students, developing a parishwide fire safety curriculum for primary schools, volunteering with local nonprofits and helping revive a teacher grant recognition event through the Ascension Fund.
The 2026 program is supported by several sponsors, including title sponsor CF Industries, transportation sponsor Hotard Coaches and retreat and graduation sponsor Bonfanti Investments.
Velez says the projects are increasingly focused on volunteerism and long-term community impact rather than fundraising totals alone.
At the end of the program, teams present their projects before a panel of judges, with one team earning annual bragging rights as the class project winner. Past initiatives born from Leadership Ascension have included the all-abilities baseball field near the parish courthouse, STEM education initiatives and programs addressing food insecurity, and the River Road African American Museum.
In 2013, the Leadership Ascension Foundation was formed with the main goal of facilitating and maintaining funds for distribution to local charitable projects in the area. The corporation allows for donors to take advantage of tax benefits offered for charitable and educational purposes as exempt organizations.
Leadership Ascension has also produced long-term community leaders, Velez says.
“The people who are going through this program are the ones that you continue to see over time who are growing with their companies or other companies in their leadership, not just their leadership skills, but also their personal development and they are often becoming the movers and shakers,” Velez says. “The ones who are making things happen as the growth happens.”
