A day after the Baton Rouge Area Chamber laid out its goals for 2015—which include securing $44 million in new direct payroll through the addition of 800 permanent jobs in the Capital Region—the organization this morning announced that attorney Van Mayhall Jr. has been selected as its board chairman for the year.
“As we prepare to embark on a new five-year strategic plan later this year, we’re pleased to have Van’s leadership,” BRAC President and CEO Adam Knapp says in a prepared release. “A longtime member of BRAC’s executive committee and board, Van has actively engaged with us—most notably through his leadership on the issues of transportation and crime.”
A senior partner at Breazeale, Sachse and Wilson, Mayhall previously served as chair of the Downtown Development District, as well as vice chair of the East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority. He is also a former chairman of the boards of directors of the Capital Area United Way and Louisiana Capital Area Chapter of the American Red Cross.
“I’m delighted to serve as BRAC’s board chairman as we continue to cultivate economic opportunities within the region,” Mayhall says in a prepared statement. “This is a critical time and we are well-positioned to take advantage of the regional assets we possess and the significant opportunities confronting the Baton Rouge area.”
On Monday, Knapp unveiled BRAC’s 2015 strategic plan and top six priorities at a meeting of the Baton Rouge Press Club. Aside from its job creation goal, BRAC hopes to create a new business-led transportation coalition that would prioritize and pursue solutions to the Capital Region’s traffic problems, as well as focus on ozone and air credits and commercial property development. The organization also plans to draft a new five-year plan and develop a regional gubernatorial agenda.
