CCA opens new headquarters today

Marine conservation leaders from across the state will meet in Baton Rouge today to dedicate the new headquarters of the Coastal Conservation Association of Louisiana. The new building, named the Jack Lawton Center after one of the group’s founders, is located on Industriplex Boulevard. CCA, among the more influential lobbies at the state Capitol with 30,000 members and 23 local chapters, purchased the building last year and recently completed extensive renovations to the facility. CCA Louisiana President Gus Schram of Lake Charles says the building includes offices, a conference room, warehouse space and the group’s hall of fame. “This new 7,000-square-foot building, purchased and restored with the generous donations of our members, is symbolic of the tremendous advances that Louisiana has made in marine conservation,” he says. “Over the past 26 years, CCA Louisiana has transformed from a volunteer organization with a handful of members to what it is today.” It’s a far cry from the sportfishing lobby’s early days, when a single employee working out of donated space ran the entire show. “This new headquarters building sends a signal that CCA is stronger than ever and will continue to advocate for sensible conservation practices that protect our marine resources,” Schram says.—Jeremy Alford