In the economic development field, people move around a lot, and new locations can bring new perspectives. In a feature from the current issue of Business Report, four former Capital Region economic development executives share what Baton Rouge gets right and wrong.
Chip Boyles, East Baton Rouge’s former urban development director, now works as the executive director of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Boyles points to the lack of prioritization and funding by local government for development and redevelopment as the biggest disappointment during his time in the Capital Region.
“The city-parish mainly wanted to fund efforts through federal and state grants without local investment,” says Boyles, who also was the East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority’s vice president of programs and administration. “The way to prioritize economic programs is through a commitment of general fund resources; grants should be something extra.”
So what did the Capital Region get right? Boyles says it’s public-private partnerships and promoting a strong regional chamber of commerce.
Tommy Kurtz, a former principal at LEO’s Economic Consulting Services, says a growing port, expanding industrial and energy sector, as well as an “incredible” quality of life, attracted him to his current job. Kurtz is now the vice president of business and strategic development for the Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corporation in Texas.
Meanwhile, former Baton Rouge Area Chamber executive director of business development Iain Vasey, who is now president/CEO of the Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corporation, says the Capital Region remains competitive in economic development.
“There are some great professionals who I have a lot of respect for, too many to list,” he says. “Your new LED Secretary Don Pierson is very professional, credible, and ethical. There are also some fine economic development programs, like the Certified Sites Program and the FastStart training program that are really making Louisiana very competitive.”
Looking back on his time with the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry and Baton Rouge Area Chamber, Mike Odom says recruiting Albemarle to locate its headquarters in Baton Rouge was the most important accomplishment during his time here.
“My understanding is that they are relocating to North Carolina, but having the ability to tell economic development prospects that we were the home of a Fortune 1000 company was a major credibility boost,” says Odom, who is now President/CEO of the Round Rock Chamber of Commerce in Texas.
Read the full feature. Send your comments to editors@businessreport.com.
