Northshore Organizations Join Forces to Combat "Brain Drain"
(The following article was written by our CEO Lacey Osborne as a Guest Perspective for Biz New Orleans Magazine.)
We hear all the time about the brain drain: Louisiana’s best and brightest finding career success in faraway places. In recent years, nearby Southern states like Alabama, Texas and Georgia are recruiting and retaining our young professionals, particularly in the fields of energy, entertainment and engineering.
We also hear from our established economic leaders in healthcare, education and real estate that we need to compete with these same states to attract and retain new doctors, educators and even to address the growing population of empty nesters and elderly selecting advantageous locales for retirement.
The St. Tammany Chamber coalesces business interests to advance worthwhile Northshore projects that improve quality of life for generations to come. Appropriate housing, attractive career opportunities, engaging culture and recreation options all stand at the heart of what makes a community successful. St. Tammany and the Northshore region as a whole have an opportunity to plan for the future now.
|
|
(l-r) Melissa Kirsch, First Planning District Workforce Development Board executive director; Donna O’Daniels, Visit The Northshore president and CEO; Amy Ybarzabal, Northshore Home Builders Association executive officer; Lacey Osborne, St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce president and CEO; Susan Bonnett Bourgeois, Northshore Community Foundation president emeritus; Noble-Bates Young, Northshore Business Council executive director; and Chris Masingill, St. Tammany Corporation CEO |
Residential, commercial and municipal planning and development decisions being made now have long-lasting impacts for our families, friends and neighbors. It can be difficult to see when we’re the comfortable ones enjoying the good life, but planning is necessary to enable that quality of life to continue at both ends of the age spectrum.
|
|
|
|
Installation and Awards Luncheon Rescheduled for January 23
Due to inclement weather, the Installation and Awards Luncheon is now taking place on Tuesday, January 23. It will still be at The Greystone in Mandeville with networking at 11:15 AM and the program from noon to 1:15 PM. A limited number of tickets are now available. Register here. |
|
|
|
Gov. Landry's Special Session Addresses Congressional Map Redesign
This week our legislature has been in session weighing how to redraw our state's congressional maps. The following articles from The Advocate | The Times-Picayune provide relevant information:
|
|
Violent Crime Task Force Releases Draft Report
The Louisiana Legislature's Violent Crime Task Force released its draft report at the end of last month with its recommendations for lawmakers. Click here to read more and here to download the draft report. |
People Impacting Small Business in 2024
Click here to read an interesting opinion article about the 12 people who will most impact small business in 2024.
|
|
|
GNO, Inc. "Celebrates 20 Years of Impact"
Greater New Orleans, Inc., our regional economic development organization, celebrated its 20th anniversary last week with a record-setting 1,500 business and civic leaders from across the 10-parish region attending its 2024 luncheon. (Pictured l-r are Townsend Underhill with Stirling, Joan Coffman with St. Tammany Health System, Matthew Saacks with Ampirical and Dr. Jim Carson with Northshore Technical Community College.)
Highlights of 2023 year in review included the following:
- 2023 was a come-back year for Greater New Orleans: tourists returned in record numbers, violent crime dropped by 30% (double the national average), and GNO, Inc. and partners began the fight on mitigating both flood and property insurance
- Major business development wins included the $5B St. Charles Clean Fuels project, Big Fish Games from Seattle opening a new studio, and Shell announcing its new HQ in the nascent $1.5B River District
- Public policy wins included reforms for insurance, millions for early childhood education, and securing “primacy” for carbon capture for Louisiana
- Workforce wins included a new partnership with NASA and Boeing for aerospace, and Louisiana being named #1 in the USA for “Tech Talent Pipeline”
|
|
|
|
Featured Event: Tomorrow! |
|
|
|
Tuesday, January 30
4:30 PM to 6:30 PM
|
|
Thursday, February 8
8:30 AM to 9:30 AM
Chamber's Slidell Office
|
|
Thursday, February 22
11:30 AM to 1:30 PM
|
|
Small Business Program Deadline February 1
The deadline to apply for the upcoming Summer (May-Aug. 2024) Cohort of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program in the Greater New Orleans area is Thursday, February 1, 2024.
Through the 10,000 Small Businesses program you will:
•Receive a world-class business education in only 16 weeks
•Learn skills that you can immediately put into action
•Participate at NO COST to you
|
|
Now Accepting College Scholarship Applications
Three $1,000 scholarships will be awarded by the Chamber to eligible St. Tammany high school students attending a Louisiana college, university, technical or community college.
The deadline to apply is February 23, 2024. Click here to apply.
The scholarships are funded by the Chamber's Swinging for Scholarships Golf Tournament on March 21, 2024.
|
|
Your voice of business in St. Tammany Parish! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
