Gov. Edwards Announces Statewide Business Summit

BATON ROUGE — Today, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced the Louisiana Statewide Business Summit, a Feb. 21 event connecting the state’s top business and industry leaders with key administration officials from throughout state government. The summit will highlight Louisiana economic development success stories and the ways both public and private sector leaders plan to address challenges to drive Louisiana’s economic future.

The event will take place Thursday, Feb. 21 from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Baton Rouge Hotel, 7000 Bluebonnet Blvd. Register here, and visit the event site for agenda and event details.

“What binds us together as a people in Louisiana is our fervent desire to put our state first,” Gov. Edwards said. “That goal is far stronger than anything that might divide us. With this Statewide Business Summit, we are uniting leaders from business with leaders from the public sector for open discussion on the ways that we can capture Louisiana’s economic momentum and build a lasting blueprint for future success.”

Conceived as an annual event, the initial summit will provide an opportunity for business and industry decision-makers to interact with the governor’s leadership team on issues critical to the state’s economy.

Gov. Edwards will deliver a keynote address. Four major panel discussions of public and private sector leaders will address the following topics:

• Infrastructure: Investing in Our Future, moderated by CSRS President Tim Barfield.
• Financial Stability: Tax Policy and Financial Reform, moderated by Public Affairs Research Council President Robert Travis Scott.
• Forward Momentum and Opportunity: Louisiana Economic Development, moderated by LED Secretary Don Pierson.
• Bold New World: Water, Cyber and Advanced Manufacturing, with presentations accompanied by a working lunch.

Confirmed event participants include Committee of 100 President and CEO Mike Olivier; Port of New Orleans President and CEO Brandy Christian; DOTD Secretary Shawn Wilson; Department of Revenue Secretary Kimberly Robinson; and LSU Alumni Professor of Economics and Public Administration Jim Richardson.

Other participants will include Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne; Louisiana Workforce Commission Secretary Ava Dejoie; military consultant John Simmons of The Roosevelt Group; President Trey Burvant of Second Line Stages; Executive Director Craig Spohn of the Cyber Innovation Center; and President and CEO Justin Ehrenwerth of The Water Institute of the Gulf.

Presenting sponsors include: C100, the Committee of 100 for Economic Development Inc.; LACCE, the Louisiana Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives; LIDEA, the Louisiana Industrial Development Executives Association; LPFA, the Louisiana Public Facilities Authority; and REAL, the Regional Economic Alliance of Louisiana.

Additional sponsors from throughout the state are supporting the Louisiana Statewide Business Summit and are listed here. For information about becoming a sponsor, visit the Louisiana Statewide Business Summit sponsorship page.