Lafayette Named Louisiana Development Ready Community

LAFAYETTE, La. – Louisiana Economic Development recognized the City and Parish of Lafayette as a Louisiana Development Ready Community, the 54th parish or municipality to receive state certification of local investment readiness since the program began in 2008.

The Louisiana Development Ready Communities program helps participants become more competitive for new investment and jobs by guiding selected communities through the process of creating and implementing a strategic economic development plan. By following its plan for multiple years, participants leverage local assets and address unique challenges to empower business growth in their communities.

“As a city-parish participant, Lafayette’s recognition as Louisiana Development Ready Community is an especially impressive team effort,” LED Secretary Don Pierson said. “A strong economic foundation is impossible without effective collaboration among stakeholders. I applaud Mayor-President Josh Guillory and Lafayette Economic Development Authority President and CEO Mandi Mitchell for their roles in bringing together the broad and diverse coalition of business and community partners to create a common vision for economic growth in the Acadiana Region. Their commitment to LDRC program principles sends a clear signal to investors that Lafayette has what it takes to create competitive advantages for the businesses that locate there.”

To secure the LDRC designation, LEDA and the City-Parish of Lafayette combined the strategic planning efforts of local tourism partners, the economic development authority, chamber of commerce officials and other stakeholders; identified the wins that have been implemented; and coalesced around plans to leverage and amplify the community’s collective efforts.

“We are honored that Louisiana Economic Development has recognized the City and Parish of Lafayette as a Louisiana Development Ready Community,” Guillory said.  “We’ve worked diligently to improve the quality of life for our residents, invest in infrastructure and create a robust economy and workforce. This designation makes us even stronger and creates more opportunities to achieve success. I thank Lafayette Economic Development Authority CEO Mandi Mitchell for her leadership and for working with LED to secure this honorable designation.”

“Lafayette has always been an innovative, forward-thinking community and I am thrilled to be on the home team working to move all of Lafayette forward,” Mitchell said.  “Community leaders in the City-Parish of Lafayette have been thoughtful and deliberate by way of collective efforts to plan for the future. We have engaged the community in a robust manner through each planning effort. LEDA has now introduced its comprehensive three-year economic development strategic plan into the mix so that together we may continue to enhance quality of life, education, workforce development, economic development and infrastructure development in the parish.”

For more information about the LDRC program, visit the LED website or contact LED Director of Community Competitiveness Stacey Duvic at stacey.duvic@la.gov or 225.342.4703.