Slidell Reaccredited as a Louisiana Development Ready Community

SLIDELL, La. – Louisiana Economic Development reaccredited the City of Slidell as a Louisiana Development Ready Community in a ceremony Thursday in St. Tammany Parish. Originally recognized in 2009, Slidell was the 11th city to receive the designation during the pilot stage of the program.

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 legacy member of the LDRC, Slidell has helped to set the pace for this important program, which now boasts 52 member communities across Louisiana,” LED Secretary Don Pierson said. “This reaccreditation signals that Slidell leaders and their collaborating partners will continue to work for the city’s long-term success. Their commitment to LDRC principles sends a clear signal to investors that Slidell has what it takes to create competitive advantages for the businesses that locate there.”

St. Tammany Corporation CEO Chris Masingill and his team led Slidell in the process of updating their strategic plan and securing the reaccreditation.

“Slidell is open for business, and I am proud of the work we do every day on behalf of the families and businesses that call Slidell home,” Mayor Greg Cromer said. “Slidell was one of the first-ever certified Louisiana Development Ready Communities in our state, and this timely update to our city’s original LDRC plan from a decade ago shows our continuous commitment to improving the lives of our residents and attracting new opportunities that will help our community continue to flourish. Thank you to St. Tammany Corporation for taking the lead on updating this plan for our city.”

““We are proud to be a part of this project, and updating this plan reinforces Slidell’s commitment to being a destination where businesses and talent can thrive,” Masingill said. “Being able to show the community’s values and priorities through this Slidell-specific plan and its implementation is a powerful tool when making the business case to companies that want to start up, relocate, or stay in Slidell and St. Tammany 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.

About LED
Louisiana Economic Development is responsible for strengthening the state’s business environment and creating a more vibrant economy. It is the only state agency in the U.S. accredited by the International Economic Development Council, boasting award-winning programs like LED FastStart, rated the No. 1 customized workforce training program in the U.S. 13 years in a row. In 2021, LED attracted 64 new economic development projects representing over 18,100 new direct and indirect jobs, 9,700 retained jobs and more than $20.5 billion in new capital investment. Explore how LED cultivates jobs and economic opportunity for the people of Louisiana and employers of all sizes at OpportunityLouisiana.com.