What do you see as Baton Rouge’s greatest assets – biggest differentiators – in attracting investment and talent? “It starts with the people. They’re warm, they’re welcoming, and people here show up for each other. That sense of connectivity in this community is strong compared to othe r places. Second is higher education. Between LSU, Southern University and Baton Rouge Community College, we’ve got an education powerhouse and huge opportunities to attract new economic development. Third is healthcare innovation. You’ve got innovation leaders between Ochsner, Pennington, LSU, Southern and other providers that bring energy and investment in training and technology. And finally, we’ve got an asset we don’t always take advantage of: every statewide official is in this market for a growing portion of the year. That gives us exposure to the state’s decision-makers.” Are there assets the Capital Region needs to leverage more effectively? “We have to think more regionally—not just the city of Baton Rouge, but the areas around Baton Rouge, including New Orleans and all the assets that come with it. My youngest says, “I don’t want to visit any other college. I want to be at LSU. I want to stay in Louisiana. I like the fishing, the sports, the culture.” Another one may not come back, but that’s why exposure to our assets matters. Bringing all the pieces together to create a broader vision for the region is important as we sell what we have. I’m glass-half-full. There are a lot of good things going on.“ What challenges must the Capital Region overcome to meet the workforce needs of the future economy? “We have partnerships with nearly every two-year, four-year, and vo-tech system, but the goal over the next five years is ambitious. We need to graduate 1,500 new medical students, complete training for 850 new residents and fellows, graduate nearly 7,000 new nurses and prepare almost 1,000 allied health professionals. The positions are open and ready to be filled. The challenge is that if we’re not getting in on the front end, we won’t have the applicants. With an aging population, those needs are only going to grow. We’ve got to continue alignment — not just with higher education, but with our public school systems. We have to expose young people to what jobs are available. There are thousands of open jobs in healthcare today. A four-year degree may not always be the solution, but if people don’t know where the opportunities are, they won’t pursue them.” Baton Rouge residents are notoriously self-critical about their own city. Why is that, and how do we fix it? “We’ve talked about all of the assets that we have. To Jeff’s point, it’s all about collaboration. To Willie’s point, it’s about creating that shared vision. To Charles’ point, it’s finding the right mechanism to convene. Is it the Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership now, or is it the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, or others? Probably all of the above. But we have to find a way to come together to prioritize how we market and sell our assets – not only to the general public, but also to the younger generations. That’s the future.“ Get out your crystal balls. What is your five-year outlook for your organization and the Capital Region? “Looking at the next five years, I’m optimistic about where we’re heading. We need to focus on the positives and the good things happening in the region. Within healthcare, we need more collaboration and more teaching and training opportunities among providers statewide. We also need continued investment in information technology, digital solutions, access to care and using artificial intelligence to solve access challenges. Ultimately, it’s about creating a healthier, more stable population that produces a sustainable workforce. That takes leadership, celebrating wins and allocating resources to solutions that move us forward“ Learn More About Ochsner Baton Rouge and Lake Charles Back to Capital Assets Roundtable ...read more read less