We intend to move our relationships with business and industry beyond that transactional level, but truly build relationships, partnerships, and coalitions that are transformational – ones that transform the capacity of St. Tammany as a business destination.

Honesty and integrity are paramount in economic development.

We must clearly articulate our scope, services, value, and impact as an economic development organization.

We aim to move past inputs and outputs and to truly celebrate outcomes.

We can produce results-driven work by utilizing our data tools to best understand exactly where our community is right now and creating a program of work that moves the needle towards positive outcomes resulting in a more competitive community for business, industry, and talent.

We understand that economic development is not a cookie cutter business and the work of an economic development organization can be very broad from workforce and talent, to placemaking, to small business development, to land and site development.

We aim to be intentional with our initiatives, programs, resources, and capacity.

We want to engage in high value activities that align with our biggest economic development opportunities for sustainable economic growth.

The economic development organization’s work is vital to the maintenance and growth of the quality of life we hold dear in St. Tammany. We serve as the truthteller of the economic vitality of the parish.

The economic development organization must be engaged directly with all relevant partners: industry and business, parish government and municipalities, LED and GNO, Inc., education and workforce allies all while remaining ahead of the curve on international, national, and regional economic development industry trends and best practices.

As economic development practitioners, we must be engaged in lifelong learning, active listening to constituents and partners, and aware of threats to the local, regional, and state economy.