CONNECTING THE PORT INDUSTRIES TO THE PUBLIC

Community Advisory Panels are vital in connecting the Port Industries with its surrounding Parishes and, most importantly, residents.

Stretching for 54 miles across multiple parishes along the Mississippi River, the Port is the economic heartbeat of the area, providing thousands of quality professions.
But for the surrounding community, the impact created by tenants within the Port District isn’t solely confined to just the plant or refinery property, as policies and decisions can affect all neighbors whether they work there or not.

For that reason, and in the spirit of transparency and harmonious co-existence with residents of the River Parishes, companies in the Port’s district started assembling Community Advisory Panels (CAP) in the late 1980s and early 1990s to serve as a conduit linking the plants to the public.

Since the inception of these Community Advisory Panels, The TJC Group of Baton Rouge has served as consultants overseeing many of them—ensuring that the CAP for each business is managed and facilitated in the most efficient and effective manner possible. Founded 28 years ago, The TJC Group works for many Port stakeholders such as Shell Convent, Noranda Aluminum, OxyChem, and Mosaic. The TJC Group handles more Community Advisory Panels than any other consulting firm in the country.

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“The CAP for each company is vital because that’s how these industrial facilities reach out to and communicate more openly with, their neighbors where they operate,” said TJC Group president Tim Johnson. “These groups meet about once a month, or once every other month, and talk about everything from environmental performance to community support to emergency preparedness and emergency response to local hiring.

“You name it, and we talk about it. And we talk about it openly.”

The role of a CAP is two-fold. As Johnson mentioned, the CAP is the vehicle for these companies to convey their message to the public — whether it be policies, job opportunities, community outreach or philanthropic programs/events. Additionally, the CAP is a way for those surrounding the facility to voice their concerns directly to the Plant Manager.

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“An example of how these panels work…let’s say you have an expansion,” Johnson said. “The community leaders might say that they wish for a lot of the new jobs that will come from the expansion to go to locals. Well, that message gets conveyed from the panel to decision-makers, giving them advice.

“Then, where we the TJC Group comes in from there is to help the CAP and company make good on that. So, we might set up a training program in the community, so that local applicants are prepared for the job opportunities that will be coming once the expansion is complete.”

Representatives from The TJC Group assist in all aspects of a company’s CAP and aim to strengthen the partnerships between leaders on the inside of the facility and the townspeople on the outside.

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“You know, those who don’t work in these facilities drive by and see big stacks, and gates, and security posts and kind of a giant ‘thing,’” Johnson said. “What they don’t see is the faces who work there, the products they make and how products make our life better — that’s where the Community Advisory Panel comes in.

“Everything evolves,” Johnson continued. “The issues slightly evolve. What’s important in the community evolves. Even the way we do business evolves. But what’s the same and will always be the same is it’s still about communication, and that it’s still about advice and feedback and getting that perspective from the community.”

 


 

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