AVONDALE, La. — JEDCO and the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce will host their annual Women in Leadership panel March 25, bringing together leaders from government, higher education and the private sector to discuss career development, leadership and professional challenges.
The event is part of the organizations’ Prosper Jefferson initiative and is scheduled for 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. at the JEDCO Conference Center in Avondale.
According to organizers, the conversation will focus on topics such as career growth, mentorship, professional resilience and balancing leadership responsibilities with personal commitments. Speakers will also discuss the role of professional networks and strategies for navigating challenges in a range of industries, including government, higher education and construction.
Jefferson Women in Leadership Panel
The Jefferson Women in Leadership Panel will include:
- Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng;
- Delgado Community College Chancellor Dr. Larissa Littleton-Steib; and
- Erin Comeaux, commercial sector leader at construction firm RNGD.
The discussion will be moderated by Dr. Paula Polito, owner and director of the Beary Cherry Tree Child Development Center and the 2026 chair of the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce.
Cynthia Lee Sheng
Lee Sheng has served as Jefferson Parish president since Jan. 2020, becoming the first woman to hold the position. Before being elected parish president, she served as councilwoman at-large for Division B after representing District 5 on the parish council.
Earlier in her career, Lee Sheng worked for 10 years as a federal law enforcement officer with the Immigration and Naturalization Service, serving in Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Newark. She holds a master’s degree in public administration from George Washington University.
Erin Comeaux
Comeaux serves as commercial sector leader at RNGD, where she oversees commercial construction projects from preconstruction through completion, including project coordination, scheduling and budgeting. She has more than 20 years of experience in the construction industry.
She joined RNGD in 2016 as a senior project manager and now manages multiple commercial projects while working with clients and trade partners throughout the construction process. Comeaux holds a bachelor’s degree in construction management from Louisiana State University.
Dr. Larissa Littleton-Steib
Littleton-Steib has served as chancellor of Delgado Community College since July 2019. She previously served as Delgado’s vice chancellor for workforce development and technical education and executive dean of the college’s West Bank Campus.
Before returning to Delgado, Littleton-Steib served as chancellor of Baton Rouge Community College. During her leadership at Delgado, the college has expanded partnerships with employers including Ochsner Health, LCMC Health, Apple, Amazon, PepsiCo and Mercedes-Benz.
One of the college’s major initiatives has been the development of a healthcare education facility in partnership with Ochsner Health that opened in 2023. The project included $34 million in state funding and $10 million from Ochsner Health, along with an additional $10 million for student scholarships.
Under her leadership, Delgado’s Maritime and Industrial Training Complex has also been federally designated as a Center of Excellence. The college has estimated its annual economic impact in the New Orleans region at more than $588 million.
Dr. Paula Polito
The panel will be moderated by Polito, owner and director of the Beary Cherry Tree Child Development Center in Jefferson Parish, which she has operated since 1999. The center serves more than 230 families through early childhood education programs.
Polito also serves as chair of the Louisiana Department of Education’s Early Childhood Advisory Board and works as a contract trainer for Teachstone, the organization behind the Classroom Assessment Scoring System used to evaluate teacher-child interaction quality.
In addition to her business and policy roles, Polito currently serves as the 2026 chair of the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce and previously chaired the chamber’s Government Affairs Committee and Education and Workforce Development Committee.
The Jefferson Women in Leadership panel is open to businesses and entrepreneurs. Registration costs $12.50 and includes breakfast.
