The motivation to stage the inaugural IGNITE Young Professionals Leadership Summit on November 6 was driven by the data.
Specifically, in 2023, several parish entities (including the Jefferson Chamber) partnered together to author, distribute, collect, and decipher a Quality-of-Life survey to all parish residents. Among many traits, the survey brought to light that Jefferson Parish’s median age was older than many neighboring parishes, and that those in the infant stages of their careers who went to high school in Jefferson Parish were commonly choosing to chase opportunities in metro areas like Houston, Dallas, and Atlanta instead of establishing roots where they grew up.
“That opened some eyes and caused many to ask themselves, ‘How do we as the Jefferson Chamber’s Young Professionals Committee work to attract and retain young professionals in our parish, and our state, at large?’” says Ruth Lawson, President of the Jefferson Parish Chamber of Commerce. “The Young Professionals have been a proactive civic- and business-minded group within our Chamber that has been pushing various important initiatives. And this is one of the largest, flagship initiatives to date.”
After a brief introduction and acknowledgment of event sponsors, IGNITE kicked off with Jerry Bologna of the Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission, presenting on “MORE HERE” – a fresh marketing campaign touting the untapped and abundant professional and entrepreneurial opportunities that exist in Jefferson Parish, alongside the cultural and quality-of-life perks that are unique to the area.
From there, IGNITE put on an Ask the Executives Panel featuring Meghan Donelon, Market President of Red River Bank; Ochsner West Bank CEO Kelly Haynie; Sunni Lebeouf, Market VP for Cox Communications-Greater New Orleans; and Brian Moldaner, the Chief Growth Officer at T. Baker Smith. Those on stage answered questions about lessons learned from making bold decisions, defining the relationship between business success and community engagement, the shared traits and commonalities found in young leaders, and how to handle the pressure and scrutiny that comes with making difficult, unpopular but necessary business decisions.
IGNITE concluded with two speaker sessions featuring Julie Couret, Executive Coach with Exit Momentum, and Lauren Haydel, founder and CEO of retail upstart-turned-multi-million-dollar brick and mortar enterprise, Fleurty Girl.
Couret’s session, titled “Earn Your Future Seat at The Executive Table” revealed to those in attendance the tested methods on how to think, act, and add the type of value to an entity that leads to positive career progression. Haydel, the keynote speaker of IGNITE, recited her inspiring entrepreneurial story from Page 1, Chapter 1 in 2009 as an Internet-only boutique to a nine-location enterprise less than two decades later, with stores uptown, in the French Quarter, Lakeside, Old Metairie, Gretna, Louis Armstrong International Airport, Bay St. Louis, Mandeville, and Baton Rouge.
“From the Chamber’s perspective, our mission is to champion the industries thriving in Jefferson while helping create the conditions for new ones to grow,” Lawson says. “We work to foster the most business-friendly landscape possible, and we also focus on strengthening the quality of life that helps employers attract and retain talent.”
“As we’ve found with young professionals, culture and professional growth are often just as important as career opportunities,” Lawson continues. “The IGNITE Summit put leadership and professional development front and center, showcasing the resources, connections, and experiences that help emerging leaders grow and succeed in Jefferson.”
