ST. TAMMANY, La. — The St. Tammany Corporation Board of Commissioners recently voted unanimously to approve and adopt Thrive St. Tammany 2023 — the five-year economic development strategic plan that will serve as the roadmap for the future of economic development in St. Tammany Parish. The adoption of this strategic plan is the new direction of facilitating economic development in a proactive, forward thinking, and innovative manner. Details were shared in a press release.
The mission of the strategic initiatives is to create capacity, sophistication, and expertise as the lead economic development organization in St. Tammany with the focus of greater outcomes of economic prosperity for all of the parish. Strategically aligning and strengthening the economic landscape in St. Tammany to be the destination of choice for highly-skilled talent and business formation, expansion, and retention is an integral part in implementing the core economic development activities outlined in the strategic plan.
“We are redefining economic development in St. Tammany so we can be more competitive, dynamic, and transformational. We want our businesses, people, and communities to THRIVE,” said Chris Masingill, CEO of St. Tammany Corporation. “Our Board of Commissioners supporting and approving this strategic plan is pivotal for how we implement our program of work in every effort to promote St. Tammany Parish as a business destination and to enhance the quality of life for its residents and communities.”
Creating a high-performing economic development organization through organizational effectiveness, harnessing location and innovation as key drivers of business development success, building community competitiveness, and telling the St. Tammany story through a robust and dynamic marketing outreach are the major focus areas outlined in the strategic plan.
The strategic planning process was a significant undertaking that began in September 2018. The strategic planning initiative, Thrive St. Tammany 2023, was led by a team of highly regarded and seasoned economic development practitioners who are internationally recognized as thought leaders within the field of economic development: Vision First Advisors and Economic Leadership. During October and November 2018, the consulting team traveled to St. Tammany to gather vital input from numerous stakeholders and community members through town hall meetings, focus groups, and a public survey. Initial findings were presented to the Board of Commissioners in December 2018. A draft of the strategic plan that focused on the four key elements of the plan: economic analysis, organizational infrastructure, core economic development activities, and marketing and communications was shared at the January 2019 board meeting.
Board president Bill Davis said, “It’s an honor and privilege to be involved with the St. Tammany Corporation. The leadership, staff, and board should be proud of the approval of this strategic plan. As a resident, tax payer, and board member, I look forward to the future value creation of the St. Tammany Corporation as it begins the implementation of its strategic initiatives and strategically aligning St. Tammany’s talent, partners, assets, and natural resources to become nationally-recognized as a community of choice where people, families, and businesses thrive.”
The economic development strategic plan will focus on gauging opportunities for business retention and expansion to promote investment and redevelopment within the parish, coordinating workforce strategies to build capacity for sustainable, innovative talent retention and job creation opportunities, and communicating St. Tammany’s unique strengths as a preferred center for business formation to highlight the parish as a premier place to do business.
During the strategic planning process, a theme of positioning St. Tammany for an opportunity to thrive became abundantly clear. Thrive is used as an acronym to share the organizational mission and values of the St. Tammany Corporation: transformational, honest, results-driven, intentional, vital, and engaged.
The organization intends to build relationships, partnerships, and collaborations that transform the capacity of St. Tammany as a business destination, while honestly articulating the scope, services, value, and impact as an economic development organization. The organization aims to produce results-driven work by utilizing data tools to best understand the exact community needs and creates a program of work that moves the needle towards positive outcomes resulting in a more competitive community for business, industry, and talent.
Understanding that the economic development organization is vital to the maintenance and growth of the quality of life enjoyed by citizens and businesses alike, the St. Tammany Corporation will engage in high value activities that align with economic development opportunities for sustainable economic growth. These values outline exactly who we are as an organization and what others can expect from us as leaders, partners, and truthtellers.
Board vice-president Marty Mayer shared his enthusiasm for the plan’s initiatives stating, “The initiatives and tactics of the Thrive St. Tammany 2023 plan allow the St. Tammany Corporation to evolve into a high-performing economic development organization that responds to the needs of business and industry, leads workforce development and talent retention initiatives, leverages the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem to maximize opportunities for St. Tammany, and positions the community for future business formation and expansion opportunities that challenge the status quo.”
The future 2019 program of work includes, among others, the launch of a proactive marketing and communications plan, coordinating a workforce development assessment and gap analysis, performing an evaluation of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in St. Tammany, and facilitating an educational economic development summit.
To learn more about St. Tammany Corporation and download the economic analysis, Thrive St. Tammany 2023 economic development strategic plan executive summary, and the Thrive St. Tammany 2023 economic development strategic plan, visit www.sttammanycorp.org.
