Louisiana economic development on the rise?

ALEXANDRIA, La. (KALB) – Economic development is on the rise in Cenla and across the Pelican State, and leaders hope to capitalize on it.

Adam Knapp was the keynote speaker at a meeting for the Rotary Club of Alexandria this week. He leads the organization “Leaders for a Better Louisiana” as its CEO.

Knapp said the biggest concern they’ve seen is that some regions of the state do really well with development and some have had a tougher time of it.

What Knapp said he’s been impressed by is the state writing a brand new economic development strategy plan, which he said hasn’t been done in almost 20 years.

“They did that where they kind of quilted together a plan from Louisiana Central, a plan from Southwest Louisiana, from Northeast, Northwest Louisiana, and they said, ‘We need a statewide plan that is a combination of all the things all our metro areas need in order to drive successful economic development visions forward,’” he explained.

Knapp said it’s up to citizens and community leaders to ask for a focus on jobs from state leaders.

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