Southeast Louisiana Economic Council

Southeast Louisiana Economic Council
Name	Southeast Louisiana Economic Council
Formation	1985
Type	Nonprofit economic development organization
Headquarters	New Orleans, Louisiana
Region served	New Orleans, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana
Leader title	President & CEO

Southeast Louisiana Economic Council is a regional economic development organization based in New Orleans that promotes industry growth, workforce development, and infrastructure investment across southeast Louisiana. Founded in the mid-1980s, the Council has engaged with municipal and state officials, corporate executives, and nonprofit stakeholders to attract capital and coordinate recovery after natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Rita, and Hurricane Ida. The organization operates at the nexus of port logistics, petrochemical investment, and coastal restoration, working closely with actors from the Port of New Orleans to the Louisiana Recovery Authority.

History

The Council was established in 1985 amid regional shifts linked to the expansion of the Port of New Orleans, the resurgence of the Maritime industry in the United States, and state policy initiatives from the Office of the Governor of Louisiana. Early work intersected with infrastructure projects associated with the Interstate 10 corridor, the Greater New Orleans Expressway Commission, and parish development authorities in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana and St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. In the 1990s the Council expanded engagement with energy firms headquartered near the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port and with trade groups such as the American Chemistry Council and the National Association of Manufacturers. Post-2005 recovery efforts brought the Council into partnerships with federal entities including the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for projects tied to levee repair and coastal protection plans advocated by the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana.

Mission and Activities

The Council’s mission emphasizes job creation, capital attraction, and resilience planning across the Mississippi River corridor and adjacent parishes. Activities include site selection assistance for multinational corporations, coordination with workforce programs run by the Louisiana Workforce Commission, and advocacy before the Louisiana State Legislature on tax incentives like those administered under the Louisiana Economic Development framework. The Council also engages with educational institutions such as Tulane University, Loyola University New Orleans, and University of New Orleans to align curricula with employer needs, and with vocational partners like LCTCS and the New Orleans BioInnovation Center to support sector pipelines.

Organizational Structure

The Council is governed by a board comprising executives from regional companies, public officials from parishes such as Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, and community leaders from municipalities including Kenner, Louisiana and Metairie, Louisiana. Executive leadership coordinates with economic development staff, policy analysts, and project managers who liaise with federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Commerce and state departments such as Louisiana Department of Economic Development. Committees address key sectors—maritime logistics, petrochemicals, advanced manufacturing, and tourism—with advisory input from trade associations like the American Petroleum Institute and the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce.

Economic Impact and Programs

The Council tracks metrics related to direct investment, job commitments, and capital projects tied to the Port of South Louisiana and port complexes along the Lower Mississippi River. Programs include targeted attraction campaigns for foreign direct investment involving partners such as SelectUSA and trade missions coordinated with consulates and chambers like the French-American Chamber of Commerce in New Orleans. Workforce initiatives align with federal grants from the U.S. Department of Labor and state workforce incentives administered through Local Workforce Development Boards. The Council’s influence is reflected in announced plant expansions, manufacturing relocations, and logistics hubs associated with corporations like BASF, Shell plc, and regionally headquartered firms that have announced projects in the Mississippi River industrial corridor.

Partnerships and Funding

Funding sources combine membership dues from private-sector partners, grants from state entities such as Louisiana Economic Development, and program-specific federal funding via agencies including the Economic Development Administration. Strategic partnerships include alliances with port authorities—Port of New Orleans and Port of South Louisiana—regional planning bodies like the Regional Planning Commission (New Orleans), and environmental groups working on coastal restoration like The Nature Conservancy and the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana. Collaborations with utility companies, including regional electric providers and pipeline operators regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, support infrastructure-ready site development.

Notable Projects and Initiatives

Notable initiatives coordinated or influenced by the Council include site development campaigns for petrochemical investments along the Lower Mississippi River, workforce training consortia tied to refinery and chemical plant operations, and resilience planning in response to storm surge risks. The Council has been involved in projects that intersect with federal flood control works overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and coastal projects funded through programs established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. It has supported supply-chain diversification for agricultural exporters using facilities linked to the Port of New Orleans and freight rail connections involving Union Pacific Railroad and Kansas City Southern Railway. The Council’s initiatives also encompass tourism and hospitality recovery efforts that touch French Quarter, Audubon Nature Institute, and festival organizers such as those behind Mardi Gras events, enhancing visitor economies in the region.

Category:Organizations based in New Orleans Category:Economic development organizations in the United States