Southeastern NEWS
Southeastern Louisiana University
Public Information Office
publicinfo@selu.edu
SLU 10880, Hammond, LA 70402
504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
Date: 1/3/00
Contact: Carol Dotson 4
Editors: Photos accompany release
REGIONAL ECONOMIC SUMMIT FEATURES NATIONAL SPEAKERS
HAMMOND Experts in tourism, economic development, research and business
consulting and more are scheduled to speak at the Southeast Louisiana Regional Economic
Summit, January 26-28 at Southeastern Louisiana University.
The summit, which will be held in the SLU University Center, will feature nationally
prominent guest speakers who will focus on regional development. The summit's purpose is to
highlight the Florida Parishes and all of southeast Louisiana's potential and strengths while
providing invaluable economic development information.
The summit also is the first event in Southeaster's year-long 75th Anniversary celebration
and honors the 50th anniversary of the Hammond Chamber of Commerce.
Keynote speakers for the Wednesday night opening session are Southeastern President
Sally Clausen, who will speak on the "Economic Impact of SLU on the Florida Parishes," and
Stephen Perry, Governor Foster's Chief of Staff, who will speak on "Vision 2020: Louisiana's
Economic Development Plan for the Future: Regional Economic Development and Local
Universities." At 8 a.m., Thursday, David Kolzow, chair of the economic development graduate
program at the University of Southern Mississippi, will open the summit with, "Strategic
Planning for Economic Development for the Florida Parishes." Kolzow has over 25 years of
consulting experience in private industry, in site selection, real estate development, and planning
and community economic development and is the author of several books on economic
development.
Lt. Governor Kathleen Blanco and Secretary of Economic Development Kevin Reilly are
also scheduled to speak.
Fourteen sessions will feature topics such as "Economic Development Clustering,"
"Business Retention and Expansion," "Obtaining RDA Funding for Economic Development"
and "Developing Niche Tourism Destinations."
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Southeast Regional Economic Summit/ADD ONE
In addition to the business sessions, the summit will host a regional Chamber After Hours
social on Thursday, Jan 27. Summit attendees can also opt to participate in a golf tournament at
Oak Knoll Country Club in Hammond or a shopping spree tour in "America's Antique City,"
Ponchatoula, which includes lunch and a wine tasting.
Major sponsors for the summit are Entergy and Southeastern Louisiana University.
Other sponsors are the City of Hammond, the City Court of Hammond, Hammond
Chamber of Commerce, Tangipahoa Tourist Commission, Tangipahoa Economic
Development Foundation, Florida Parishes Economic Development Association, MetroVision of
New Orleans, Louisiana Department of Economic Development, First Guaranty Bank, Hancock
Bank, Hibernia National Bank and the Neill Corporation.
Deadline for early registration is January 19. Late registration begins at January 20
and continues through Wednesday, January 26. For more information, hotel
accommodations, exhibitor information or to register call 1-800-SLU-ALUM or 504-549-
5038 or visit the web site at www.selu.edu/summit.
Featured speakers include David Dodd, a senior partner of Morrison/Dodd Group, an
international economic and business strategic consulting firm. Dodd has extensive experience in
development finance and has been an active advocate for the establishment of the Business and
Industrial Development Corporation in Louisiana, which provides capital to high growth
companies. He is a pioneer in the emerging principle of interfirm collaboration, business
networking, and cluster based economic development. His current projects include developing
clusters in Louisiana, a network in south central Alaska, and a cluster based marketing strategy
for the state of Tennessee.
Randy Fiveash, an expert in tourism, strategic planning, and marketing for 23 years,
currently serves as president and CEO of the Branson, Mo., Area Chamber of Commerce and
Convention Center. He has also been chief executive officer for tourism in Myrtle Beach and
Greenville, S.C., and Arlington, Texas. As a leader in the tourism industry, Fiveash has served
on the International Association of Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Southeast Tourism
Society. He was a delegate to the White House Conference on Travel and Tourism.
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Southeast Regional Economic Summit/ADD TWO
Larry Harrington serves as alternate executive director of the Inter-American
Development Bank. Prior to his appointment, he practiced law in Washington, D.C., with the
firm of Hawkins, Delafield and Wood. He has led and participated in democracy and
development programs in Latin America and the Caribbean. He authored recommendations for
the Clinton/Gore Administration on the Inter-American Development Bank and other institutions
and was appointed by the President to the Enterprise for the Americas Board. He has served on
the Board of Visitors of the Organization for Tropical Studies headquartered at Duke University
and San Jose, Costa Rica, in addition to working in several positions as a legislative assistant
and counsel to Vice President Al Gore when he served in the House of Representatives and the
Senate.
Robert McEntire has been a part of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service
Team since 1990. He serves as associate director of the United States Department of Commerce
Liaison office at the InterAmerican Development Bank in Washington, D.C. McEntire provides
invaluable assistance to United States firms seeking to participate in the important developmental
project work being supported by the Bank in Latin America and the Caribbean. His experience
includes international trade specialist at the Multilateral Development Bank Operations of the
United States Department of Commerce and Planning and resource manager in the office of
International Operations at the United States Department of Commerce. McEntire also served a
tour of duty in the United States Army Presidential Honor Guard with duty at the White House,
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and other high profile ceremonial events.
Mark Miller is associate dean at the University of Southern Mississippi's College of
International and Continuing Education where he personally directs the college's Caribbean
Studies in Cuba. He also serves as professor of economic development and director of USM's
new International Development doctoral program. Miller is active with the American Economic
Development Council and leads the editorial team for the ED Review and the Research Institute.
Bernie Pinsonat is a partner in Southern Media and Opinion Research, Inc., a Baton
Rouge based survey research and consulting firm whose clients include the Louisiana
Association of Business and Industry, major utilities and oil and gas corporations. His firm
conducts polls for seven television stations across Louisiana on issues and elections and are
frequently called upon by national and state media to provide political commentary.
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Southeast Regional Economic Summit/ADD THREE
Pinsonat was previously executive assistant to Senator J. Bennett Johnston. From 1977-1980, he
was a consultant to the White House assisting with Louisiana media relations.
Jeff Sims is president of Compton Ridge Campground, Inc., a three generation family
owned and operated park in Branson, MO. He is a consultant for Competitive Edge Consulting
specializing in the outdoor recreation industry. He has accumulated 74 years of board service in
various organizations around the country. Sims is a recipient of the prestigious Stan Martin
Memorial Award, the highest award in the industry awarded for leadership on a local, state,
national, and international level.
Mike Stagg is the founder and director of the Louisiana Digital Initiative, a non-profit
organization promoting the linkage of Louisiana's private fiber optic networks. Combining fiber
optic route maps with resources from state agencies and information technology company site
selection specialists, the Louisiana Digital Initiative has identified 35 communities with
immediate digital economic potential and is working to alert those local communities to that
potential.
Michael B. Taylor was appointed Louisiana Rural Development Coordinator in 1994 and
is responsible for the coordination and delivery of the agency's rural and economic development
programs throughout the state. Prior to this appointment, he served as deputy director for rural
development and was responsible for programs in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. He is a
member of the Louisiana Industrial Development Executive Association and the Government
Finance Officers Association.
Mark D. Waterhouse is president and one of the founders of Garnet Consulting Services
which specializes in market and feasibility studies, site searches and master planning, community
and organizational evaluation, strategic planning, and other economic development services. He
has been in the field of economic development for 27 years. He previously worked as
development coordinator and sales and special projects coordinator for Connecticut's largest
business park developer. He also has experience in municipal economic development.
-SLU-
This press release is available on the World Wide Web:
www.selu.edu/NewsEvents/PublicInfoOffice/newssp00m
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SCHEDULE
Southeast Louisiana Regional Economic Summit
"Link to the New Millennium"
January 26-28, 2000
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 26
9:00 am-noon &
5:00pm-7:00pm Registration
7:00 pm-8:00 pm Dinner & Opening Sessions
Sally Clausen - "The Economic Impact of SLU on the Florida Parishes"
Stephen Perry - "Vision 2020: Louisiana's Economic Development Plan
for the Future: Regional Economic Development and Local Universities"
THURSDAY JANUARY 27
7:00 am-11:00 am Registration
8:00 am David Kolzow - Strategic Planning for Economic Development for the
Florida
Parishes"
9:30 am Bernie Pinsonat - Working Together Legislatively Improve the Business
Climate
for the Florida Parishes"
10:45 am Concurrent Sessions:
(A) Mark Miller - "Economic Development Clustering"
(B) David Dodd - "Business Retention and Expansion"
(C) Larry Harrington and Robert McEntire - "Workings of the IDB and
IDB Conference in New Orleans in March 2000"
12:00 pm Remarks by Kevin Reilly, Secretary, Louisiana Department of Economic
Development
1:45 pm - 4:00 pm Concurrent Sessions:
(D) Mike Stagg - "Emerging Economic Development Opportunities with
Telecommunications in Rural Louisiana"
(E) David Dodd - "The Effects of Land Use and Zoning on Economic
Development"
(F) Larry Harrington and Robert McEntire - "Ask the Experts: What You
Always Wanted to Know About the IDB" Inter-American Development
Bank"
5:00 pm -7:30 pm Regional Chamber After Hours Social- Twelve Oaks
FRIDAY JANUARY 28
7:00 am Remarks by Kathleen Blanco, Lt. Governor, State of Louisiana
8:00 am Randy Fiveash - "Developing Niche Tourism Destinations"
8:50 am Jeff Sims - "The Creation of Branson As We Know It Today"
9:45 am Mark Waterhouse - "Developing Industrial Parks and Speculative
Warehousing"
11:00 am Michael Taylor "Obtaining RDA Funding for Economic Development"