Tuesday, August 19, 2014 will be Fort Polk Letter Signing Day in Alexandria, Pineville and surrounding communities. The Central Louisiana Chamber of Commerce is partnering with Fort Polk Progress to sponsor the event, with assistance from the England Authority and CLEDA. Local grocery stores, banks and other businesses will host letter signing stations for their patrons. A list of participating businesses will be widely publicized prior to Tuesday. If your business is open to foot traffic and you would like to participate, please contact the Chamber at 442-6671. Large businesses are also encouraged to conduct internal letter signing campaigns. Letters may be signed now online or printed out for signatures by clicking on the link below. 

"We want our message to the Army to be loud and clear: 'Don't cut troops at Fort Polk," said Michael Reese, Chairman of Fort Polk Progress. "Of any base in the nation, Fort Polk offers the most cost effective, rigorous and relevant training, together with exceptional maneuver space, air space and rapid deployment facilities, on a modern facility surrounded by communities dedicated to supporting soldiers and their families."

"It is critically important to send more letters of support than the 4,700 submitted to the Department of the Army last year," said Deborah Randolph, Chamber President and Louisiana Military Advisory Council member.  "Due to the successful advocacy effort led by Fort Polk Progress in 2013, other communities surrounding Army posts will work diligently to engage public support this time around."

Make your Chamber Membership work for you. We encourage our new Chamber members to attend one of our upcoming three Membership Orientation meetings. This is your opportunity to meet the Chamber staff, introduce your business, and familiarize yourself with the variety of benefits we offer and get connected.

At each orientation, you will meet the Chamber's executive leadership and receive an informal presentation covering all you need to know to start making your Chamber membership work for you.

Topics covered include:

Plan of Work

Committees

Networking Events

Special Events

Marketing Services

Programs

Communications

Whether you're a new or existing member, Member Orientation is a great way to start maximizing your Chamber membership.

Please RSVP for one of the following dates:

September 5

8:30 am - 9:30 am

or

September 16 

5 pm - 6 pm

Seating is limited, please RSVP at 318.442.6671. For more information, contact �Lindsey Morone.

Business Facilities magazine named Louisiana the No. 1 business climate in the U.S., the first time Louisiana has topped a national ranking of state business climates. In addition, LED FastStart - Louisiana's customized workforce development program, created in 2008 - earned the No. 1 ranking for state workforce programs from Business Facilities for an unprecedented fifth year in a row.

The rankings are part of the Business Facilities 2014 State Rankings Report issued annually to gauge the competitiveness of state economic development programs and economic indicators across the nation. Louisiana also posted strong performances in a number of other categories, including: No. 2 for exports leaders; No. 3 for economic growth potential; No. 5 for best infrastructure; No. 8 for lowest industrial electricity rates; and No. 10 among state employment leaders.

Click the LED logo to read more about the announcement. 

  The Central Louisiana Chamber of Commerce will host a Strategic Luncheon for its members sponsored by MidSouth Bank.

Thursday, August 14

11:30am to 1:00pm

Convention Hall at Alexandria City Hall 

(915 Third Street, Alexandria)
 

Admission

$20 per individual ($25 for non-Chamber members), includes meal

Table Sponsorship: $250

Includes meals for eight & table signage

RSVP by Tuesday, August 12

  Or call 318.442.6671

C.R. "Rusty" Cloutier, President and Chief Executive Officer of MidSouth Bank, NA, and MidSouth Bancorp, Inc. in Lafayette, LA, will speak about economics in today's America, Louisiana's current job growth, and the completion of I-49 and its impact on our community.

Mr. Cloutier is the past chairman of the National Advisory Committee for Fannie Mae in Washington, DC, and past chairman of the Independent Community Bankers of America. In addition, he is a former member of the Securities and Exchange Commission Advisory Committee on Smaller Public Companies, a former director of the New Orleans branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta as well as Energy Advisory Council. He is currently a member of the Nominating Advisory Committee for the Federal Reserve Bank in Atlanta.

Please take advantage of this unique opportunity to network and learn about current economic issues affecting our state and nation. 

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

7:00pm to 9:00pm

Showboat Theatre, 7090 Alabama Avenue,

Building 1454 Fort Polk, LA 71459

This is a free networking event exclusively for military spouses and the business community sponsored by USAA and open to all military spouses, including Active Duty, Guard, Reserve, Veteran, and Gold Star Spouses.

Military spouses will have the opportunity to:

• Network with local business executives, community leaders, and senior military spouses
• Gain valuable insight on career planning
• connect with other military spouses in the area to form new networks and connections

************

 Wednesday, August 27, 2014

10:00am to 1:00pm

Youth Gym, 1882 16th Street

Building 924 Fort Polk, Louisiana 71459

 The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Hiring Our Heroes, and ACS present the Military Spouse Program Hiring Fair. This event is open to all military spouses, including Active Duty, Guard, Reserve, Veteran, and Gold Star Spouses.

 Our career and hiring fair features:

• Employers looking for and committed to hiring military spouses, including MSEP partners
• Presentations to help spouses plan a career in a highly mobile environment
• Resume help

Click here to register online for these events.

 

Louisiana manufacturers and residents could face significant economic consequences if the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) moves to lower its ground-level ozone standard later this year, according to a new study conducted by NERA Economic Consulting for the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI) and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM).

 The study finds that a new EPA ozone standard set at 60 parts per billion (ppb) - below the current standard that many states are still working to meet - could cost trillions of dollars. At these costs, a new ozone standard could be the most costly regulation in the nation's history.

"New technologies in the manufacturing and energy sectors are making Louisiana more competitive for investment than ever before. We now employ more than 2 million people for the first time in our state's history and that growth is only beginning, in large part thanks to a strong energy and manufacturing sector," said LABI President Stephen Waguespack. "This rule would undermine our work to expand Louisiana's economy and train a qualified workforce for the jobs of tomorrow."

 In Louisiana, a new federal ozone standard could put 117,000 job equivalents at risk annually and cost the state's businesses $189 billion in added compliance costs, according to the study. A stricter ozone standard could also reduce U.S. Gross Domestic Product by as much as $3.4 trillion through 2040 and dramatically increase energy costs across all sectors.

Click the LABI logo for the complete announcement.

Fort Polk Progress, the Vernon Parish School District, and Fort Polk, along with many partners, announced that the group's Education Initiative was selected to receive the Military Child Education Coalition's (MCEC) 2014 Pere Taylor Partnership of Excellence Award in the category of Outstanding Partnerships.

 The Education Initiative partners include the Vernon Parish School Board; the Rapides Foundation; Central Louisiana Technical Community College; Fort Polk; The Great Vernon Parish Chamber of Commerce; Northwestern State University; Louisiana Economic Development; Louisiana Department of Education; and many military and civilian family partners.

"The Vernon Parish School Board is fortunate to have such a positive relationship with Fort Polk," said James Williams, superintendent of Vernon Parish Schools. "We support each other in every possible way and work toward the goals of each organization. The partnership has worked to develop the Education Initiative with has made a positive impact on all students in our system. Our relationship is strengthened by the leadership of our community and military partners, and Fort Polk Progress and its endeavors to improve our community."

"A lot of hard, productive work has been accomplished over many years by the Vernon Parish Team, and I think our partnership this last year has continued to grow and will continue to grow in future years," said Brig. Gen. William Hickman, commanding general of Fort Polk and the Joint Readiness Training Center.

Click on the picture to read press release in its entirety.

From left to right: Rhonda Plummer, Parish Administrator for the Vernon Parish Police Jury; Renita Page, Curriculum Coordinator for the Vernon Parish School Board; Jon Grafton, Executive Director of England Airpark & a Fort Polk Progress Board member; James Williams, Superintendent of the Vernon Parish School District; Stephanie Sarver, chief, Plans Analysis & Integration Office, Fort Polk; Jim Tuck, President of the Vernon Parish Police Jury & a Fort Polk Progress Board member; Col. Thomas Moore, Garrison Commander of Fort Polk; Michael Reese, Chairman of Fort Polk Progress; Paul Sawyer, of Louisiana Economic Development; and Katherine Corbin, of the Roosevelt Group.