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Eight Business Leaders Elected to Serve on Chamber Board
We are excited to welcome eight new members to our board of directors who will help us accomplish our mission to promote and support businesses in St. Tammany Parish: (top l-r) Jamie Andrepont with AFX Pro, LLC; Matt Guidry with The Time Picayune/New Orleans Advocate/St. Tammany Farmer; Les Hall with St. Tammany Health System; Rory Hebbler with First Horizon Bank; (bottom l-r) Chris Hnatyshyn with Kyle Associates, Inc.; Ted Longo with The Longo Group; Theresa Orgeron with JJL&W Insurance Consulting Firm; and Michelle Schellinger with Renasant. They will serve as duly elected board members from 2027 through 2029 and will be installed in January along with our returning board members. Congratulations and thank you for your commitment to servant leadership.
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Parish Launches RESET Task Force to Focus on Tax Structure and Efficiency
Parish President Mike Cooper has established the RESET St. Tammany Task Force to review the parish’s tax structure, identify opportunities for greater government efficiency and explore ways to improve service delivery. RESET stands for Revenue, Efficiency, Spending, Education and Transparency. The task force will bring together representatives from taxing authorities, public safety agencies, local governments, the business community and other stakeholders to examine how public services are funded and delivered across the parish.
Task force topics will include potential cost savings, shared services, consolidation and improved public access to financial information. The first meeting is scheduled for October 28 at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers on Koop Drive in Mandeville—and is open to the public. Additional meetings are to follow every other month. Read the announcement.
The announcement has received significant media coverage. News links and a recording of the RESET task force press conference are below.
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Election Resources
Early voting for the November 3 election began yesterday, October 20, and runs through October 27, excluding Sunday, October 25. Make your voices heard and take advantage of the convenient early voting period to avoid lines. Votes can be cast from 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM at these locations. Click here for more election resources.
Early Voting is Underway—A Message from Our CEO Lacey Osborne
While many voters may be focused on sheriff, judicial, and school board races, there are also TEN Constitutional Amendments on the ballot. Our board and staff have spent considerable time reviewing these amendments. In our opinion, the best resource for understanding them is the one-page P.A.R. Constitutional Amendment Guide, which clearly explains what a yes vote and a no vote would mean for each amendment. The guide has already been shared in this weekly update and in yesterday's email to Chamber members. We’re sharing it again because informed voting matters. We generally avoid sharing opinion pieces, but because of the number and complexity of this year’s amendments, we are also including a link to Stephanie Grace's column from this Sunday’s Advocate: "Constitutional Amendment Fatigue Is Real and Understandable." We considered endorsing some amendments, but opinions varied. Instead, we agreed on a simpler message: Take a few minutes to review the P.A.R. Guide before you vote. In the last election, all five constitutional amendments were rejected. That was a first, and hopefully the last. Be informed, vote thoughtfully, every vote matters.
What's on the Ballot in St. Tammany Parish?
St. Tammany Parish voters will decide several local races on November 3, including the sheriff’s race, judicial contests, school board seats and municipal elections. The ballot also includes statewide constitutional amendments and a local drainage tax renewal. Read more.
Webinar Explores Louisiana’s 10 Constitutional Amendments
The Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana hosted a webinar examining the 10 constitutional amendments on the November 3 ballot. Daniel Erspamer, Barry Erwin and Jan Moller discussed the proposals and shared perspectives from public policy and advocacy organizations during the event. Watch the webinar.
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Louisiana Reports Projected $565 Million Budget Surplus
Last week, state officials reported a projected $565 million budget surplus to spend on debt payments, infrastructure improvements and other one-time expenses Lawmakers will determine how to allocate the remaining funds. Read more.
Fundraising Totals Released for St. Tammany Sheriff Race
Campaign finance reports show how much each of the four St. Tammany Parish sheriff candidates raised through October 3, offering a snapshot of fundraising ahead of the November 3 election. Read more.
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September Ambassador of the Month
Congratulations to our September Ambassador of the Month, Mark Niehaus! Mark serves as Covington Branch Manager for Xplore Federal Credit Union. We appreciate his commitment to creating meaningful connections among Chamber members, supporting initiatives that benefit the Chamber and community, and helping strengthen our local business community.
Thank you, Mark!
| | | Support Your Local Chamber Day: Thank You to Our Members | | Today is Support Your Local Chamber of Commerce Day, and we want to thank our members for being part of our Chamber. Your support and involvement help us connect businesses, advocate for our local business community and bring people together. We value the relationships we have built with our members and appreciate the time, ideas and support you contribute. Thank you for investing in our Chamber and helping us serve businesses across St. Tammany Parish. | | | Congratulations to Crawfish Swim School on opening its Covington location at 50 Park Place! We celebrated the occasion with a ribbon cutting and are pleased to welcome Crawfish Swim School as a new Chamber member. The school offers year-round swim lessons, including small-group, private and adaptive options, in an indoor, heated pool. Visit their website to learn more. | | Congratulations to Mr. Handyman of Covington - Slidell! We celebrated with a ribbon cutting at their corporate office at 633 Asbury Drive in Mandeville. Locally owned and operated, the business provides residential and commercial handyman services throughout St. Tammany Parish, helping homeowners and businesses with projects big and small. Visit their website to learn more. | | Incoming 2027 board members were welcomed at the Chamber's October board meeting, where they had an opportunity to meet fellow members and become familiar with the board’s work. The board also discussed its retreat plans, regular agenda items, the consent calendar, upcoming Chamber programs and other key priorities. | | U.S. Chamber Shares Small Business Employee Retention Strategies | | Keeping good employees is an ongoing challenge for many small businesses. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce outlines practical ways employers can improve retention, including hiring for the right fit, offering competitive pay, listening to employee feedback and recognizing contributions. The article also looks at career development, work-life balance, stay interviews and company culture, with ideas to help business owners better understand what employees need and create a workplace where they want to stay. Read the article here. | | |
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