METAIRIE, La. – The Jefferson Chamber traveled to Austin, Texas with a delegation of public, private, and nonprofit leaders from the Greater New Orleans region for its InterCity Visit.
The trip was conducted July 18-21 featuring an agenda developed to enable attendees to learn from their counterparts in the Austin (Travis County) market. Each day, the cohort examined some of the challenges and opportunities faced by Jefferson Parish in these areas while highlighting Austin’s achievements through the facilitation and exchange of best practices and lessons learned.
“The purpose of this trip is to make sure we have a vision for Jefferson Parish far into the future,” said Ruth Lawson, President of the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce. “We looked at what’s going on with Jefferson Parish and where we need to improve.”
Panel discussions, presentations, site visits, and tours filled the trip’s three-day itinerary which focused on economic development, education, workforce development, and quality of life initiatives. Speakers included leaders from the Austin Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Austin Alliance, City of Austin, Catellus Development Corporation, and Mobile Loaves & Fishes. Panel-led discussions focused on education and economic development, in addition to presentations by Pflugerville Mayor Victor Gonzales and Round Rock Mayor Craig Morgan.
This year’s trip was the second of its kind conducted by the Jefferson Chamber following its inaugural visit in June 2021 to Tennessee which included visits to Nashville (Davidson County), Murfreesboro (Rutherford County), and Franklin (Williamson County).
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About the Jefferson Chamber:
The Jefferson Chamber has been a leading voice for Jefferson Parish’s business community for over 25 years. As a non-profit, membership-driven organization, the Chamber is an effective advocate for small and large businesses at the local, state and federal levels. The Chamber’s mission is to work for the advancement of the business community; to enhance the economic, civic and cultural environment; and to improve the quality of life in Jefferson Parish. The Jefferson Chamber is Five-Star Accredited by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and was awarded the 2013, 2015, and 2019 Chamber of the Year Award by the Louisiana Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives in the Large Chamber Category.
For more information about the Jefferson Chamber, visit www.jeffersonchamber.org, follow on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
