Saturday, May 15, 2004
Louisiana's got a new governor. I might be dreaming, but it appears that change may be starting to take hold in the Bayou State. For years, efforts at economic transformation have been derailed by insider, corrupt politics. Huey Long's legacy still lives on.
This may be changing a little, at least in the southern part of the state. (It's too much to hope for wholesale reforms.) Here are some articles that provide hopeful signs that the conversation is shifting.
Biotech researchers and entrepreneurs met last week in New Orleans. Read more. Information technology executives held a summit in Lafayette. Read more. And the Universrity of New Orleans held an entrepreneurship summit in New Orleans. Read more. Harvard University has selected the manufacturing extention program in Lafayette as one of a handful of finalists in its Innovations in Government awards. Read more. LSU, a day after the biotechnology gconference, announced formation of a venture capital fund. Read more. And Jimmy Lyles, head of the Baton Rouge Chamber, gracefully decides to move on after a distinguished career and taking the time to set the table for his successor. Read more.
posted by Ed Morrison |
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Some Background on EDPro Weblog
The purpose of this weblog is to help economic development professionals -- EDPros -- keep up with the changes sweeping our profession. Strap on your goggles. It's a whole new game. There are no experts any more. The only place to learn about economic development is from other EDPros who are doing it.
One other point: the prevaling approach (paradigm, if you like) in economic development is shifting from competition to collaboration. There are a lot of reaasons underlying this shift, but here's the important insight: You, your community, and your region will do better by collaborating and sharing information.
If you are using a news reader, here is the link to syndicate this site:
Here's the link if you are a bloglines subscriber:
Speaking and workshops on Open Source Economic Development
As the idea of Open Source Economic Development starts spreading, more people are asking about it. Visit the I-Open web site to learn more. My colleagues and I are happy to explain the basic concepts in a talk or a workshop. E-mail Susan Alshuler if you'd like to learn more about workshops and speaking.
Background on Ed Morrison
Download some background information on me here.
Are the winds of change sweeping Louisiana?
