Key Takeaways
- The Future Louisiana Conference kicks off this Thursday.
- National thought leaders offer ideas and strategies for the future that Louisiana can learn from.
- Bipartisan collaboration can lead to progress on even the toughest policy challenges.
When you’re busy dealing with the issues of the moment, it can be hard to step away and spend time thinking about ideas for the future. Because of that, policies at the state level can sometimes seem shortsighted.
Which is why Better Louisiana created the Future Louisiana Conference. Taking place this Thursday in conjunction with LegisGator in Lake Charles, it is a full-day event bringing together prominent national thought leaders in energy, community development, and career-focused education.
Nearly 40 speakers will dive headfirst into some of the critical challenges facing Louisiana while sharing innovative strategies from across the country to help imagine the future of our state.
The day will be packed with thought-provoking discussions, but here are a few things we’ll be interested in hearing about from three of the major discussion tracks for the day:
- State of Energy: How is the massive growth of Louisiana’s LNG industry reshaping the geo-politics of Europe? And what is the real-world impact of those global LNG ports and terminals tucked away in southwest Louisiana?
- Strategies for Community Development: What are MUDS and CDDs, and how are states like Texas and Florida using them to build vibrant new neighborhoods that promote sustainable growth? Should Louisiana follow suit?
- Ideas for Workforce and Education: If Louisiana really does plan to change its school financing model, where do we need to focus to accelerate student progress, and what can other states teach us from their experiences?
But that’s not all. Even in the halls of Congress they say all politics is local and, to a large degree, so is policy. That’s true at the state level, too. At the Future Louisiana Conference, we will have the rare opportunity to hear from seven mayors from across Louisiana discussing state policy ideas to help strengthen and grow local communities.
Does making real progress on tough issues seem almost impossible to accomplish in the current political environment? One of our keynote speakers shows that doesn’t have to be the case. Texan Margaret Spellings is a former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education and CEO of the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington D.C.
She’ll discuss how BPC has built collaboration across party lines to successfully address structural challenges in education, workforce development, and economic competitiveness. It’s a refreshing message that we believe will resonate strongly in Louisiana.
And, have you ever wondered what Texas is doing with carbon capture that is different from Louisiana? How other states are finding success in meeting their workforce needs? Or how strategic philanthropy can play a role in shaping the future of the state?
We’ll be talking about that, too.
The Future Louisiana Conference is a gathering of business leaders, elected officials, nonprofit executives, and civic-minded citizens with at least one big thing in common: they are forward-looking individuals who share a passion for our state.
Join us and be a part of building a better future for Louisiana.
What: Leaders for a Better Louisiana’s Future Louisiana Conference.
When: Thursday, August 20, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Where: L’Auberge Casino Resort. Lake Charles
How to Register: Go to Leaders for a Better Louisianaand get the Whova conference app.