“ The first thing is to know what’s in people’s hearts; then you can go for ward confidently and their hearts will rejoice when you get there.” -Mayor Joe Riley
Executive Summary: On October 12 ‐ 14, approximately 60 business and civic leaders travelled to Charleston, S.C. on 1A’s inaugural Leadership Exchange The itinerary included panel discussions focused on regionalism, workforce development, community development, placemaking/urban revitalization, and transportation infrastructure We also enjoyed a private audience with legendary Mayor Joe Riley, dined at some of Charleston’s finest restaurants, and took a guided boat tour of the harbor The participants spent more than an hour in a final debrief session, which surfaced a number of key lessons from the trip 1A plans to organize a 2 nd Leadership Exchange in the spring of 2017 “Thank you for embracing this trip, this is profound and will be transformative.” –Sue Soileau Brignac, 2015 co ‐ chair 2
Lesson 1: Remember that good is the enemy of great We’re pretty good right now…but we’ve got to think and act • differently Our biggest obstacle? Complacency • We need to critically assess ourselves • What got us here will NOT get us there • “We went to training camp with a team that won the Super Bowl.” ‐ Monty Warren, 2015 participant “You need to be willing to get undressed and look at yourself naked in the mirror. That’s who you are.” –Dr. Mary Thornley, Trident Technical College 1 3
Lesson 2: Tell the story (and make it personal) One Acadiana should be a story teller…where are we going • and why? We need the general story (overall community vision) • Particular initiatives need a story, too (e.g., rationale for • workforce programs) “Facts tell, stories sell.” –Dr. Mary Thornley, Trident Technical College “Start from your strength – passion of place is ours.” –Royal Hill, 2015 participant 4
Lesson 3: Cultivate inclusive, trusting relationships across the community As leaders, we need to own this role We need much more of this across the public and private sectors Real communication requires “talking with” rather than “talking at,” with a willingness to listen differently and engage the hard stuff Seek to understand what different parts of the community need “Change happens at the speed of trust.” –John Read, Tri ‐ County Cradle to Career Collaborative “We need to make sure we are sitting at the table with all the communities within the community.” –Jerry Vascocu, 2015 participant 5
Lesson 4: Collaborate in order to generate clearer strategy and stronger capacity When you have the right collaboration, it gets everyone on the same page Focus on a common vision and collective impact . . . 1 + 1 = 3 When folks refuse to work with you, put them aside until they are ready “It’s not your ingredients; it’s how you mix them.” –Bryan Derreberry, President & CEO, Charleston Metro Chamber “Every presenter was singing from the same sheet of music.” –Mike Tarantino, 2015 participant “Collaboration is a contact sport.” –John Read, Tri ‐ County Cradle to Career Collaboration 4 6
Lesson 5: Make education a central part of the strategy PreK ‐ 20 education and workforce development is the #1 focus of Charleston today Generating your own talent is much more effective than trying to recruit it “You need to ensure existing residents have access to educational opportunities; otherwise you create a subculture.” –Bryan Derreberry, Charleston Metro Chamber “The business community should not just be a customer of the school system, but be part of the team to build up talent.” –Margaret Trahan, 2015 participant 7
Lesson 6: Focus on near-term wins Initial wins will build momentum Everyone loves a winner; wins will bring more folks to the table Rally around some specific opportunities and prove we can execute “We need to pick something and go kick the #&% out of it.” –Lenny Lemoine, 2015 co ‐ chair “I’m ready to do something measurable and tangible.” –Carrie Templeton, 2015 participant “Get some things done, show progress – everyone wants to be a winner.” –Councilman Kenneth Boudreaux, 2015 participant 4 8
Lesson 7: Be doggedly persistent Do not “push off” ownership The leaders in Charleston see projects through (urban revitalization, major transportation projects, etc.) We must commit to NEVER QUIT…we’re going to make this happen The difference is YOU “We need your leadership even more than your investment.” –Joseph Zanco, 2015 participant “We need to remember how hard this was [for Charleston]…how much work went into it…they didn’t quit.” –Quay McKnight, 2015 participant 9
Lesson 8: Accelerate progress under new 1A model Charleston’s leaders confirmed that 1A’s regional model is the best practice We’re starting 20 years later than Charleston in creating a major regional initiative Ideally, a single regional organization should do policy and business development We’re moving in the right direction…time to accelerate “The process of getting things done has changed tremendously from what the model was even 10 years ago.” –Ben Harrington, 2015 participant “The Chamber has been so instrumental to everything in Charleston.” –Jerry Vascocu, 2015 participant 4 10
Lesson 9: Get serious now, while we’re in a position of relative strength Most places wait until their backs are against the wall Everything starts with the leaders, especially business leaders Reach out to others and engage them in One Acadiana now Share the lessons of this trip and bring others to the table; we need to give them a role “We need to recruit more people to join One Acadiana and focus on a win…we need a breakthrough.” – Lenny Lemoine, 2015 co ‐ chair “Stop waiting for the elected officials…we need to be the ones to get things done.” –Kam Movassaghi, 2015 participant 11
Lesson 10: Do more of these trips Many communities have been doing leadership trips annually for many years (or even decades) The purpose is to learn; not compare Every ~18 months feels like the right pace Next trip is spring 2017 “This is the best conference I’ve ever been to (and I’ve been to a lot)” –Simone Champagne, 2015 participant “This trip crystallized the vision of One Acadiana.” –Kyle Bacon, 2015 participant “This was so inspirational – we’ve been inspirational to each other.” –Rob Eddy, 2015 co ‐ chair 4 12
Attendees Chris Allain Thuyvan Bui Anne Falgout Steven Hebert Vidox Motion Imagery GRS Property Development Vermilion Economic Development Alliance Billeaud Companies Owner Executive Director CEO Kyle Bacon Simone Champagne Andre Fruge Royal Hill Jones Walker, LLP City of Youngsville Business First Bank SMILE Community Action Agency Attorney at Law Chief Administrative Officer Lafayette Market President CEO Scotty Baudoin Katie Chiasson Gregg Gothreaux Terry Huval M & E Consulting, Inc. CLECO Lafayette Economic Development LUS Fiber Electrical Engineer Director of Business & Economic Development Authority Director President & CEO Anita Begnaud Troy Cloutier Blair Green Erick Knezek One Acadiana MidSouth Bank One Acadiana Truston Technologies Director, Marketing & Communications Lafayette Market President Director, Events & Special Projects CEO Ben Berthelot Francis Delhomme Lynn Guidry Lenny Lemoine Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission SLEMCO Lynn Guidry Architect The Lemoine Company, LLC Executive Director Governmental Affairs Architect CEO Kevin Blanchard Wayne Domingue Billy Gunn Marilyn McDonald Lafayette Consolidated Government Architects Southwest The Advocate Caffery Real Estate, Inc. Director of Public Works Architect Reporter Real Estate Agent Lawrence Blanchette Paul Durand Dr. Natalie Harder Quay McKnight Associated Design Group, Inc. St. Martin Bank & Trust Company SLCC M & M International, LLC President President & CEO Chancellor Vice President of Administration Robert Eddy Michael Hare Flo Meadows Kenneth Boudreaux Pinnacle Group One Acadiana Coldwell Banker Pelican Real Estate Lafayette Consolidated Government Financial Planner Vice President, Policy Initiatives Real Estate Agent Councilman, District 4 Jim Bourgeois Jason El Koubi Ben Harrington Barry Meche One Acadiana One Acadiana Uniglobe Associated Travel iConvergence, Inc. Executive Director, Business Development President & CEO General Manager CEO 13
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