A model for change

I had the privilege last month of serving as chairman of the annual canvass trip put on by the Baton Rouge Area Chamber and the city-parish.

About 140 business and community leaders visited the city of Richmond, Va. Like Baton Rouge, Richmond is the state capital, home to multiple universities. A river runs through it, and it’s rich in history.

One of the major questions I had on my list was how Richmond has consistently been listed among Forbes magazine’s Top 10 “Best Places for Business and Careers.” I also wanted to know how they are holding on to young talent after graduation.

Richmond has its share of struggles. But what has distinguished Richmond is the great strides it’s made in certain areas.

Among the most significant for me: the way various groups, agencies and people collaborate in Richmond. Black, white, public, private, young and old leaders in Richmond work together more often than not. This collaborative spirit is yielding positive results, and it has a direct impact on several fronts, from regional cooperation, to fighting poverty, to improving housing, to creating abundant recreational areas such as bike trails. It turns out these areas are crucial to how Richmond attracts and retains young people.

On several occasions I even heard government leaders readily concede that they know they don’t have all the answers, but that they need to work with the private sector rather than only telling the private sector what to do. Now there’s a refreshing perspective.

Also on the trip with me was Business Report Executive Editor J.R. Ball. Although he graduated from LSU, Ball attended the University of Virginia and knew the Richmond of 20 years ago. He remembers the city as a dump back then, and he was impressed on our recent trip by how much progress Richmond has made. Richmond, he said, provides proof and hope that a city can change and be revitalized. We agreed if it can be done in Richmond, it can happen in Baton Rouge.

Change started for Baton Rouge nearly a decade ago when new urbanist visionary Andres Duany first visited. As part of Plan Baton Rouge, he helped our city articulate goals, expectations and plans for revitalizing the city’s core—downtown. So much has changed since that fateful first visit, but we are not even to the halfway point of our 20-year revival. Imagine the next five years, and the five after that. If we keep the momentum and set the bar high—and get our young people involved—then the sky is the limit.

Former residents and alums who return to Baton Rouge won’t recognize the place. They’ll respond the way J.R. Ball did on his return trip to Richmond 20 years later.

It can happen here. And if we collaborate like they do in Richmond then I know it will happen. I encourage you to get involved and to be a part of that change, because the best is yet to come.

Hit the road

Need to get away? Sometimes you just want to slip off with the love of your life for a week or even just a weekend. Or maybe it’s time to plan the family vacation. In this month’s issue, we’ve included a special section with lots of ideas for you to “travel east” of the Capital City. Right now, when many are cutting their vacation budgets, it’s a great time to find something new, something more relaxing or something more exciting that’s not far away. Look for good ideas for heading east beginning on page 35 and discover gems from New Orleans to Biloxi and from Mobile to the Florida panhandle. There’s a lot to do, places to see, music to hear and golf courses to play.

Let go and give back

On May 30, Outback Steakhouse invites everyone in our community to bring an open heart and wallet for a fun-filled lunch fundraiser in support of the Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance. Proceeds will benefit research into Friedreich’s ataxia, a debilitating, life-shortening degenerative neuromuscular disorder that usually strikes children between the ages of 5 and 15. Come out and enjoy a great lunch and live auction from noon to 2 p.m. at the Outback Steakhouse, 2415 S. Acadian Thruway.

For more information call (225) 953-4512 or e-mail [email protected].

The story of Barry Seal

He’s infamous: an ace pilot in Baton Rouge who got caught up with Colombian drug cartels, was convicted of smuggling, and then was gunned down in broad daylight in Baton Rouge by professional assassins. But contributing writer Chuck Hustmyre reveals there’s much more to Barry Seal’s story—like the fact that Seal flew covert missions for years for the U.S. government. See the light that three decades, fresh interviews and new evidence sheds on the story of Adler Berriman Seal, here.