St. Tammany Economic Development Corporation

10/20/2026

St. Tammany Economic Development Corporation supports the professional development of its staff by prioritizing opportunities to learn and engage through strategic partnerships with national professional organizations. Erin Prince is in attendance at 2026 PRSA ICON in Orlando. Shortly after arriving yesterday, Erin kicked off the conference at the ICON Opening General Session featuring Taylor Gillum, head coach and visionary behind Savannah Bananas’ Banana Ball. She then attended sessions exploring brand-creator relationships and the growing role of agentic AI in the future of PR, followed by an energetic opening reception filled with networking and interactive experiences.

On Monday, October 19, the conference continued with keynote speaker Sally Hogshead, who presented “The Fascination Factor: Authentically Communicate Who You Are at Your Best.” Erin also explored how earned media can drive AI discoverability and how AI agents could become valuable strategic partners in communications. As well as learning from a former White House speechwriter about how to write like a human during the age of AI, which was an insightful way to learn the best practices to use AI but maintain that human side while writing. The last session was hearing about the different AI tools that can make communicators work faster, build smarter and lead in the age of AI.

She is looking forward to sharing what she’s bringing back to St. Tammany over the coming days and will be back with daily highlights and gems from some of the country’s premier subject matter experts on communications, marketing, and crisis communications.

Be sure to like and follow us for all the updates from this event!

10/16/2026

Investing in the next generation of leaders!

Our team enjoyed attending the UNLOCKED Young Professionals Summit, hosted by the St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce at the Harbor Center in Slidell, Louisiana.

The summit featured meaningful conversations about Northshore collaboration, leadership development, building confidence, and standing out professionally. St. Tammany EDC was represented by Erin Prince, Kyle Buckley, and Shivang Thakor, with Ashley Llewellyn featured as a panelist during the Northshore Collaboration session. Plus we enjoyed seeing our commissioners, Dr. Jim Carlson and Louis Ochoa, in action.

Events like UNLOCKED create valuable opportunities for young professionals to connect, learn from one another, and build relationships that strengthen our regional business community.

Thank you to the St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce for hosting an engaging event and bringing our future leaders together!

10/16/2026

So excited for this event to be right here in New Orleans in just a couple of weeks! Looking forward to seeing everyone there International Economic Development Council

10/13/2026

Explore a career pathway at the Port!

Looking for a new career opportunity or curious about the maritime industry? Join Port of New Orleans for Pathways to the Port: Explore ILA Careers on Thursday, October 29!

Learn about the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), meet people working in the industry, and discover career opportunities in maritime.

The details: Thursday, October 29, 6:00 p.m. at LIT Community Connection Office
6201A E. St. Bernard Highway, Violet, LA

Bring a friend or family member who might be interested- walk-ins are welcome.

RSVP or get more information by emailing [email protected].

Your next career opportunity could start here!

is excited to launch a new series of workforce and educational information sessions! Each session will give local residents a closer look at career opportunities, training programs, and educational resources, and connect them with the people who keep goods moving through Louisiana's ports.

We're kicking things off with the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA). Join us to learn about the ILA and career opportunities in the maritime industry.

Pathways to the Port: Explore ILA Careers
Thursday, October 29 | 6:00 PM
6201A E. St. Bernard Hwy., Violet, LA

RSVP or ask questions at [email protected]. Walk-ins are welcome!

10/08/2026

Great news for Pearl River!

Congratulations to the Town of Pearl River on securing $2 million in state funding for critical sewer system improvements. This investment will help strengthen local infrastructure and support the continued success of the community.

We’re proud to see local and state partners working together to make investments that benefit St. Tammany Parish communities.

🎉 BIG NEWS FOR THE TOWN OF PEARL RIVER! 🎉
Mayor Joe Lee is excited to announce that $2 million in State funding has been awarded to the Town of Pearl River to be used for important sewer system upgrades!
This funding is a tremendous investment in the future of our town and will help us continue improving and upgrading our sewer infrastructure for the benefit of our residents.
A very special thank you to Alderman Tim Moray, Alderman Angel Galloway, and Alderman Virgil Phillips for their continued dedication to Pearl River. These three aldermen made multiple trips to Baton Rouge and had numerous conversations with our engineers and State Government representatives to help secure this much-needed $2 million in funding for our sewer upgrades. Their hard work, advocacy, and commitment to improving our town are truly appreciated. We are also grateful to Senator Owen and Representative Egan for their continued support and assistance throughout this process.
When we work together, great things happen for Pearl River! 💙
— Mayor Joe Lee
Town of Pearl River

10/05/2026

St. Tammany Parish Public School System invites students and their families to explore exciting opportunities at the upcoming Career and College Expos!

Attend October 12 at the Castine Center in Mandeville or October 19 at the Harbor Center in Slidell, from 5:00–7:30 PM, to connect with college and career representatives, discover pathways to future success, and learn about the many possibilities available to students.

📍Monday, Oct 12 - Castine Center, Mandeville
📍Monday, Oct 19 - Harbor Center Slidell

Learn more about both opportunities by visiting https://hubs.ly/Q04yM1FK0

10/02/2026

Join us today in celebrating National Manufacturing Day!

According to Deloitte and the Manufacturing institute, there are millions of new modern manufacturing jobs coming online in the U.S. over the next decade. This represents opportunities for the manufacturing sector to create, contribute and connect. Help us build the future of the industry this .

We're reminded by our Director of Business & Industry Development, Keith Espadron, how critical this industry sector is: "For every job directly created in manufacturing, there is a strong ripple effect to other industries. These facilities can enrich landscapes, economies and communities."

09/30/2026

In Case You Missed Us…

September had St. Tammany EDC working 9-5, 24/7! 💗

Here are a few places you may have spotted us this month:

🛣️ We met with fellow economic development partners at the annual Louisiana Economic Alliance for Development-LEAD Summit in Lafayette.

🎤 Russell Richardson took part in roundtable discussions, breakout sessions, and connected with national industry representatives at the Site Selectors Guild Fall Summit in Cleveland, OH.

🏆 Ashley Llewellyn attended the Louisiana Community & Technical College System Annual Conference in New Orleans, where she was recognized for her passionate dedication to serving the workforce and talent development community.

🤝 Erin Prince represented St. Tammany, connected with fellow professionals, and honed her skills at the Development Counsellors International (DCI) Marketing Summit in Denver, CO. Meanwhile, Tyler Miller dove deep into the basics of economic development at the True South Basic Training Conference in Hattiesburg, MS.

👷Keith Espadron joined a packed Castine Center at the 9th Annual Northshore UCC Digger's Night Out, where the City of Slidell, Louisiana Mayor, Randy Fandal, spoke about the importance of dialing 811 before you dig.

💡 Cenzo Caronna and Ashley Llewellyn cheered on local entrepreneurs together at the Northshore Collective Impact Fund's 2026 Pitch Competition in Covington.

September took our team across Louisiana and beyond, creating opportunities to learn, connect, celebrate and bring new ideas back to St. Tammany.

09/25/2026

A strong talent pipeline is essential to a strong business community. This fall, St. Tammany EDC is helping connect local employers, job seekers, and students with several career fairs and recruiting opportunities hosted by our regional education and workforce partners.

October 1- Southeastern Career Fair (https://hubs.ly/Q04ygrmH0)
- October 1 - Northshore Technical Community College Manufacturing Day Career Fair (https://hubs.ly/Q04ygrkD0)
- October 12 - St. Tammany Parish Public Schools Career and College EXPO at The Castine Center, Mandeville (https://hubs.ly/Q04ygrlX0 )
- October 19 - St. Tammany Parish Public Schools Career and College EXPO at The Harbor Center, Slidell (https://hubs.ly/Q04ygrlX0 )
- October 27 - NTCC Healthcare Career Fair (https://hubs.ly/Q04ygrkF0)

Whether your organization is looking to fill current positions, build awareness among future employees, or strengthen its talent pipeline, these upcoming events provide opportunities to connect directly with job seekers across the Northshore.

09/24/2026

If your business was distrupted by Tropical Storm Arthur this past summer, you'll want to attend this free Economic Injury Disaster Loan Webinar.

Hosted by Louisiana Small Business Development Center (LSBDC) on Tuesday, September 29, this workshop will explain more about the application process and how these loans can assist with your day-to-day operation costs.

Scan the QR code or register online today at https://hubs.ly/Q04ydZxd0