April 19, 2016
Yesterday, the Louisiana Chemical Manufacturing Initiative hosted the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce and COO for the Economic Development Administration, Matt Erskine and Co-Chairman of the Delta Regional Authority, Chris Masingill. LCMI represents the only chemical focused manufacturing community amongst 24 Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnerships (IMCPs) across the nation. Erskine and Masingill were able to tour the Shell Geismar facility to get a first-hand look at the scale of the chemical industry in the region. Following the facility tour, Erskine and Masingill were able to sit down with LCMI partners in a roundtable discussion. Topics of discussion included workforce and training efforts, technological gaps in the chemical industry, and the impact of energy prices on chemical manufacturing. Comments from attendees included that the LCMI leaders represented a great Louisiana “gumbo” and LCMI’s efforts as “something that we should have done but haven’t done in generations in Louisiana.”
At the Shell Geismar Facility tour: Front row: Aprill Springfield Blanco- IMCP Federal Liaison; Dr. Jonathan Shi – Director, LCMI; Vicki Hendershot – EDA. Second Row: Tom Broom – Shell (Retired); Lisa Pullizano – LCA; Rebecca Harris- Program Manager, LCMI; Matt Erskine – Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce and COO EDA; Chris Masingill – Co-Chairman, Delta Regional Authority; Ray Neck – Turner Industries; Leslie Durham – Delta Regional Authority/Governor Edwards’ Liaison.
Approximately 50 LCMI partners attended the roundtable discussion.