Greater Bossier Economic Development Foundation Executive Director/President David “Rocky” Rockett has been selected as the 2020 Chairman of the Board for the Louisiana Industrial Development Executives Association (LIDEA).
“I am very honored to lead LIDEA into the next decade. LIDEA has been an important part of the economic development landscape in our state for decades,” said Rockett. “This organization continues to be a leader and a voice for issues among practitioners and within the industries we partner with. The diverse professional background and expertise represented among the members of the board and its officers will allow us to explore and leverage multiple avenues in order to grow our state.”
The Board of Directors includes representatives ranging from parish level economic developers, regional economic development organizations, state economic development officials, and industry consultants.
LIDEA will continue to partner with allies throughout the state, including the eight regional economic development organizations, Louisiana Economic Development (LED), The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI), and the Committee of 100, Council for a Better Louisiana (CABL), and the Public Affairs Research Council (PAR), among others to insure a strong business reputation and workforce that will entice new opportunities and build on the existing investment businesses have already made in Louisiana.
“LIDEA’s collaborative efforts between industry, government, and private enterprise will help to further position our state for the next great series of opportunities within our industrial and agricultural footholds alongside the entertainment and knowledge-based economies that have helped to retain some of the best and brightest talent in state,” shared Rockett.
In addition to its Board of Directors, LIDEA’s membership has elected its Officers to help guide and prioritize the association’s activities.
LIDEA 2020 Officers
- President: Rocky Rockett, Executive Director, Greater Bossier Economic Development Foundation
- Vice President: Larry Collins, Executive Director, Office of International Commerce, Louisiana Economic Development
- Secretary: Rachel Pierson-Delamain, Director of Business Development, Baton Rouge Area Chamber
- Treasurer: Troy Villa, Partner, Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson
- Past President: Mike Tarantino, President, Iberia Industrial Development Foundation
2020 LIDEA Board of Directors
- Jessie Broderick, Managing Partner, Sumit Credits
- Tony Davis, Executive Director, Natchitoches Community Alliance
- Jamie Hanks, Executive Director, West Baton Rouge Chamber
- Jerry Jones, Executive Director, Baton Rouge North Economic Development District
- Vic Lafont, President / CEO, South Louisiana Economic Council
- Clair Hebert Marceaux, Director, Cameron Parish Port
- Hoyt Strain, Manager of Business Recruitment, Lafayette Economic Development Authority
- Don Pierson Ex-Officio, Secretary, Louisiana Economic Development
Rockett serves as the Executive Director/President of the GBEDF. S ince taking over this position in the spring of 2005, the GBEDF has grown exponentially into many different areas to grow jobs, create investment opportunities and work with their existing business partners in Bossier City and Bossier Parish to promote the positive business atmosphere that Bossier is known for.
As a graduate of the Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma, Mr. Rockett couples his experience in commercial real estate and construction to promote and manage industrial and commercial development in Bossier. Rocky’s current occupation as Executive Director of the GBEDF has allowed him and the organization to play pivotal roles in many of the growth opportunities facing northwest Louisiana. This has included opportunities within Cyber as well as the Film/Entertainment industry along with the traditional manufacturing interest that utilize our port and workforce.
The GBEDF under his leadership has played roles in developing work force education programs in partnership with BPCC culminating most recently in the Center for Advanced Manufacturing Studies. Over the last decade the GBEDF has worked with its many partners throughout northwest Louisiana to bring over 5,000 jobs and well over a $1 Billion in local investment.
