written by Amber McDown | Minden Press-Herald
Prominent North Louisiana physician and civic leader Dr. Phillip Rozeman has been named chair of Better Louisiana for 2026-2027, the organization announced.
Better Louisiana is a nonpartisan “good government” organization formed in 2025 through the merger of the Committee of 100 and the Council for a Better Louisiana. The group says it is focused on advancing Louisiana’s economy, education, and workforce development by turning policy analysis into action.
“Better Louisiana is a group of influential business, education, civic and public sector leaders who work to create a positive climate for business growth, job creation, and quality of life in Louisiana,” Rozeman said. “The organization works to turn policy analysis into actionable change.”
Rozeman, the founding physician of Willis Knighton Cardiology, brings nearly four decades of leadership in healthcare, business, and education reform to the role. He has previously served as chief of staff at Willis Knighton Health and has been involved in healthcare improvement efforts at both Willis Knighton and Minden Medical Center.
“Better Louisiana is a non-partisan ‘good government’ group of influential business, education and civic and public sector leaders dedicated to making Louisiana a better place to live and work for all its citizens,” Rozeman said. “The idea is to change the timeline from building for election cycles to building for future generations.”
He said the merger of the two legacy organizations builds on decades of policy work across the state.
“Better Louisiana is the merger of decades of good government work of both the statewide Committee of 100 (C100) and Council for a Better Louisiana (CABL),” Rozeman said. “These organizations have worked over the years to occupy the important space of turning analysis and policy into positive change.”
Rozeman said the organization will focus on education gains and economic reforms already underway in the state.
“We will help Louisiana take advantage of our wins in education, economic, and workforce development,” he said. “We will lead in efforts to boost early childhood education, literacy, college and career readiness, and improvements in our Louisiana Community and Technical College System while continuing to grow Louisiana economic development reforming the tax, insurance, and workforce development structure.”
He said the work requires long-term commitment.
“It is easy to continue the status quo and whine about it,” Rozeman said. “It takes work to challenge the status quo and make changes that would benefit our community. Better Louisiana gives me the opportunity to connect with the common goal to improve our state.”
Rozeman said his civic involvement has been shaped by lessons learned from his parents and throughout his medical career.
“One thing I was taught by my parents at an early age was the importance of leaving the world a better place — to spend our time helping others,” he said. “When Christ was asked who should we love — He said that we should love our neighbors. The definition of our neighbors is all mankind, so we won’t ever run out of things we can do to help others.”
He added, “I have been so blessed, it is hard for me to say no to opportunity. Over the years, I have taken on the tag line ‘Just say yes!’ I have a quote on my desk that says, ‘the last time to plant a tree is 20 years ago and the second to last time is now’. That thought has been a driver for me for a long time.”
Rozeman said his leadership path evolved from healthcare into broader community and state policy work.
“I had been involved in healthcare improvement efforts at Willis Knighton and Minden Medical Center for a couple of decades before becoming involved in community leadership,” he said. “At each step of the way — from involvement at Willis Knighton and Minden Medical Center to involvement in local education and business community to involvement in state education and business issues — I could apply what I learned at each previous step.
“I learned at each step that the greatest success in community-change efforts requires involvement at the local level and state level and the importance of connecting people together to make an impact — carrying experience and credibility every step of the way,” he said. “Through all of this, I depended on what I have learned on how to problem solve as a physician.”
He also offered advice for young professionals seeking to serve their communities.
“For young people who want to make a difference, the foundation is to listen and be a life-long learner, to build success in your career and family life first, to use what you learn and your gifts for a noble purpose, and to love your neighbor,” Rozeman said.
Other 2026 officers include Scott Ballard as incoming chair, Spencer Martin as treasurer, Robert Schneckenburger as secretary, and Dr. Heather Spillers Poole as immediate past chair.