Over 30 individuals attended a meeting for the North Louisiana Regional Economic Development Partnership on Tuesday at the Visitor Center. The meeting hosted by the Bastrop-Morehouse Chamber of Commerce was to update the parish on regional economic planning.

“We’ve been working with a group of volunteer leaders to develop heading an economic development in a five-parish region,” Rob Radcliff with Resource Development Group of Dublin, Ohio said. The five-parish region includes Morehouse Parish, Ouachita Parish, Jackson Parish, Lincoln Parish and Union Parish.

Richland Parish was part of this group until they decided to focus solely on a mega-site they have. Jackson Parish took their spot in the line-up.

At the meeting, Radcliff explained how the economic planning began almost two years ago in an attempt to create new jobs for Northeast Louisiana. In March 2007, a Competitive Strategies Group developed a multi-year economic development strategy that showed strengths, weaknesses and targeted industries for this area. In February 2008, an interim board was created to help get planning underway. A chief executive officer search also started.

In July, a three-year $3 million fundraising campaign was launched. Forty percent of the funding is anticipated to come in from the public, while the other 60 percent of the funding will be provided by private sector. A million dollars will be allocated to each year with the two biggest portions of that money will go to marketing/image enhancement and new business recruitment.

Marketing/image enhancement will have $350,000 a year, and new business recruitment will have $250,000 a year. Administration will follow with $200,000. The other $200,000 will be divided equally among special projects and existing industry support.

“We have companies and organizations for committed for up to $100,000 a year,” Radcliff said.

As of right now, $600,000 per year for the three-year goal has been raised.

Radcliff also mentioned that the interim board is searching for a chief executive officer through a nation-wide search. The CEO will be in charge of the regional economic group and be in charge of a board of directors. The interim board will not exist after the CEO begins. The goal is to have the CEO appointed by November.

At the beginning of 2009, the goal is to have North Louisiana Economic Partnership fully funded and operational.