BRAC taps Lauren Hatcher as new chief of staff after Erin Monroe Wesley’s departure

Lauren Hatcher has been named the Baton Rouge Area Chamber’s new chief of staff, a position in which she will coordinate BRAC’s annual business planning process and meet with various stakeholders, including board members and investors.

Hatcher, the former director of marketing operations, moves into the new role that was created after former executive vice president and COO Erin Monroe Wesley was appointed to a cabinet position in Gov. John Bel Edwards’ administration.

“The Chief of Staff is an important role within BRAC’s senior leadership team, coordinating operational execution of various departments and ensuring a high degree of transparency and accountability to our investor base,” BRAC President and CEO Adam Knapp says in a prepared statement. “We’re pleased to promote Lauren, a tenured BRAC staff member, to the role that is suited to her strengths in process management.”

In addition to coordinating the business planning process and meeting with stakeholders, Hatcher will also lead internal meetings and act as staff liaison to BRAC’s Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Super Region partners and governing bodies.

Hatcher, in her previous role, handled BRAC’s advertising and communications for the last five years.

Wesley was named a special counsel to Edwards’ administration on Dec. 16, leaving BRAC after a six-year tenure that saw her lead the organization’s initiatives in the areas in primary, secondary and higher education; tax and incentives; crime; innovation; and economic development.

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