BRAC attracts businesses of all sizes and industries under a common mission of leading economic development in the Capital Region. The Investor Insider blog series highlights the variety of investors and how their work coincides with BRAC’s.
In this month’s blog post, we spoke with long-time investors that are categorized as builders, designers and architects to find out why they partner with BRAC.
Pride
For over 27 years, DeLisa Arnold and her team at Arnold & Associates have transformed spaces in the Baton Rouge Area. You may have leisurely read a book or crammed for an exam in one of their designed spaces, proudly on display at both Bluebonnet Public Library and Baton Rouge Community College (among many others). DeLisa believes that Baton Rouge has plenty of opportunity and can be a great city, and her work has made strides towards this realization. The pride she has in the potential of our region parallels her enthusiasm for her business and staff.
When asked what sets them apart, DeLisa expressed a strong sense of pride that her team feels when accomplishing a job well-done! Arnold & Associates is a true success story for a small business in the Baton Rouge Area, doubling in size since their founding in 1989. DeLisa shared that her success is due in part to the connections she has made as an investor with BRAC. Her and her team’s support of economic development connects their impactful work in the community spaces and workplaces we love to BRAC.
People
Crump Wilson Architects’ work can be seen throughout the Baton Rouge Area from the Port of Greater Baton Rouge in Port Allen to the United States Post Office in Donaldsonville. Leadership at Crump Wilson are as notable as these landmarks. Mike Wilson and his fellow partners Carrie Knight and Shawn Fisher are not only garnering prestigious awards, they are also deeply involved in the community. Wilson shares that he initially partnered with BRAC to network, but soon learned “BRAC can help plow through a lot of issues.”
Wilson has helped BRAC in this steamroll, by serving as chair of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council and participating in CEO Roundtables. Fisher works with BRAC in a different capacity as an Ambassador, engaging with other BRAC investors to expand our organization’s reach. Knight is a long-serving Junior League member whose community impact has been featured in the Business Report. Their dedication to the people of the Baton Rouge Area is reflected in their design portfolio and the direct impact of their work through BRAC and broader community initiatives.
Progress
WHLC Architecture is another stakeholder directly involved with the beautification of our region. Rex Cabaniss, Planning & Design Director of WHLC Architecture is on the project team for the River Center Branch Library of Baton Rouge. He also works with BRAC’s Quality of Place Committee, which aims to increase the Baton Rouge Area’s competitiveness for business and talent by focusing on improving the physical attractiveness of our region. His contributions to this work impact our organization’s “collective vision and influence” most significantly through his work to take the business community in a new direction by assisting with the planning and design of our highly anticipated Center for Economic Development. This project, currently underway, is truly going to transform how BRAC approaches our economic development work. It will also allow for increased collaboration between the innovators, business leaders, and community organizations to usher Baton Rouge into the next chapter. While these companies are all tied to a specific industry, their work differs yet equally helps lay the foundation for the Baton Rouge Area to build upon our solid foundation. There is a consensus among the Baton Rouge business community that we want better for ourselves, so how do we make strides to get there?
- Foster pride for the Baton Rouge Area, your business and your staff;
- Get involved in the areas of work important to you and your personal goals;
- #ThinkBigger and bolder!
It is time for our vision to be realized as we collectively define and develop a Baton Rouge for generations to come!
Gabrielle Roussel
As Manager of Investor Development, Gabrielle assists the functions of the Investor Relations team with the cultivation and retention of BRAC’s valued investors. She works to connect BRAC with the region’s business and community leaders.