COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT METHODS Advisory Committee The Just Imagine SWLA Advisory Committee helped kick off the master planning process in October 2021. Comprised of local leaders from both Calcasieu and Cameron parishes, the members’ extensive knowledge and diverse experiences helped guide the planning process through each step. They will continue to facilitate implementation for the next several years. Members of the Advisory Committee were hand-picked by the Community Foundation Southwest Louisiana to ensure equal and diverse representation across parishes and all industries or areas of interest. Throughout the process, the Advisory Committee had six (6) meetings. These meetings strategically took place before the major community listening sessions during each step of the process to glean insight on responsibly engaging with the public, discuss presentation and discussion topics, and provide an opportunity to collaborate on approach.
Advisory Committee • Kara Bonsall — Coastal Zone Administrator, Cameron Parish Police Jury • Lauren Boring — Project Specialist, Planning & Development, City of Lake Charles • Alberto Galan — Assistant to the Administrator, Calcasieu Parish Police Jury • Sandra Gunner — Special Projects Manager, Louisiana Office of Community Development • Dr. Shannon LaFargue — Superintendent, Calcasieu Parish School Board • Angie Manning — Vice President of Communications, Visit Lake Charles • Nicole Miller — Program Manager,Disaster Housing Recovery, Calcasieu Parish Police Jury • Willie Mount — Former Mayor of Lake Charles and State Senator • Glenn Pumpelly — Pumpelly Tire Company • Jim Rock — Executive Director, Lake Area Industry Alliance • Wade Rousse — VP of University Advancement and Executive VP, McNeese Foundation • Marshall Simien — Attorney, Simien Law Firm • Kenny Stinson — former Mayor of Town of Vinton • Bart Yakupzack — Attorney, Jack Lawton Companies
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The Process / Community Engagement
Guiding Groups Guiding groups for the Just Imagine SWLA master planning process offered relevant and technical plan-topic-area-specific feedback and recommendations, which governed the development of the 10 catalytic projects and numerous plan recommendations. Members of the Guiding Groups were selected for their plan topic group by the Community Foundation Southwest Louisiana based on their industry-specific expertise and diverse representation throughout Calcasieu and Cameron parishes. Throughout the process, each Guiding Group met in individual roll-up-the-sleeves working sessions three (3) times, once during each step — Understanding, Testing, and Deciding. All of the guiding groups then met for a second time during the Understanding step on Zoom to reflect on what we heard from the community during the in-person meetings. During these meetings, the Guiding Group members offered technical support and advice, which helped clarify existing conditions, establish local priorities, and elevate beyond regional standards.
DECEMBER 2022
JUST IMAGINE SWLA