Jorgenson Places CEO at One Acadiana
March 12, 2018 – One Acadiana, a regional economic development group in Louisiana, named Troy Wayman as its new CEO following a national search conducted by Greensboro, NC-based Jorgenson Consulting. Jason El Koubi, who led the organization since it started two years ago, resigned last year. Todd Jorgenson, the search firm’s managing director and principal, headed the assignment.
“Finding a talented leader can be a challenging task when searching for someone to lead a business organization of One Acadiana’s caliber,” said Frank Neuner, chairman of One Acadiana and managing partner of NeunerPate. “Everyone on the search committee has been impressed with Troy’s experience and professionalism, and we look forward to working with him to build upon the great strides our region has made in the past three years.”
Mr. Wayman was the unanimous choice of One Acadiana’s 13-member search committee, chaired by Don Broussard, CFO of the Lemoine Company, along with Kathy Bobbs, president and CEO of Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
Experienced Leader
Mr. Wayman has held a variety of roles in Alabama over the past 20 years. Most recently, he served as vice president of economic development for the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, a 2,000-member organization and economic development group. Under his leadership, the region saw the creation of over 8,000 jobs and nearly $3 billion in capital investment.
One Acadiana is the leading economic development organization for Acadiana, a nine-parish region in South Louisiana. Its mission is to make the area one of the most sought-after locations in the South for business and professional talent. The organization serves a region of roughly 700,000 people.
Serving Economic Organizations
With over 20 years of experience, Jorgenson Consulting’s clients include Pasco Economic Development Council, Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership and the Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce, among others.
Mr. Jorgenson specializes in executive searches for non-profit, community and economic development entities throughout the U.S. His experience includes non-profit executive searches, information technology searches, executive compensation, sales operation management, business development and sales.
Jorgenson Consulting recently recruited Rodney A. Crider to his position as president and CEO of RowanWorks Economic Development. The firm has assisted economic development find leaders in Atlanta; Kansas City; Ballston Spa, NY; Golden and Longmont, CO; Lafayette, IN.; and Sierra Vista, AZ.
Sector In Search of New Leaders
Economic and community development organizations continue to turn to executive search firms to find new leaders. Here’s a look at a few recent searches across the sector from the Hunt Scanlon Media newswire archives:
The Chason Group recently placed Leonard Sledge as the new executive director of the Henry County Development Authority. He replaces Charlie Moseley who resigned in May. Tim Chason, the search firm’s president, led the assignment. During the search process, a total of 77 candidates indicated interest in the position.
Brent Cooper, an entrepreneur, small business owner and longtime leader in the regional business community, has been named president and CEO of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. The organization enlisted Cincinnati-based executive recruitment firm Centennial Inc. to conduct the search.
Waverly Partners placed Scott Martin as the president and CEO of the Norman Chamber of Commerce in Oklahoma. Debbie Galbraith, managing director and principal at Waverly Partners, led the assignment. Mr. Martin has served on the Oklahoma House of Representatives since 2006.
Executive search firm Elinvar placed Scott Levitan as CEO of the Research Triangle Foundation, which manages an eminent North Carolina research park known as Research Triangle Park. He succeeds Bob Geolas, who left the organization last September. Elinvar’s president and CEO, Patti Gillenwater, led the search.
Bialla Partners recruited Tallia Hart as president and CEO of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. Partner Jeff Hodge led the assignment. She is the first woman, first minority, and youngest to lead the 167-year old organization. Ms. Hart previously served as president and CEO of the Irvine Chamber of Commerce.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Andrew W. Mitchell, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
