Entrepreneurial American Community Award
The Entrepreneurial American Community Award acknowledges the civic capacity building, commitment, vision, and entrepreneurial spirit of a community. Those communities honored with this award are true innovators and have found success in providing unique solutions to local problems.
St. Tammany Parish, located on the banks of Lake Pontchartrain about 30 miles north of New Orleans, is a celebrated Louisiana community and one of the fastest growing parishes in the state.
The eastern part of the parish was the epicenter of the landfall of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, an event that devastated the community and caused over $400 million in damage to commercial and residential buildings. Though Hurricane Katrina destroyed over 48,000 homes and razed a number of important community institutions, the disaster has illustrated the resiliency of the residents of St. Tammany Parish and the community is quickly becoming a source of pride for New Orleans residents once again.
According to the publication Louisiana Moving Forward, St. Tammany Parish is the “economic engine driving regional recovery” for the New Orleans metropolitan region. At the heart of this redevelopment is the rich history of the community, which attracts visitors looking to experience the romance of the resort towns that populate the parish. Smart policies have also allowed the community to foster a business-friendly environment, and the parish is currently home to a number of the country’s most notable corporations, including Chevron, Stirling Properties and Smoothie King. This has created a quickly expanding job market, which when combined with the top-tier public school system and proximity to one of the most culturally rich urban areas in the U.S., make St. Tammany Parish one of the most livable communities in the nation today.
Parish President Pat Brister will accept the award. President Brister is a businesswoman and a leader in Louisiana state politics, having previously served as the Louisiana Republican Party State Chairman. President Brister was appointed by President Bush as an ambassador to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.