"This comprehensive statewide maritime planning effort will create the road map to the future for Louisiana's 30 ports, the marine transportation industry cluster and other industry clusters dependent upon intermodal transportation," said Dr. Robert Scafidel, PAL President and Executive Director for the St. Bernard Port, Harbor & Terminal District. "It will also guide the state to increased value-added manufacturing of raw materials shipped through Louisiana.

“A major economic development activity such as this will help Louisiana to retain existing jobs, attract new jobs and target new trade partners who will bring new business ventures to Louisiana,” he added.

Scafidel noted that critical to this effort was the recruitment of aggregate funding from several sources including the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration ($432,785), the Louisiana Department of Economic Development ($200,000), and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development ($65,000). In addition, PAL will provide $35,000 to make this a unified federal, state, and local effort.

“This statewide strategic study has been needed in Louisiana’s maritime industry for several years,” Scafidel explained. “Our 30 member ports at PAL have worked hard to secure the funding support necessary to go forward, and the dividends of this effort will be felt through economic growth in every corner of the state.”

Scafidel noted that this is a unique opportunity for a cooperative economic development effort, which includes PAL’s 30 statewide member ports, DOTD, LED and EDA.

“It is an opportunity for all of these public entities to work together to define the role of Louisiana’s ports and maritime-related sector in the local, regional, national and international marketplace and to position Louisiana’s ports to most efficiently and effectively enhance the state’s economy, the national economy and the international marketplace,” he concluded. “To our knowledge, never before has such a collaboration been initiated.”

LCAI, a partnership between LED and the Louisiana Community & Technical College System, offers small and emerging construction businesses critical information about construction management and how to prepare for the General Contractors State Licensing Exam.

This is the second time this year the course has been made available and includes new locations across the state.

"The response to the first Louisiana Contractors Accreditation Institute was very positive. Classes were filled immediately, in addition to a long waiting list," said Patrick Witty, LED director of community outreach services. "This time we've added more locations across the state to meet the growing need and interest."

LCAI will be held in Baton Rouge and transmitted by compressed satellite video to locations in New Orleans, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport and Alexandria. Taught by industry leaders, the six-week program will be held July 10 - August 16.

The course covers:

• Bid processes
• Contract management
• Estimating
• Equipment & business management
• Scheduling
• Occupational safety
• Risk management
• Financial management
• Bonding/access to capital
• Certifications
• Entrepreneurship training
• Louisiana Contractor Licensing Exam Review

Space is available on a first-come, first-served basis. To download an application, click here. Applications may be emailed or faxed to Ruth Bolstridge, rbolstridge@la.gov or 225.342.6820.

From 1997-1999, LCAI trained more than 800 participants. Many of those were able to obtain a contractor's license and pass the business and law sections of the exam. Others with a license were able to access bonding and construction opportunities. Due to a lack of funding, the program was cut in 2000. With Louisiana's growing construction industry resulting from hurricanes Katrina and Rita, LCAI was re-established in March 2007.

LCAI is a collaboration among Louisiana Economic Development, Louisiana Community & Technical College System, Louisiana, Association of General Contractors, Louisiana State University, Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development, Small Business Administration, Louisiana State Contractors Licensing Board, Baton Rouge Community College and Delgado Community College.

The Matching Grant Program is the second tier of a two-part Regional Awards and Matching Grant Program, supported by Governor Blanco and the state Legislature.

LED will give preference to matching grant applications that demonstrate the use or development of innovative programs to market and promote business and industrial development. Examples of eligible projects include research studies, inclusion in targeted databases, direct mail or other printed materials, trade show participation costs, presentations, advertising, public relations and website design.

For details on eligibility, maximum available funding and an online application, click here or contact Shawn Welcome, swelcome@la.gov or 225-342-5379.

But the quirks aside, there is much we can learn from the rules used by VCs. Some of these may appear to be common sense, but it is surprising how often such good sense goes out the window. They may seem so obvious that we over-looked their Zen-like simplicity. But read them carefully and apply them in your thinking about your own hires. They have been tested over many years by the real pros.

• Back a Winner. Most venture capitalists will not back a manager unless they have had a proven, identifiable success in the industry being proposed. This means reviewing the manager's track record carefully. Did revenue and profit grow on the manager's last watch? Did shareholders make money? Many investors require two past successes, which helps rule out dumb luck. A fancy resume showing Ivy League schools is never enough. Venture capitalists want executives to "show them the money." What have they ever done? Where are the results? Just the facts, ma'am. If they are not there, it's a pass. No further questions needed.

• Proven P&L Experience. No venture capitalists will back managers unless they have proven profit and loss experience. The manager must have controlled revenue and costs, and the buck must have stopped on his desk. Professional VCs do not hire marketing managers, regardless of their success as marketers, to run their companies. Being a CEO is hard, and it's not worth the risk. We need no test drives.

• Relevant Industry Experience. It sounds quite obvious, but it has been a consistent surprise to me that companies are wiling to hire a CEO without relevant industry experience. The strong success of Lou Gerstner as CEO of IBM, arriving with no computer industry experience, is a rarity. (Remember that John Sculley tried to make a similar leap when moving from Pepsi to Apple, with somewhat less spectacular results.) Each industry has special characteristics that take years to understand and internalize. The retail world is so very different from manufacturing, which is so very different from media.