The executive director of the Port of South Louisiana, Joseph Accardo Jr., recently announced Linda Prudhomme as the new director of business development for the Port of South Louisiana, beginning Nov. 15.

She has more than a decade of professional experience in strategic marketing and recruitment. Prudhomme previously held the position of senior vice president for the Metro Vision Economic Development Partnership, an affiliate of The New Orleans Regional Chamber of Commerce. Her hands-on experience and professional approach helped produce much needed additional jobs for the New Orleans region. She led the regional program to identify expansion opportunities for existing industries as well as the national and international marketing effort to attract new investment and corporate locations. Under her direction, 2,500 new jobs with $22 million in direct and indirect earnings and $45 million in new annual payroll were added to the region’s economy in 2000. Her extensive knowledge of existing Louisiana industry, expertise in target marketing and experience in collaborating with the local economic development community can help the Port of South Louisiana produce significant results.

In her new position, Prudhomme will be responsible for the implementation of the strategic marketing plan for the port. “A cluster-based approach” prepared by William Morris, president and CEO, Global Associates, LLC, and consultant to the port for business development. Morris has recommended a target cluster marketing approach to facilitate the attraction of new industry or the expansion of existing ones based upon synergies of strength of the industrial base. This carefully focused strategy will grow the foundation for capital investment and expand the base of jobs and tax revenue.

Potential industries and companies have been identified which the port can target in its marketing program for sites within its jurisdiction in St. Charles, St. John and St. James parishes. “The port’s strategic marketing plan calls for a close co-ordination in marketing the parishes located within the port district with the economic development departments of St. Charles, St. John and St. James parishes. Prudhomme’s experience and familiarity with the port district will allow effective business development plan to be implemented,” stated Accardo. Commission president, Louis Joseph, said, “I am confident that the strategic marketing plan developed by Global Associates will be professionally implemented with the assistance of Mrs. Prudhomme.”