Moving Forward Archive

St. Landry Parish business, government, and education leaders today unveiled a multi-faceted campaign to spread good news about what’s going on in the parish.

“A lot of good things are going on in St. Landry Parish, and they point to a brighter future for businesses, workers, visitors, and all of the citizenry,” according to Bill Fontenot, parish president. “But some of those things remain among the best hidden secrets in south Louisiana.

“We’re Moving Forward” a campaign to shine the light on the positive things happening in St. Landry Parish, aims to remedy that,

The campaign was introduced today (August 27) at a press conference at the offices of St. Landry Economic Development (SLED).

SLED director Bill Rodier said bad news sometimes overshadows the news about miles of repaired roads, an aligned parish leadership, growing interest in investment here, expanding cultural opportunities, progress in education, a 

growing number of visitors, and—“good news” stories that are happening in St Landry Parish every day.

The “We’re Moving Forward” campaign will be an ongoing collaboration between SLED, St. Landry Parish Government, St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission, St. Landry Parish School Board, St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Department, Chamber of Commerce, Louisiana State University at Eunice, the South Louisiana Community College T.H. Harris Campus and St. Landry Parish Solid Waste.

Representatives from each of the organizations present at the press conference said they were excited about the program, and that the announcement of the “We’re Moving Forward” launch was itself the kind of good news they expect to see more of in coming weeks and months.

A primary component of the campaign will be a “We’re Moving Forward” website now accessible at SLPForward.com.

“Each of the entities involved have positive stories to tell,” Rodier said, “and there are others in our parish who will join in the effort as the program develops,” he said.

“We’ve been told by people who have watched St. Landry accept new challenges and create new vision, that  they have never seen a parish where leaders from this many organizations with such broad-ranging purposes have come together at this level to tell our good stories collectively,” he said.

“We want to show that the good news—positive news about our progress and possibilities—is documented for all to see. In this technological age, this is a worldwide campaign, attracting business from around the world to our doorstep,” Rodier said;

One part of the effort will be to place signs throughout the parish to point out our progress to that will highlight the physical location of the 

news worthy event. When people see a sign they know that SLPforward.com will have a positive story to tell that will be written by local author and longtime writer, Jim Bradshaw.

“The people of St. Landry Parish not only know of why we are “Moving Forward,” they are the reason. Displaying the signs reminds us all, every day, of how much pride we should take in our accomplishments and how we should embrace them and boast about them to the world,” said Parish President Bill Fontenot.

Rodier said in addition to SLPForward.com, signs, and other traditional venues, “We’re Moving Forward” is “exploring technical options to use social media, a dedicated St. Landry GIS Portal, and other progressive tools that can enhance our web presence.”