Leadership Exchange

Overview

One Acadiana’s Leadership Exchange is a program that allows Acadiana’s top business and community leaders to explore challenges and innovations in another part of the country. Every two years, a group of 60-70 leaders embark on a three-day trip to a city known for its success in areas that are important to Acadiana, such as regional economic development, workforce development, infrastructure investment, and urban revitalization.

The goal of Leadership Exchange is to expose Acadiana leaders to new ideas and best practices that they can bring back home to strengthen our own communities and region. The program also helps to build relationships between leaders from different sectors and places, leading to new connections and partnership opportunities.

In recent years, One Acadiana has led Leadership Exchange visits to cities such as Pensacola, Florida (2022); Greenville, South Carolina (2019); and Lexington, Kentucky (2017). The program has been a catalyst for several new programs and initiatives, including:

• The “Vibrant Acadiana” framework, along with the Quality of Life Survey and regional dashboard
• The CivicCon Acadiana event series
• A Small Business Challenge
• The “Resources for Developing Minds” early brain development partnership