Larry English is leading the effort to jump start the Shreveport economy once the medical crisis is over. He is co-chairing an economic recovery task force to focus on ways to bring business back to our community.

Co-Chair Desi Sprawls talked with us about the committee and the mission.

English was leading the effort to develop the Cross Bayou development in downtown Shreveport, but that effort failed to win support from the Shreveport City Council. KEEL News has learned English and other local business leaders formed this task force. There is no government involvement.

Mayor Adrian Perkins was on a recent call but his spokesman told the members he is focused on the public health emergency right now.

Sprawls talks more about the financing.

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Here are the members of the Committee:

Desi Sprawls 
Director of North Louisiana Operations with Forte & Tablada, Desi is also a member of the Louisiana Engineering Society (LES) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

Larry English 
An attorney with decades in legal experience working with public/private projects. Mr. English is leading the Cross Bayou Point Development in Shreveport.

Art Walker

President of the security’s firm Communications One. He spearheaded state legislation to legalize the cultivation of industrial hemp.

David Alexander 
Alexander is co-owner of Vintage Realty Company and serves as Director of Development with over 35 years of experience in the commercial real estate business.

Justin Sevier
He manages Vintage Construction Group, a sister company to VINTAGE Realty. Vintage Construction is licensed in residential and commercial construction.

Dr Ray Hicks
The former president of Grambling University, Dr Hicks has decades of experience as an educator and consultant. Dr Hicks is the former Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs-Southern University.

Daryl Joy Walters 
She previously served five years as the Vice President of Communications to the Young Democrats of Louisiana.

Markey Pierre
A managing partner at Southern Strategy Group, She has been a strategist and fundraiser for a broad spectrum of highly visible campaigns across north Louisiana.

Hannah Sprawls
Sprawls is a lifelong resident of Shreveport. She has an undergraduate degree in Mass Communications with a minor in Spanish as well as a graduate degree in Liberal Arts. She has worked as a freelance writer and photographer since 2015.

Calvin Lester
He is an Assiciate professor of criminal justice at Jarvis Christian College. He is a former member of the Shreveport City Council.

Dr Terence Vinson
Dr Vinson is chairman of the Department of Education at Southern University-Shreveport.

Paul Pratt
Paul Pratt was formerly employed with Chesapeake Energy Corporation as the Director of Corporate Government Relations-Louisiana, and most recently was a Lobbyist and Consultant. Paul has served on the city’s top civic boards.

Rickey Hall
Hall is the President of Shreveport’s preeminent constriction companies and one of the city’s prominent business and civic leader.

Marcel Miner
The CEO of Phoenix Marketing, Marcel develops innovative marketing strategies for a diverse business clientele that includes AT&T and Dollar General.

Nathaniel Manning
A retired Professor of Business & Economics at Southern University at Shreveport. He is now professor of economics at BPCC.

Terrell Hall
Hall is the chief operating officer at Hall Builders, the largest minority owned construction company in Shreveport.

Josh Williams 
Williams has a private practice in Shreveport. He managed the Perkins for Mayor campaign.

Ben Whalen

Ben is a graphic-designer. Ben’s Body Basics was recently chosen as one of Top Five competitors in the 2019 Startup Prize.

Taylor Jamison
Taylor is executive director at the Strategic Action Council and president of the Shreveport African American Chamber of Commerce

Robert Vinet
Robert is regional director of external affairs for AT&T Northwest Louisiana

Jim Jones
Jimmy Jones has a bachelors degree in Biochemistry from University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, as well as a M.B.A. from LSU. He works as a Project Engineer for a local engineering firm.

Amy Neathery 
A former public relations executive and local entrepreneur, Amy has spent the last three years as an operations manager of over a million feet of projects in phase 1 and 2 of Shreveport Consent Decree.

Chris Elberson
He has over 20 years professional experience including religious, health-care, residential and commercial projects.

Linda Biernacki
Biernacki is the president of Fire Tech Systems, Inc. She is Chair of the C-100 Military Affairs Committee and served as the first woman President of the Committee of One Hundred.

Demetrius Norman
Norman is a Senior Technical Consultant at Apple. As chair of NWLA Makerspace,  he
Oversees daily operations and charting long term vision planning and securing organizations assets.

Craig Lee
A local entrepreneur and civil rights advocate.

Dr Jeremy Simms Alexander
Dr Alexander holds a doctorate of Dental Surgery from Howard University. He operates a mobile dentistry practice once a week in Shreveport.

Roy Burrell
The Caddo Parish Commissioner is a former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for District 2 in Caddo and Bossier parishes in northwestern Louisiana. A business consultant, Burrell is a retired planning engineer for BellSouth Telecommunications.

State Rep Sam Jenkins
A practicing attorney, Rep Jenkins is chair of the Democratic Caucus and a former member of the Shreveport City Council.

Otis Ellis
A former executive with JP Morgan Wealth Management, Otis has extensive experience in the global financial market

Eric Yarbro
The founder and Chairman of Madison Square Realty, Eric has decades experience in commercial real estate and has worked on some of country’s top development projects.

Morris Clark
Clark is the former treasurer of Marathon Oil and advises Gateway
Development Consortium on Financing, deal structures and capital markets

Dominic Ozanne
Ozanne is a Harvard trained lawyer. His firm is headquartered in Cleveland.

Scott Metzner
Metzner founded Janus in 1989. He was one of the earliest developers involved in Harlem's current rebirth, matching for-profit development with public policy and community development initiatives and goals.

JR Chantengco 
Chantengco heads up Black Pearl Investments, a boutique investment and capital advisory firm in NYC.

Al Tindall
Financial advisor focuses his practice on state and states’ authority level issues, particularly on the development and implementation of state programs created for the benefit of local municipalities.

Stan Altman
Altman is President, Science and Arts Engagement New York, Inc.

Daron West
Daron is a consultant for Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART).

Melvin Green
Green heads up KME Architects, the architect of record for the $7.5 billion Bluetech Park, smart city (digital infrastructure city) in Las Vegas.

Donnette Dunbar 
Dunbar is the principal of Dash Media, a New York City-based firm.

 

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