February 12, 2026 — When Gov. Jeff Landry named Susan Bourgeois secretary of Louisiana Economic Development in early 2024, she embarked on a statewide listening tour to find out what mattered most to local business owners, community leaders and everyday Louisianians.
While she heard many inspiring stories during her conversations, people frequently lamented Louisiana’s poor performance in national economic and quality-of-life rankings or the lack of population growth relative to other Southern states. There was a general feeling, she said, that what’s possible elsewhere couldn’t happen here.