Baton Rouge Area Chamber: BRAC Confers Annual Awards

Press release from the Baton Rouge Area Chamber:

March 31, 2021

Award recipients include:  

Nial received unanimous support from BRAC’s board in his nomination for the D. Jensen Holliday Award. In addition to his board service, Nial currently volunteers as Chair of BRAC’s Legislative Committee, helping to guide the organization on policy and advocacy issues. He is a selfless connector and ambassador for BRAC, and consistently looks for innovative ideas to move the Baton Rouge economy and community forward. The D. Jensen Holliday Award is presented to a member of the BRAC Board of Directors for his or her extraordinary leadership and exemplary service to BRAC. Individuals honored with the award demonstrate selfless service to the economic growth of the Baton Rouge Area.   

The D. Jensen Holliday Award is presented to a member of the BRAC Board of Directors for his or her extraordinary leadership and exemplary service to BRAC. Individuals honored with the award demonstrate selfless service to the economic growth of the Baton Rouge Area. 

In July of 2020, Hood Container of Louisiana, LLC announced that its paper mill in West Feliciana Parish will complete a $50 million efficiency upgrade and capacity expansion. With the project, Hood Container will retain 306 existing employees and a $23 million annual payroll at the mill on the Mississippi River, near St. Francisville. The expansion, which is also expected to support 75 construction jobs, serves as a shining light in the wood products sector, a core industry for the region and the state.   BRAC’s Project of the Year Award is presented to an economic development project win that positions the Capital Region at the next level through job creation, capital expenditures, expansion of an industry sector, and long-term impact on the regional economy and brand.   

BRAC’s Project of the Year Award is presented to an economic development project win that positions the Capital Region at the next level through job creation, capital expenditures, expansion of an industry sector, and long-term impact on the regional economy and brand.  

BRAC’s Business Growth Award seeks to recognize a company’s job growth and its economic benefit to the regional economy. Job growth is calculated based on percent increase in full-time employees over the previous three years. For the 2021 award, the qualifying years are 2018-2020.

BRAC’s Corporate Professional Development Award seeks to recognize a company for outstanding programs focused on young professional development. Recipients prioritize leadership development and mentorship as key aspects of business growth and talent retention. The award is presented in partnership with Forum 225, Baton Rouge’s largest young professionals organization.

In his year as BRAC Board Chair, Flynn oversaw the organization’s pivot to crisis and recovery response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He also provided guidance as the organization laid the groundwork for its next regional, five-year strategic plan, to be launched in 2022. Flynn’s leadership helped BRAC win the Louisiana Association of Chamber of Commerce Executive’s (LACCE) 

Chamber of the Year designation in 2020.    

BRAC’s Annual Meeting was presented by Humana and sponsored by Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, and NAI Latter & Blum. 

This press release was produced by the Baton Rouge Area Chamber. The views expressed here are the author’s own.