LAKE CHARLES, La. (April 28, 2020) – Kyle Edmiston, Visit Lake Charles (VLC) President/CEO, and Nick Zaver, CEO of Hotels of Lake Charles and VLC board member, have been appointed to the Resilient Louisiana Commission (RLC) Hospitality & Tourism Task Force by Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards. Jill Kidder, CEO of Louisiana Travel Association, and Kyle France, Chairman of Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District, are the co-chairs of the Task Force.
“It is an honor to serve the citizens and hospitality community of Southwest Louisiana on the Resilient Louisiana Commission Hospitality & Tourism Task Force," said Edmiston. “I look forward to working with the distinguished members of the RLC, my colleagues on the Hospitality & Tourism Task Force, and state officials as we work toward reopening, restoring, and rebuilding the tourism economy in Louisiana.”
Gov. Edwards created Resilient Louisiana, a state commission charged with examining Louisiana’s economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic and making recommendations for moving business-related activities and commerce forward in the coming months. The 18-member panel includes Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, and will be co-chaired by Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Don Pierson and health care leader Terrie Sterling, a Baton Rouge consultant and retired Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System executive.
"While this pandemic has touched every sector of the economy, it has taken a tremendous toll on the tourism industry. I am looking forward to collaborating with the other task force members to find solutions so that we can strategically recover to meet short term and long term goals for the hospitality community. Tourism has been and will continue to be a top economic driver for the state," said Zaver.
The commission will include a task force structure dedicated to strengthening specific sectors of Louisiana’s economy. Task forces will be focused on solutions for such critical sectors as Energy and Manufacturing; Health Care, including improved delivery of medical care, health equity and enhanced facilities; Tourism, including hotels, gaming and related hospitality entities; Rural Development; Education and Workforce, with attention given to the training needs of displaced workers; and Economic and Community Development, including strategies for making regions and communities more resilient in the face of future health care threats and other risks.
The Resilient Louisiana Commission Hospitality & Tourism Task Force will meet virtually for the first time this week.
For more information about the commission and updates about its work, visit OpportunityLouisiana.com/ResilientLouisiana.
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