Professional Development
The CLED program is currently in process of transferring to McNeese. We appreciate your patience as the website is still under construction. If you have any questions, please contact dgroft@mcneese.edu.
Certified Louisiana Economic Developer
Learn best practices in economic development to grow business, jobs, and capital investment in your community!
Economic Development Training....
with emphasis on Louisiana's assets, laws, incentives, workforce.
Become a CLED
Louisiana's economic developer certification program is second to none! Beginning with the Basic Economic Development Course, recognized by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), it teaches participants the very latest cutting edge best practices in creating economic growth!
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Click on "More info" to learn more!
Classes Offered
Classes are constantly updated to make sure they include the most current best practice information and reference to the most up to date technologies available to accomplish the goals of professional economic development practitioners.
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Click on "More info" to see our curriculum.
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Meet Our Team
Our faculty and leadership team is made up of certified economic developers and current practitioners in the field. Our Dean is a PhD, with decades of experience working with communities all over the nation.
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Click on "More info" to see biographies of some of our current and past instructors.
About LIDEA Program Sponsors
The Louisiana Industrial Development Executives Association (LIDEA) is a non-profit trade organization whose mission is to increase the effectiveness of individuals involved in the practice of economic development in Louisiana through education, public policy advocacy, and collaboration; LIDEA is the voice of the profession in Louisiana.
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LIDEA started the Certified Louisiana Economic Developer program in 2008 to help practitioners become the best in the nation at growing economies in their communities.
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Our partners include LED (Louisiana Economic Development), USDA Rural Development and the Delta Regional Authority. We are able to offer affordable, best in nation training due to their generous support!
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We also enjoy generous support from GNO, Inc (Greater New Orleans, Inc.), who have both been supporters of helping community leaders learn economic development best practices for many years!