“We congratulate Angie and Ashley for these well-deserved promotions,” said Adam Johnston, NLEP Board Chair. “The promotions acknowledge their contributions to North Louisiana as well as their dedication to NLEP. Angie has been with NLEP for nearly 12 years, and Ashley has led Government Relations for six years.”
Angie White has 22 years of economic development, workforce development, and finance experience. For the last 12 years, she has led NLEP’s workforce initiatives. In 2019, Angie was named ACT Workforce Champion for the State of Louisiana in recognition of her work, coordinating one of the nation’s top three largest ACT Work Ready Communities coordinated initiatives. In September 2017, one of NLEP’s workforce initiatives, North Louisiana Manufacturing Week, won an Excellence in Economic Development Silver Award for Human Capital from International Economic Development Council (IEDC), the largest membership organization for economic developers. Angie also manages TECH BY 20, an information technology-focused association developed by NLEP to support a vibrant technology ecosystem in North Louisiana. Angie is a Certified Economic Developer, as designated by IEDC and serves on the Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO) committee of IEDC, which reviews economic development organizations across the country for best practices.
Prior to joining NLEP, Angie worked for twelve years with EMP Global in Washington, DC as its Portfolio Officer and Investment Analyst with the Latin America Group. She earned her Master of Business Administration and Master of Arts in International Affairs from the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She is a Shreveport native and a graduate of Centenary College with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. She serves on the boards of the Shreveport-Bossier Business Alliance for Higher Education (SBBA), the Workforce Investment Board, Region 70 for Louisiana, and volunteers for Youth Justice. Angie was honored with the Community Gem award from the Community Foundation of North Louisiana for her tireless community volunteer work.
Ashley Busada has managed NLEP’s government relations and advocacy
efforts that impact economic development in North Louisiana for the past six years. Additionally, Ashley works to recruit companies to North Louisiana under NLEP’s Business Development Program, and she leads NLEP’s Business Recruitment and Expansion program (BRE). Ashley is a Certified Economic Developer, as designated by IEDC.
Prior to joining NLEP, Ashley worked for the Bossier Chamber of Commerce as their Government Relations Director. She was the Bossier Chamber’s first registered lobbyist and launched their government relations department. Ashley advocated on behalf of local interests in the state legislature and during annual visits to Washington D.C. She also served as the director of Bossier Youth Leadership, a program that invests in growing the future leaders of Northwest Louisiana.
Ashley is member of the IEDC Young Professionals Committee and is the co-founder and co-director of the Cinderella Project of Shreveport, a nonprofit that provides free prom dresses to junior and senior girls in Northwest Louisiana. Ashley also is a volunteer member of the Bossier Youth Leadership committee and Junior League of Shreveport-Bossier.
Ashley received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Communications from the Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Her strong commitment to North Louisiana led her to return after college and promote growth and improvement in her community. Busada was honored with the “Top 40 under 40” Award for Northwest Louisiana.
“I am very proud of both Angie and Ashley for their accomplishments and professional growth,” said Scott Martinez, NLEP President. “Angie’s work in workforce development through North Louisiana Manufacturing Week and ACT Work Ready Communities initiatives has brought statewide and national attention to our region and has strengthened partnerships around building our regional talent pipeline. Ashley’s work in business development and governmental relations has provided a significant impact for North Louisiana.”
About North Louisiana Economic Partnership
North Louisiana Economic Partnership, an Accredited Economic Development Organization, provides professional economic development services to the 14 parish region of North Louisiana, including lead generation and prospect management. The organization also represents the interests of North Louisiana with a unified voice and as a single point of contact. It acts as a catalyst, a convener, and a connector in the region to ensure that North Louisiana’s economic development potential is realized. Its vision is for North Louisiana to be a thriving region-a destination for high quality talent, innovative companies, and global investment.