St. Charles Parish has welcomed a new vision for economic growth with the appointment of Patrick Beard as the Director of Economic Development and Tourism. In a move to bolster the parish’s efforts to attract fresh investment and diversify its economic landscape, President Matthew Jewell announced Beard's new role following full backing from the St. Charles Parish Council this past Monday.
Beard, a Destrehan local, is noted for his dual expertise in both the public and private sectors. Despite the unanimous council support for Beard's appointment, some residents eagerly anticipate how he will translate his background exclusive in industrial real estate, regional economic partnerships, and strategic economic development towards actualizing sustainable progress within the parish.
"Patrick’s background in regional economic development will bolster our ongoing efforts to create new opportunities across our parish," Jewell expressed optimistically, as reported by the St. Charles Parish news release. The statement underlines a shared expectation that, with Beard's leadership, the parish will reinforce networks with pivotal business and industrial figures to foster economic augmentation.
With a seasoned tenure exceeding a decade in his industry, Beard most recently steered initiatives as Associate Vice President at Colliers, the globally ranked third-largest brokerage in commercial real estate. At Colliers, he liaised with distinct government entities and the private sector to channel investment toward the Gulf Coast region.
A solid educational foundation underpins Beard’s practical experience—he holds a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from the University of New Orleans. Supplementing his academic and professional journey, Beard has circulated his knowledge, serving as an adjunct professor of real estate finance at Tulane University and the University of New Orleans. Beard shares his life in Destrehan with his wife, a former local school teacher, and their three children, the older two of which are enrolled in parish schools, with the youngest expected to join them.
Prior to his stint at Colliers, Beard managed a considerable swathe of industrial land as the Maritime-Industrial Asset Manager for the Port of New Orleans. His collaboration with key organizations, such as GNO Inc., Louisiana Economic Development, and Entergy, was primarily geared towards job creation and augmenting industrial capacities within the region.
