Chamber Chat with Mags Maggie Matuschka

Tune into this episode of Chamber Chat to learn more about the recent Best of Natchitoches Best of Manufacturing winner, RoyOMartin. Senior Director of Human Resources Connie Baker and Vice President of Plywood Jeremy Buford join Mags to chat about RoyOMartin's growth over the past century, and continued commitment to being an industry leader in operational excellence.

Tune into this episode of Chamber Chat to hear how 21-22 A+ Coalition S.T.E.A.M. in Education grant winner Iris Yount (Fairview Alpha Elementary) has utilized her grant funding to create fun and meaningful activities that connect concepts across subjects!

The A+ Coalition’s S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) in Education grant opportunity is available to all public and private, Pre-K-12 educators within Natchitoches Parish. Grants may be funded up to $7,000, or multiple grants may be awarded in smaller increments. This grant is awarded on a yearly basis to an educator(s) in Natchitoches Parish for innovative S.T.E.A.M. initiatives used to advance learning and enhance the skills of students. Grant applications are subject to school principal approval. 

The deadline to apply for the 22-23 grant is July 31, 2022. Educators can start the application process today at NatchitochesChamber.com/steamgrant. 



In this episode of Chamber Chat the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry President Stephen Waguespack talks about key legislation impacting Natchitoches business and industry. Tune in to learn more about ITEP and streamlined sales tax collection. This interview was recorded Wednesday, April 13th. ITEP SB 151 is on the floor today or tomorrow.

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In this episode of Chamber Chat, Mags interviewed the Bossier Parish Community College Chancellor Dr. Rick Bateman. Dr. Rick Bateman, Jr. is the sixth chancellor of Bossier Parish Community College (BPCC). Bateman previously served as the Interim Director of Northwest Louisiana Technical College and Interim Chancellor at Bossier Parish Community College. Prior to becoming Interim Director at Northwest LTC, Bateman was the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Student Success at SOWELA Technical Community College in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He has 20+ years of progressively responsible and varied higher education experience in Belize, Texas, and Louisiana. As you will hear in this interview, Bateman is passionate about the open door mission of the two-year college and believes that the community college is an essential tool of a healthy democracy and a vibrant economy. 

In the chat, Dr. Bateman talks about the recent acquisition of the local community college, the expanded programs that will be offered at the community college starting in August, and how BPCC plans to be a partner with the Natchitoches community. Learn more about BPCC at bpcc.edu. 

Chamber Notes:

You can register for the Louisiana Young Professionals conference at NatchitochesChamber.com/LeadershipConference. 

In this episode of Chamber Chat, Scott Poole, President & COO of RoyOMartin, discusses the role that RoyOMartin plays in the local economy. We also get to hear about his personal journey in manufacturing, the challenges and opportunities of his career, and why he chose this career path.

In this episode of Chamber Chat, Natchitoches Parish School Board Representative for District 8 and Board President Reverend Steven Harris talks about why he chose to serve as a School Board member, and what it has meant to him to be able to serve in this role. We also discuss why the new strategic plan--Read, Set, Grow Natchitoches--is so important, and what excites Reverend Harris the most about the new plan.