Former State Recruiter Leads Baton Rouge Growth
Baton Rouge businesses seeking expansion support will see a state-recruitment veteran lead the regional partnership from January 2027.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in People
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The Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership has named Paige Carter its president and CEO, effective January 2027. Carter currently serves as Chief Business Development Officer at Louisiana Economic Development, a role she has held since June 2024.
Why it matters
The appointment places a leader with state-level business development experience at the head of the region's primary economic recruitment and growth organization. For Baton Rouge operators, leadership continuity at the partnership shapes which companies are courted and how local business expansion is prioritized.
Louisiana has announced more than $260 billion in investment since 2024, according to the state's economic development figures cited in the announcement. The figure is an aggregate of announced projects and does not separate completed investments from pending commitments.
The players
Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership
The regional economic development organization that recruits businesses and supports growth across the Baton Rouge Capital Region.
Louisiana Economic Development
The state agency responsible for business recruitment, incentives, and economic development programs that attract investment to Louisiana.
Paige Carter
A Louisiana economic development executive with prior roles in business development at LED and industry engagement at the LSU Foundation.
The details
Carter spent her earlier career in economic development roles tied to Louisiana's business recruitment efforts before rejoining Louisiana Economic Development in June 2024. Before returning to LED, she was executive director of industry engagement at the LSU Foundation, and she previously served as LED's director of business development. Her move to the Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership brings that recruitment and industry-engagement background to a regional organization serving the Capital Region.
Timeline
June 2024: Carter returned to Louisiana Economic Development as Chief Business Development Officer.
January 2027: Carter takes over as president and CEO of the Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership.
Market Landscape
Regional economic partnerships in Louisiana work alongside the state agency on recruitment, so leadership moves between the two shape how investment prospects are pursued locally. Carter's transition from LED's business development function to the Baton Rouge partnership ties the state and regional recruitment efforts more closely together.
Baton Rouge businesses working with regional recruitment should expect continuity in how the partnership pursues economic development, though its near-term priorities under new leadership have not been detailed. Operators tracking expansion or relocation prospects should monitor the partnership's activity once Carter takes office in January.
The takeaway
Leadership changes at regional economic development organizations often signal shifts in how incentives and recruitment are pursued, so operators should note the January 2027 transition. Businesses planning expansion in the Capital Region can track the partnership's announcements in the months after Carter assumes the role.
Further reading
For more on regional leadership shifts, explore the People section for other executive appointments across the sector.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WBRZ.
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