School of Business to host Porter Forum

Northwestern State University’s School of Business will sponsor the 46th annual J. Walter Porter Forum Thursday, Oct. 11.  The focus of this year’s program is “Economic and Community Development” with discussions on how government officials and business professionals promote civic engagement, cultivate entrepreneurship and support a healthy city, state and region.  Featured speakers will be Donna Isaacs, Hyram Copeland and Tony Davis.
The Porter Forum will begin at 8:15 a.m. in Room 107 of Russell Hall and will conclude with a luncheon at 11:45a.m.
 
Isaacs is president of CocoGreen, a consulting firm dedicated to community education, advocacy and rehabilitation with a focus on improving the health and well-being of residents while saving money.  She will speak at 8:30 a.m.
 
            Copeland has served as mayor of Vidalia since 1992 and is past president of the Louisiana Municipal Gas Authority.  He has served on theGovernor’s Economic Development Task Force and numerous planning and development commissions. He will speak at 9:30 a.m.
 
Davis is executive director of the Natchitoches Area Chamber of Commerce, a real estate broker and licensed residential contractor.  He serves on several local civic and philanthropic boards, including the board of directors for the Louisiana Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives.  He will speak at 11 a.m.
 
The J. Walter Porter forum is an effort to translate the textbook into practice by bringing capable, successful business executives to campus to speak on selected topics in their area of expertise.  The forum is made possible by the endowment established by the family and friends of the late J. Walter Porter.  Porter was interested in improving the image of business as a career field for college students.
 
            For more information, contact Dr. Margaret Kilcoyne, director of the School of Busines at Northwestern State at (318) 357-5715, e-mail kilcoyne@nsula.edu or visit business.nsula.edu/j-walter-porter-forum.