Board Member Spotlight
Jim Rock
Our birthday post for you shared that you are a man that wears many hats. Tell us about some of those hats.
My “work hat” is as the Executive Director of Lake Area Industry Alliance, a position I have held for almost 5 years after having worked in the chemical manufacturing industry for 42 years. This “hat” includes directing a growing organization that includes over 25 companies with over 8,000 direct employees in SWLA in the energy and petrochemical industries. Our outreach activities in the community include active roles in supporting education from K – college, quality of life projects and environmental stewardship. I also participate in several Chamber committees in an industry representative capacity.
My “volunteer” hat has a Community Foundation logo on it and is definitely multi-layered. During my five years on the Community Foundation board, I have had the opportunity to work with some incredible community-minded persons on projects that I never could have anticipated. Initially, we were busy with workforce development and community improvement projects and then Hurricanes Laura and Delta happened. Generous donations poured into the Foundation with the purpose of not only rebuilding but rebuilding with resilience and purpose and the Just Imagine project has and continues to fulfill that mission. The Mid-City Transformation was the project that I was most involved in and we were successful in being awarded a Choice Neighborhood Grant of $40 million to go along with another $250 million+ in partnerships and pledges. This project will take about five years to complete but will change not only the lives of previous residents as they return to a new neighborhood, but also the larger community.
My favorite and most important hat is being a husband, a father, and I am most passionate about my “Poprock” hat as grandfather to the grandchildren that my wife Christi and I share. My time with them is very special to me and most rewarding. Seeing them mature and having the opportunity to share time with them and participate in their development is the best thing I could ask for.
What inspires you about your volunteer work as a Board member, and now the Board chair?
Being a part of the “connector” in the “connecting people who care with causes that matter” is very inspiring. Some of those causes deal with expanding resources for neighbors in need or have a positive impact on the quality of life for our community, while others improve workforce development which can enhance job opportunities for our neighbors. Seeing tangible improvements happen in real-time and seeing the positive impact on those that benefit from it is extremely rewarding.
Seeing the improvements we make in our community through the Foundation is especially important to me in my “Poprock” hat. I know my grandkids and their generation will grow up in a vibrant, resilient, and improving community where they can grow, be educated, and want to raise their family here. I’m inspired by thinking of the impact it will have on them.
You’ve devoted a lot of time and energy to being the “Champion” for the Just Imagine SWLA project, the Mid City Transformation. Please share why you believe this will be transformational for Lake Charles and SWLA.
The existing neighborhood had deteriorated over the last 50 years for a variety of reasons and the hurricanes of 2020 delivered a blow that made recovery of that area a tremendous challenge. At the Community Foundation, we learned about the Choice Neighborhood Initiative along with the City of Lake Charles and the Housing Authority, who were co-sponsors of the HUD grant application. We were able to bring on some outstanding and experienced partners who led us through the process. We had about 6 months from deciding to pursue this to actually submitting our application, so time was of the essence. After many thousands of man-hours from a determined and diversified team, we submitted our application in January of last year and waited. We hosted a visit from the HUD representatives in the spring and continued to keep our fingers crossed until we learned last June that we were successful and were able to share that incredible news with the residents and the community.
The components of the 37-acre development will include a variety of housing options in 1, 2, and 3-story buildings which will also include commercial properties and amenities. Multi-income residents will live in a clean, well-maintained neighborhood with close access to shopping, restaurants, and entertainment. There will be a public park alongside a stream that leads to Contraband Bayou, and a nearby kayak launch location. The view from the adjacent streets of Lake and 18th will be inviting and welcoming to residents and visitors.
I am anticipating a real and tangible resurgence in that vital mid-city development and beyond.