Lake Charles native returns home after nine years on Capitol Hill to lead the region’s policy and advocacy work under the Accelerate SWLA strategic plan.
LAKE CHARLES, La. (Aug. 17, 2026) — The Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance has named Andrew David Vice President of Policy and Advocacy. David begins in the role today, bringing nearly a decade of Capitol Hill experience to the organization’s leadership team.
David will lead policy and advocacy across Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, and Jefferson Davis parishes. The role comes directly out of Accelerate SWLA, the region’s economic development strategic plan, which was shaped by more than 830 residents, business leaders, elected officials, and community partners and is built around six regional pillars and one bold goal: growing Southwest Louisiana’s population by 100,000 over the next ten years.
Policy and advocacy is one of the plan’s core functions. David will convene local governments, state agencies, and industry around shared priorities. He will work in close partnership with the Southwest Louisiana Regional Planning Commission to coordinate unified local, state, and federal funding requests for infrastructure, workforce, and quality-of-life projects. He will also lead The Alliance’s Ease of Doing Business work and represent Southwest Louisiana on the state and federal levels.
“Southwest Louisiana is in the strongest position it has been in a generation, and future opportunities will be impacted by policymakers in local governments, at the state capital, and in Washington,” David said. “I spent more than nine years working on policy at the federal level. Now, I have the privilege of getting to do that work for the place I call home.”
“The plan is written and the goal is set,” David continued. “My job is to help make sure the policy environment keeps pace with the investment, and that all five parishes have a voice when funding, policy decisions, and economic priorities are decided.”
David most recently served as Chief of Staff to U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, who represents Louisiana’s Third Congressional District. He joined the office in 2017 and served as Communications Director and Deputy Chief of Staff before being named Chief of Staff in January 2023. Earlier in his career, he worked as a communications advisor for Gulf Partyline
Corporation and on Congressman Garret Graves’ successful 2014 campaign for Louisiana’s Sixth District.
A Lake Charles native, David is a graduate of Louisiana State University and earned his Master of Public Administration from the LSU E.J. Ourso College of Business.
“Policy and advocacy runs through all six of our regional pillars,” said Scott Walker, President and CEO of the SWLA Economic Development Alliance. “Our strategic plan requires The Alliance to work more closely with local governments, with the state, and with our federal delegation than it ever has before. That takes someone whose full-time job is building and keeping those relationships.”
“Andrew knows how Washington works,” Walker added. “Just as important, he knows this region because he is from here. That combination is hard to find, and it strengthens how The Alliance shows up for Southwest Louisiana.”
As Louisiana’s designated regional economic development organization for Southwest Louisiana, The Alliance built Accelerate SWLA to align with Louisiana Economic Development’s statewide strategic plan, the state’s first in more than 15 years. David’s work will focus on keeping regional priorities connected to that statewide framework and to federal opportunities as they develop.
About the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance
The Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance serves as a connector and catalyst for business growth across the five parishes of Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, and Jefferson Davis, working to grow the regional economy, strengthen quality of life, cultivate a skilled workforce, and foster a supportive business community. Accelerate SWLA, the region’s economic development strategic plan, unites Southwest Louisiana around six regional pillars: Diversification and Innovation, Ease of Doing Business, Infrastructure and Site Readiness, Workforce and Education, Regional Collaboration, and Quality of Life. Learn more at allianceswla.org.