Southwest Louisiana - Cleco donated $5,000 to the Alliance Foundation to support its initiatives. This donation is portion of their 5-year commitment to the Alliance Foundation’s SWLA on the Move 5-year campaign.  The current plan of work under the SWLA on the Move Campaign is to address the critical issues facing our region: workforce development, business recruitment, business retention and expansion, regional marketing, and building a single voice for a true regional partnership. 

​Pictured: Jonathan Dean, Cleco Business Developer; R.B. Smith, Alliance VP of Business & Workforce Development; George Swift, Alliance President/CEO; Rick Ranson, Cleco Manager, Economic Development – North; and Katie Chiasson, Cleco Senior Business Development. 

The Chamber and the SWLA Alliance Foundation are part of the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance.  As part of the funding for the SWLA Economic Development Alliance, SWLA on the Move promotes economic development in Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron and Jeff Davis P​arishes. 

About Cleco

Cleco is a regulated utility company headquartered in Pineville, Louisiana. Cleco's roots go back to the 1906 installation of a 25 kWh Corliss steam-driven generating plant in Bunkie, LA. Today, the company has approximately 1,200 employees serving approximately 288,000 customers in Louisiana through its retail business and supplies wholesale power in Louisiana and Mississippi. They offer reasonable rates, reliable service and a customer-focused workforce. Cleco owns nine generating units with a total nameplate capacity of 3,310 megawatts, 11,931 miles of distribution lines and 1,305 miles of transmission lines. 

About the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance Foundation

The SWLA Alliance Foundation is the only 501c3, non-profit agency in the Southwest Louisiana region devoted solely to the economic development of our region.  The Foundation’s mission is to organize missions/events for the purpose of educating the world about the economic opportunities available in the Southwest Louisiana region; to work with area governments relating to business and economic development; produce and support economic activities and publications relating to our region; educate our general public of the need for economic development and the benefits gained thereafter; and to coordinate with other non-profit organizations for the economic development of the Southwest Louisiana region.