Meetings

John Westra, economist with the LSU AgCenter, will discuss another banner year in 2014 for Louisiana agriculture at the Press Club of Baton Rouge on Monday, April 6. The ag economy reached $12.69 billion in 2014, which is a 7.6 percent increase over 2013, which was a record-breaking year. Press Club meets on Mondays in the Iberville Room at the Belle of Baton Rouge Hotel, which is located at 102 France St. Parking is free in the garage off Mayflower Street. Lunch, which is served at 11:30 a.m., is $12 for members and $15 for nonmembers. The public is invited, but only members of the Press Club and the news media are allowed to ask questions during the question-and-answer portion of the program.

Robert Travis Scott, president of the Public Affairs Research Council, will speak at the Baton Rouge Press Club on Monday, March 30. Scott will present PAR’s new report, “Innovation in Louisiana: Maximizing Investment in University Research to Promote a Knowledge-Based Economy.” The report provides an in-depth evaluation of research and development performance at Louisiana universities and recommends changes in practices and policies to promote progress. Press Club meets on Mondays in the Iberville Room at the Belle of Baton Rouge Hotel, which is located at 102 France St. Parking is free in the garage off Mayflower Street. Lunch, which is served at 11:30 a.m., is $12 for members and $15 for nonmembers. The public is invited, but only members of the Press Club and the news media are allowed to ask questions during the question-and-answer portion of the program.

F. King Alexander, LSU president and chancellor, will speak at the Baton Rouge Press Club on Monday, March 23. Alexander will provide an overview of Louisiana’s budget outlook and the possible impacts on LSU and higher education in the state. Press Club meets on Mondays in the Iberville Room at the Belle of Baton Rouge Hotel, which is located at 102 France St. Parking is free in the garage off Mayflower Street. Lunch, which is served at 11:30 a.m., is $12 for members and $15 for nonmembers. The public is invited, but only members of the Press Club and the news media are allowed to ask questions during the question-and-answer portion of the program.

Rep. Pat Smith, who was scheduled to speak at Press Club tomorrow, has canceled. William Broussard, the athletic director at Southern University, will be the speaker. He will talk about the success of the basketball program and other sports and how he plans  to address upcoming budget cuts.

Rep. Pat Smith, a Democrat from East Baton Rouge Parish, will speak at the Baton Rouge Press Club on Monday, March 16. Smith will talk about the upcoming session of the Louisiana Legislature, which starts April 13. Press Club meets on Mondays in the Iberville Room at the Belle of Baton Rouge Hotel, which is located at 102 France St. Parking is free in the garage off Mayflower Street. Lunch, which is served at 11:30 a.m., is $12 for members and $15 for nonmembers. The public is invited, but only members of the Press Club and the news media are allowed to ask questions during the question-and-answer portion of the program.

Christopher Mores, a researcher at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, will speak at the Baton Rouge Press Club on Monday, March 9, about his work in Africa regarding the Ebola outbreak. Mores served as the lead epidemiologist and infection control specialist at the Ebola Treatment Center in Port Loko, Sierra Leone. He returned to the U.S. on Feb. 4.

Press Club meets on Mondays in the Iberville Room at the Belle of Baton Rouge Hotel, which is located at 102 France St. Parking is free in the garage off Mayflower Street. Lunch, which is served at 11:30 a.m., is $12 for members and $15 for nonmembers. The public is invited, but only members of the Press Club and the news media are allowed to ask questions during the question-and-answer portion of the program.

Joseph Rallo, Louisiana commissioner of higher education, will speak at the Baton Rouge Press Club on Monday, March 2. Rallo will discuss how the state’s public universities and colleges will cope with upcoming funding reductions. He will also address Gov. Bobby Jindal’s budget proposal, which will be released on Feb. 27. Press Club meets on Mondays in the Iberville Room at the Belle of Baton Rouge Hotel, which is located at 102 France St. Parking is free in the garage off Mayflower Street. Lunch, which is served at 11:30 a.m., is $12 for members and $15 for nonmembers. The public is invited, but only members of the Press Club and the news media are allowed to ask questions during the question-and-answer portion of the program.

Will French, co-founder and president of Film Production Capital LLC, will speak at the Baton Rouge Press Club on Monday, Feb. 23. French will discuss the economic impact the industry has had on the state and what’s ahead for the industry in Louisiana in 2015. Press Club meets on Mondays in the Iberville Room at the Belle of Baton Rouge Hotel, which is located at 102 France St. Parking is free in the garage off Mayflower Street. Lunch, which is served at 11:30 a.m., is $12 for members and $15 for nonmembers. The public is invited, but only members of the Press Club and the news media are allowed to ask questions during the question-and-answer portion of the program.

The Press Club of Baton Rouge will not meet on Monday, Jan. 19, because of the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday. The luncheon meetings at the Belle of Baton Rouge Hotel will resume on Monday, Jan. 26. The speaker is Chip Groat, president and CEO of the Water Institute. He will discuss “Into the Blue 2050,” a report on the future of water resources in Baton Rouge and the capital region.

Adam Knapp, president and CEO of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, will speak at the Baton Rouge Press Club on Monday, Jan. 12. Knapp will deliver a state of the region address, featuring BRAC’s top priorities for 2015, as well as a retrospective of economic development activity in 2014. Press Club meets on Mondays in the Iberville Room at the Belle of Baton Rouge Hotel, which is located at 102 France St. Parking is free in the garage off Mayflower Street. Lunch, which is served at 11:30 a.m., is $12 for members and $15 for nonmembers. The public is invited, but only members of the Press Club and the news media are allowed to ask questions during the question-and-answer portion of the program.