Prior to being appointed by Governor Bobby Jindal as secretary of Louisiana Economic Development in 2008, Stephen Moret served as president and CEO of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber of Commerce (BRAC). Under Moret’s leadership from 2004-07, BRAC grew into a national-caliber, regional economic development organization. Revenues tripled at the chamber during Moret’s tenure, following the launch of "The Campaign for a Greater Baton Rouge," a five-year, $15 million economic development initiative for the nine-parish capital region.

Also while at BRAC, Moret emphasized that business retention and expansion efforts are equally important to business recruitment efforts, and that Louisiana must address such fundamental economic issues as eliminating unorthodox business taxes, improving workforce development, adopting comprehensive governmental ethics reform and addressing statewide transportation priorities.

Moret’s other professional endeavors include working as a management consultant with McKinsey & Company, a leading global consultancy serving senior executives of Fortune 500 companies and large public sector organizations. At McKinsey, he specialized in healthcare and service operations. Previously, he was a project supervisor with Trinity Consultants, where he advised large industrial facilities in Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and California on environmental issues related to major plant expansions.

Moret also served as an assistant to the LSU chancellor, an independent consultant to Harvard University and a public policy fellow with the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana (PAR). His research at PAR on restructuring Louisiana’s higher-education system earned the Most Distinguished Research Award from the National Governmental Research Association.

A native of Mississippi, Moret considers Baton Rouge, La., his adopted hometown since attending Louisiana State University as an undergraduate. He holds a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from LSU and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. He is a graduate of Leadership Louisiana and was selected for the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report’s “Top 40 Under 40.”

Moret and his wife Heather have a three-year-old son, Jackson, and a one-year-old son, Samuel.

In February 2008, Steven Grissom was appointed to serve as Louisiana Economic Development (LED) deputy secretary, managing the administrative functions of the department, working closely with the state legislature, budget office, fiscal office and legislative auditors.

Prior to joining LED, Grissom served as executive vice president of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC). At BRAC, he oversaw a wide range of activities and initiatives, including governmental affairs, policy research, economic analysis, business recruitment/retention and played an integral role in transforming BRAC into one of the leading regional economic development organizations in the nation. He was instrumental in the creation of The Campaign for a Greater Baton Rouge, BRAC’s five-year economic development program, which has raised over $15 million to date.

Prior to joining BRAC, Grissom was director of corporate development for The Shaw Group Inc. and a management consultant with the Houston office of McKinsey & Company. Grissom also consulted with companies, such as Accenture, Conestoga-Rovers & Associates and Trinity Consultants.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering with honors from LSU and was the top graduate of the Master of Business Administration program at Rice University.

Don Pierson has served as assistant secretary and head of the Office of Business Development for Louisiana Economic Development (LED) since January 2005, where he oversees the implementation of economic development programs and job creation efforts for the state of Louisiana. His primary duties include coordinating the department’s staff and administering programs, including small business development, existing business or industry support and industrial recruitment. Pierson has 20 years of economic development experience and is a certified economic development professional.

Prior to his appointment at LED, Pierson served more than 16 years in the Shreveport/Bossier community as executive director of the Greater Bossier Economic Development Foundation. In 2000, he was appointed by former Governor Foster to serve as a volunteer on the Louisiana Economic Development Council. In 2005, former Governor Blanco appointed Pierson to serve as assistant secretary for LED, and in January 2008, Governor Jindal appointed him to continue to serve as LED’s assistant secretary.

Pierson is a past-president of the Louisiana Industrial Development Executives Association. He has also served on the board of directors for the Southern Economic Development Council, an organization with representatives from all southern states. Pierson is a past-president of the Louisiana Chamber of Commerce Executives Association, serving as president in 1996, and is a past-president of the Shreveport-Bossier Home Builders Association.

A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Pierson served in the 82nd Airborne Division for five years. He is a former deacon at Kings Highway Christian Church in Shreveport. He is married to Kay Spearman Pierson and has two adult children, Jerry and Rachel.

In February 2008, Fran Gladden was appointed to serve as Louisiana Economic Development (LED) undersecretary, overseeing the financial aspects of the department’s program of work.

Gladden served as LED’s legislative/congressional liaison from 2004-05 and deputy secretary from 2005-08. For more than 28 years, Gladden played an active role in economic development and governmental relations in the public and private sectors. She was also directly involved in the start-up and growth of a family-owned manufacturing business.

Gladden represented Louisiana’s rural electric cooperatives for 12 years in many aspects of operation, including economic development and marketing, as well as directing state and federal governmental and legislative efforts. She worked for the Louisiana Department of Commerce from 1983-89 in the national marketing and business incentives divisions. Prior to that, she spent five years working in economic development planning throughout Louisiana.

Gladden served as chairman of the annual Governor's Conference on Economic Development from 2005-07. She is active in the Louisiana Industrial Development Executives Association, formerly serving as an officer and a board member. She is also an active participant in the International Economic Development Council, Southern Economic Development Council, CoreNet and other professional organizations.

Gladden represents LED on several boards and commissions, including Louisiana Business and Technology Center, Advisory Commission for Intergovernmental Relations, Louisiana Economic Development Corporation, Louisiana Gene Therapy Research Consortium Board, Board of Regents Support Fund Planning Committee and Healthworks Commission. She is involved with the Louisiana Recovery Authority by overseeing the $220 million Business Recovery Grant and Loan Program.

A native of Lake Charles, La., Gladden holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from McNeese State University. She is involved in numerous community, church and school volunteer organizations and serves on several boards. She is married with three children.

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