TEDA board association change anticipated

Membership adjustments to the Terrebonne Economic Development Authority Board of Directors are anticipated tonight when the Terrebonne Parish Council considers an application and recommendation submitted to add Katie Sims to the economic leadership agency.

Sims is being considered for placement on the TEDA board following the March 17 resignation of Charles Adams from the position he was expected to hold until Aug. 24, 2012. Adams submitted a letter of resignation to TEDA and cited personal reasons as his motive for leaving the board. He had served as representative of the general public and was appointed upon recommendation of the parish council.

As a workforce liaison for Options for Independence, where she has worked since December 2010, Sims has focused her efforts on assisting individuals displaced by last year’s BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in training and employment opportunities. Her recommendation was submitted to the parish council by Options CEO Barry Chauvin.

Sims studied English and liberal arts first at Northeastern Louisiana University and then at Nichols State University.

From 1985 until 2005, Sims owned and operated a wholesale supply house, and she was program director for Catholic Charities of Houma-Thibodaux between 2008 and 2010.

“My interest in economic development and small business development has [grown] for a number of years,” Sims said. “I would like to see the small business aspect of TEDA expanded and fine tuned. There is a tremendous foundation of small business entrepreneurs that need help, and I want to be in a position to do that. I want to see TEDA to become a player with all the other economic development agencies and move forward.”

Sims has been active on community service agencies and charitable organizations. Her references for the TEDA position include Terrebonne Parish Councilman Clayton Voisin.