SU and BRAC partner to encourage alumni's return to Baton Rouge area

The Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) and the Southern University (SU) Alumni Federation today announced that they have agreed to a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will facilitate the promotion of BRAC's talent development program among SU alumni. The agreement states that BRAC will partner with the SU Alumni Federation at Federation and chapter events to promote the region and employment activities within it. In turn, BRAC will work to identify career opportunities for out-of-region SU graduates and provide the resumes of alumni members interested in returning to the Baton Rouge area to companies with open positions. The MOU's goal is to grow the number of resumes included in BRAC's talent database.

"Our alumni tell us frequently that they would return to the area if the job market offered them comparable opportunities. They miss the culture of south Louisiana and more importantly they desire to be near friends and family," said Robyn Merrick, SU System director of alumni affairs and executive director of SU Alumni Federation.

"This is a win, win. The goal of BRAC's talent development program is to increase the number of seasoned professionals in the Capital Region," said Adam Knapp, President and CEO of BRAC. "By joining with the SU Alumni Federation, we will be able to connect directly to out-of-state Southern graduates looking to return home for great careers, while helping our businesses and economic development prospects at the same time."

BRAC is currently building a diverse talent database that can be accessed when regional companies are searching for candidates for hard-to-fill positions. Those interested in being a part of the database can find more information on the "call for resumes" and confidentially submit a resume here.

The talent development program is a core program of BRAC's five-year strategic plan, The Creative Capital Agenda. The multi-faceted program is designed to address a major concern identified by BRAC's economic development prospects and investors and is dedicated to retaining and attracting talented professionals to the Baton Rouge area. Over the next few years, BRAC will be implementing a number of strategies aimed at increasing the region's talent level with initiatives focused on college graduate retention, candidate attraction, and newly relocated employee assimilation.

About the Southern University Alumni Federation Founded in 1947, the Southern University Alumni Federation (SUAF) represents tens of thousands of Southern University graduates worldwide. The Federation's mission is to support the mission, goals, and objectives of the University through financial support, recruitment, public relations, community outreach, talent loyalty, dedication, and commitment to the highest stands. With more than eighty affiliate chapters, the SUAF offers rewarding alumni experiences beyond college and fosters beneficial relationships with the University community. For more information on the SUAF, call 225-771-4200 or visit www.SUALUMNI.org.

About the Baton Rouge Area Chamber The Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) leads economic development in the Baton Rouge metropolitan area, the Creative Capital of the South. Serving as the voice of the business community, BRAC's investors includes more than 1,200 organizations whose employees represent over a third of the workforce.