The Louisiana Chapter executive committee has been working to update the Strategic Plan for our chapter. This process is required every five years. A draft of the document has been posted where you may read and comment on it. We encourage you to review this 11 page document within the next month so that we can make revisions in time for the next executive committee meeting where it can be adopted.

Responding to trends and opportunities and to member feedback, the slate of Executive Officers has been expanded to include a Vice President and an Outreach and Advocacy Officer. This is based on revisions to our Chapter bylaws adopted October 20, 2017.

We are keenly aware from TV news, social media and conversations with friends and family that Hurricane Harvey brought "old testament" style flooding to Texas and southwest Louisina. Lynn Dupont, who serves as the principal planner and GIS coordinator at the New Orleans Regional Planning Commission, has shared several links to online GIS web maps and data portals which provide documentation of the damage. This may be of use to public sector planners in the Lake Charles region and to private-sector practicioners who find themselves involved in disaster recovery work.