Mandi Mitchell

In November of 2021, Mandi D. Mitchell was selected to serve as President and CEO of the Lafayette Economic Development Authority (LEDA). In her role at LEDA, Mandi leads the organization's efforts to attract and retain jobs in Lafayette Parish and to foster a business climate that is conducive to private investment and development and entrepreneurship.

 

A Lafayette, Louisiana native, Mandi received her B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering and her M.B.A. from the University of New Orleans. She also is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute and has earned the Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) designation from the International Economic Development Council.

 

Before joining LEDA, Mandi served as Assistant Secretary at Louisiana Economic Development (LED) where she oversaw the Small Business, State Economic Competitiveness, and Community Competitiveness teams and directly led LED’s legislative efforts. Prior to her appointment as assistant secretary in 2015, she served as LED’s Director of Governmental Affairs and Federal Programs and as Director of Governmental Affairs.

 

Before joining LED, Mitchell was an independent business owner and consultant, providing
governmental affairs, legislative lobbying, business development, and community relations consulting services. She served as the regional manager of external affairs at AT&T (formerly BellSouth Telecommunications) from 2004 to 2009 and worked in the field of electrical engineering from 1998 through 2004 at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and BellSouth Telecommunications.