The head of the Delta Regional Authority announced Wednesday that the agency is investing $375,000 in a business center for Cameron Parish.

The Cameron Local Enterprise Assistance and Recruiting Center will provide residents with support for establishing small businesses, said Chris Masingill, authority co-chairman.

“Our focus is on small-business expansion,” he said at a news conference at the Lake Charles Civic Center. “We are about jobs in the past, present and future.”

Officials with the Delta Regional Authority, Louisiana Governor’s Office and local governments view the Cheniere Energy project as a catalyst for entrepreneurs, but they also understand that Cameron Parish does not have the tools needed to recruit and nurture people who want to own businesses.

Masingill said Winrock International — based in Little Rock, Ark. — will provide consultation to the center. Winrock is a nonprofit group that specializes in providing technical assistance to disadvantaged areas. The organization is known for creating business plans, mentoring business owners and finding funding for ventures.

Annett Pagan, Winrock’s director of U.S. programs, said the center will be at the Cameron Police Jury administrative building. She said the parish “is in a good position to grow and thrive.”

The Delta Regional Authority — based in Clarksdale, Miss. — is the lead agency in a federal and state partnership. It represents the interest of rural communities in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. The authority oversees 252 counties and parishes.

Doyle Robertson, director of the authority’s Louisiana office, said Cameron Parish’s geographic location makes it an area where money needs to be spent.

“There has been tremendous progress there and around the state, and that is because of the natural gas industry,” he said. “This investment is part of the continuing recovery from Hurricane Rita in 2005.”

He said the authority and governor’s office view the investment in the business center as continued support for the parish, especially since it means the creation of local jobs and businesses.

Cheniere Energy will give $41,000 for the center, and Cameron Parish will give $9,000.

According to a Delta Regional Authority news release, goals for the center include recruiting entrepreneurs; providing training; making business counseling accessible; and finding ways to bring in $80,000 or more in capital to businesses.

• Staff Writer John Guidroz contributed to this report.

(MGNonline)