BATON ROUGE, LA (June 4, 2021) – The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI) welcomes two seasoned communications professionals to round out its talented team focused on innovative outreach and engagement. Ashley Gordon will serve as LABI’s new Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Communications, and Mary Beth Hughes is Manager of Special Events and Digital Media.
“These strategic hires are an integral part of LABI’s continued leadership as game-changers in advocating for Louisiana’s business community, and we’re excited to have two individuals of Ashley and Mary Beth’s caliber join our team,” said LABI President and CEO Stephen Waguespack. “They both bring extensive experience in media as well as unique expertise and talents to our staff.”
Ashley Gordon has more than 25 years of experience in journalism, marketing, public relations and media management. She was most recently the Director of Communications for the Office of Lieutenant Governor. Prior to that, Gordon was the publisher and editor of inRegister magazine and worked for its parent company—Louisiana Business, Inc.—for two decades. She has won numerous national awards for her writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. Gordon is a native of Baton Rouge and graduated from the University of Alabama in Mass Communications.
“LABI has an incredible reputation for truly influencing what matters in Louisiana through its policy work while supporting businesses of all sizes throughout the state,” said Gordon. “It will be a pleasure to work with this forward-thinking team as we continue to innovate and fight for job creators to build a better tomorrow for Louisiana.”
A native of Denham Springs, Mary Beth Hughes joins LABI from the Fox News Channel's D.C. Bureau. As an assignment editor for FNC, she covered the 2020 presidential election, January 6th, two impeachment trials and last year's summer protests. Hughes holds a master’s degree from American University and is an undergraduate alumna of Mississippi College. While pursuing her graduate degree, Hughes worked on Capitol Hill for Congressman Garret Graves (LA-06) as a Press Fellow.
“I am thrilled to be joining the LABI team,” Hughes said. “There's no place like home, and after four years in DC it's great to be back in south Louisiana. LABI goes to work every day for Louisiana businesses, and I'm excited to be a part of it.”
In other staff news, Communications Manager Mitch Rabalais will be leaving LABI at the end of the week to take a position on the staff of Congresswoman Julia Letlow (LA-05). Waguespack thanked Rabalais for his time at LABI, saying, “Mitch has been an essential connector for our members, the media and our allies, particularly during the challenging year that brought us several natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic, where accurate information on developments and resources was critical. He’s been part of our new multi-media outreach, including our podcasts and videos, helping to find new ways to tell the story of free enterprise. We wish Mitch all the best as he joins Congresswoman Letlow’s team, continuing his focus on serving Louisiana.”
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For future press inquiries, contact:
Ashley Gordon
Vice President of Marketing & Strategic Communications
ashleyg@labi.org
About the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry
The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry was organized in 1975 to represent Louisiana businesses, serving as both the state chamber of commerce and state manufacturers association. LABI is headquartered at the Center for Free Enterprise at 500 Main Street in downtown Baton Rouge. LABI’s primary goal is to foster a climate for economic growth by championing the principles of the free enterprise system and representing the general interest of the business community through active involvement in the political, legislative, judicial and regulatory processes. Find out more information at www.labi.org.