Angie White, senior vice president of the North Louisiana Economic Partnership, is one local woman who knows how to not only balance her life but thrive both professionally and personally. A Shreveport native and alumna of Centenary College, White loves camping, bluegrass festivals and the great outdoors. She fondly remembers gardening and tending to animals with her grandparents in Blanchard as a child. White attended The George Washington University, where she received her master’s degree in international affairs and an internationally-focused MBA. Through her work and involvement in numerous nonprofit organizations, White has received several awards – 2008 “40 Under 40” class member, 2012 Community Gem by Clark’s Jewelers and the Community Foundation and 2013 Hero of the Year at Volunteers for Youth Justice for her time as board president.

What is your favorite part of your job? White: I oversee the existing business outreach program and the workforce program of the North Louisiana Economic Partnership. I always feel great satisfaction in my job when I am able to assist one of our companies by connecting them to resources they need to reach their potential, and in the majority of cases that means workforce resources. Watching relationships develop between industry and education is very gratifying for me and it has been occurring more often over the last couple of years than when I first began this work. The State of Louisiana has been very successful the last several years in bringing new business to the state as well as assisting in existing business expansion, and we will need all hands on deck to develop the workforce needed to meet the demand we will be hit with over the next several years.

Q: What would you say to other businesswomen to encourage them in their struggles? White: The advice I give to women about managing busy professional and personal lives is to become involved only in those things about which you are passionate. Women have a tendency to give and give of themselves, but if you give too much, there is nothing left for you. Spreading yourself too thin can also cause you to resent those things that you love, as well as negatively impact your performance at the things that are most critical, like relationships with family and friends and your health.

Q: What does a typical “day in the life” look like for you? White: There is no such thing as a typical day for me. In economic development, you may have a calendar full of things you plan to do on any given day, and one email or phone call can send you in an entirely different direction. Usually I rise at 6 a.m. to walk my dog then head to the YMCA. I work an eighthour day at the NLEP and often will have meetings for one of the nonprofits I work with in the evenings, or sometimes will meet up with friends for happy hour or dinner. Weekends are usually spent at the farmers market and cooking for friends. I also love going to hear live music, and I am part of a fun book club that meets once a month.

Q: tell me about your volunteer work. White: I deeply enjoy working with organizations that are close to my heart, like Volunteers for Youth Justice, Centenary College and Slow Food North Louisiana. I also very much enjoyed my time as a mentor with Volunteers of America, and I am proud of being a member of the Community Advisory Group to the Shreveport-Caddo Master Plan.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish in the next five to 10 years? White: I want a weekend house on a lake somewhere within an hour or two of Shreveport. Other than that, I plan to keep plugging along at regional economic development and volunteering for causes I love.

Q: What inspired you to take the career path you’ve chosen? White: I was a political science major in college and was required to take one final economics class to graduate. The only one available at the time was international economics. I was lucky to find a job in my graduate major. After moving home, all the professional opportunities I was given were due to the help of Centenary alumni. After accepting the job as vice president at the NLEP, I was encouraged by my first boss to pursue becoming a certified economic developer, and in 2013 I accomplished it!

Q: What is a mistake you’ve learned a great lesson from (be it personal or work related) that you are willing to share with others? White: Thankfully I haven’t had any major mistakes to learn from, but the few that have taught me valuable lessons usually involve judging people before you have gotten to know them.

Learn more about Angie White and her work at www.nlep.org, www.slowfoodnorthla.org, www.vyjla.org.