Rachel Shields Email & Phone Number

Rachel Shields serves as the Special Assistant to the Secretary of Economic Development for Private Sector Engagement. She is responsible for leveraging and enhancing LED’s relationships with the corporate and private sector to ensure Louisiana businesses are better served by the state. She is a member of the senior staff team with a significant role in the department’s overall business modeling and strategy development.Prior to her role at LED, Rachel served Chief of Staff at Greater New Orleans, Inc., southeast Louisiana’s regional economic development agency. At GNO, Inc. Rachel was a member of the executive strategy team, she coordinated the organization’s special events including international business summits, and business conferences, she also managed the activities of the organization’s Boards and Committees including the Executive Committee, Board of Directors, NextGen Council, and the SoLA Super Region Committee. Rachel has served in leadership positions on a number of boards including the Industrial Development Board of the City of New Orleans, Algiers Economic Development Foundation, United Way Southeast Louisiana, WWOZ Radio, and St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce. She was also recognized as a 2022 CityBusiness Woman of the Year, and a 2023 Young Leadership Council Role Model.