John Matthews

Senior Director, Small Business Services
Louisiana Economic Development
Baton Rouge, LA


John W. Matthews, Jr. is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, with a Bachelor of Science Degree from Southern University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana and a Master of Business Administration Degree from Loyola University, New Orleans.

After graduating from Southern, John was employed by Texaco, Inc. in a number of challenging positions including Assistant to the President of Texaco’s Natural Gas Marketing Group. After completing twenty successful years, John elected to retire his services to Texaco.

He subsequently accepted an appointment and commission by the Governor of Louisiana to the Governor’s Office of Urban Affairs and Development in August 1993. In February 1997, John transitioned to Louisiana Economic Development as Manager of the Small Business Bonding Assistance Program in an effort to assist small contractors with greater access to construction related projects. As of September 2003, John has been Executive Director of Small Business Services which offers a comprehensive array of programs and resources that build capacity, cultivate opportunities, and accelerate growth of small businesses.

John collaborates with many stakeholders in Louisiana and surrounding states in an effort to foster a proactive economic development climate required for the small business space to sustain and grow in these communities.