Lieutenant Governor Nungesser and Louisiana Main Street are proud to announce a unique, hands-on regional training event, the "Small Scale Development Workshop," coming to Ruston on Friday, October 23, 2026. This full-day intensive session builds upon the highly successful Introduction to Incremental Development Lecture held last month.
Hosted at Ruston's Historic Fire Station, this practical workshop focuses entirely on the fundamentals of project formation. Taking a big-picture view of neighborhood-based development, industry experts will help attendees analyze what makes a project financially viable, how a building actually makes money, and how small developers can successfully navigate the local ecosystem of real estate and design professionals.
Downtowns and historic neighborhoods across North Louisiana are sitting on massive, untapped potential. Too often, communities struggle with vacant properties and empty lots without a clear strategy to bring them back to life.
This workshop is specifically designed for action-oriented individuals who want to develop small-scale, financially viable real estate projects that strengthen their local economies. Whether you are a first-time builder, a neighborhood advocate, a local business owner, or a municipal staffer looking to support smart local growth, this training provides the exact tools needed to take action.
Louisiana Main Street is co-hosting this regional training alongside the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality’s (LDEQ) Brownfields Program. This crucial educational initiative is made possible through strong local partnerships with the City of Ruston, Downtown Ruston, Experience Ruston, and Visit Webster Parish.
The workshop will be led by Tiffany Elder and Marques King, distinguished faculty members of the national Incremental Development Alliance.
Tiffany Elder brings a wealth of hands-on experience as a licensed general contractor, Realtor, and real estate developer. The owner of Paradigm Construction and Paradigm Properties, Elder successfully transitioned from a career as a software engineer to renovating historic structures and building dynamic new spaces.
Marques King is an architect, urban designer, and dedicated advocate for building sustainable, equitable neighborhoods. As the Economic Development & Design Manager for EJDevCo, a nonprofit developer focused on Detroit's Eastside, and founder of Fabric[K] Design, King works to make exceptional design accessible to everyday people while fostering grassroots revitalization.
The Incremental Development Alliance is a national nonprofit that helps local entrepreneurs and civic leaders strengthen their own neighborhoods through small-scale real estate projects. To date, the organization has trained more than 10,000 small developers across more than 30 states.