In the March Minden City Council meeting, the council approved a new Minden Main Street/Economic Development Director for the city, Sarah Overall.
According to Mayor Nick Cox, there were many great candidates who applied for the position, but Overall had stood out among them. “When you hire somebody or pick somebody for a job, you hope you get a good applicant. In this situation, it seemed like everybody who applied was a very good applicant. The old saying is, that when you choose, you lose that which you didn’t choose. It’s hard sometimes to make these decisions, but one person just really stood out above the others,” said Mayor Nick Cox when recommending her to the council.
She stated that she was inspired to put her name in the hat for the position after receiving a push from friends and family to do so. “Some friends and family encouraged me to apply as they felt I would be a good fit. I tend to agree. I want to see Minden moving in the right direction and willing to do the work that is needed to keep it moving. I love this community, and I have made it my home,” said Overall.
When looking back on her career and accomplishments, one could see why she made for a desirable applicant. She has been in the healthcare field for fourteen years with most of that time spent as a registered nurse working in different communities across the state of Louisiana. She was even recognized as an Outstanding Nurse by Oschner in 2022.
As a philanthropist, she has made a splash here locally after co-founding the non-profit organization Pearls of Purpose and creating one of the city’s newest annual events, the Witches Ride. Last year this event raised $8,000 for Webster Parish CASA for children’s Christmas gifts and birthday parties, and $4,500 to purchase a book for every 1st grader in the parish.
For her myriad accomplishments, she was even recognized by the Greater Minden Chamber as the Terry L. Gardner 2024 Top Young Professional of the Year.
Overall noted that some of her key strengths are networking, project management, and strategic planning. She also mentioned that she was a good steward of resources, being able to make the most of the available resources despite any budget constraints.
Overall stated that her primary goal is to work closely with the city officials, local organizations, and businesses to unify their goals and have everyone moving in a positive direction together. “I will be working closely with the mayor, council, chamber president, etc. to ensure our goals are aligned and we aren’t siloed. Working together will have better results than working individually,” said Overall.