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Council Honors Diversity and Oyster Month; LSU Pennington’s Grow Healthy Briefs Officials on Childhood Obesity
Summary
Jefferson Parish read proclamations recognizing Global Diversity Awareness Month and November as Celebrate Oyster Month; Daniela Sherwood of LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center briefed council on the Grow Healthy initiative and local childhood obesity data and outreach.
Jefferson Parish recognized two cultural and economic initiatives and heard a public-health briefing during the Oct. 22 council meeting.
Parish President Cynthia Lee Chang read a proclamation declaring October Global Diversity Awareness Month, commending the Jefferson Parish Diversity and Inclusion Board for efforts to foster an inclusive workplace. Nicole Thompson introduced members of the board who joined the meeting for a photo.
The council also declared November 2025 "Celebrate Oyster Month," recognizing oysters’ culinary and economic role in Louisiana and the Louisiana Oyster Trail that is part of the Jefferson Convention & Visitors Bureau’s promotional work.
Daniela Sherwood, program coordinator for Grow Healthy at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center, briefed the council on the center’s statewide efforts to prevent and treat childhood obesity. Sherwood cited Louisiana’s ranking (third in the nation) and stated that 23.1% of children ages 6–17 in the state have obesity. She outlined Grow Healthy’s partnerships with early-childhood centers and schools, the development of toolkits, webinars, a provider hub and mobile apps to reach families and clinicians, and a longitudinal research effort (Pennington Generation) that has enrolled dozens of families so far.
Council members thanked presenters and invited photo opportunities for the proclamations; no formal action was required for the proclamations and presentations.
