As Southeast Texas recovers from Hurricane Rita and prepares for the industrial expansions ahead, the time is right for the region to develop a plan that will secure its economic future for decades to come, said a team of economic development experts visiting the area this week.

Dan DeSantis, Steve Wade and Tim Burg are volunteers with the International Economic Development Council and have spent the past several days visiting Port Arthur, Sabine Pass and Beaumont to help area leaders create a long-range plan for growth.

“Your leaders can use the hurricane and the economic boom to slingshot the area into the future,” Burg said.

DeSantis said he sees Southeast Texas as a “blank slate” right now, with an “golden opportunity” ahead for the community leaders and citizens to shape its future direction.

“There is more than $10 billion in industrial investment coming and thousands of jobs, so this is not the time to make small plans,” DeSantis said.

Wade said the area will be case study for future economic developers to see what happens when $10 billion is invested in a community over a five-year period.

“People will look to see if Southeast Texas succeeded or missed its opportunity,” Wade said.

For decades, the area has been built up and abandoned in a boom/bust cycle that is not a sustainable plan for the future, DeSantis said.

“It is important to establish priorities for the region and bring to the table those that have never been to the table before,” he said.

Verna Rutherford, president of the Greater Port Arthur Chamber of Commerce, said each of the volunteers has brought his own expertise.

“By coming here, they have a great understanding of our area. They can be objective and give us advice and will be available to us as a future reference,” Rutherford said.

In a meeting Friday, the experts will meet with the local Chambers of Commerce and provide a draft recommendation and plan for economic development throughout the region, Rutherford said.

Rutherford said all the community leaders understand that working as a region will be vital to growth and that the region needs a clearinghouse for all of the projects and funding sources that are in the works.