Region Q3 2023 by Renaissance Publishing

REGION Q3 2023

GNOINC.ORG

Contents THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF GREATER NEW ORLEANS, INC. Q3 2023 / VOLUME 4 / NUMBER 3

Greater New Orleans, Inc. President & CEO Michael Hecht Senior Vice President of Business Development Josh Fleig Chief of Staff Rachel Shields Senior Vice President of Communications Matt Wolfe Business Development & Research Manager Chantilly Benitez Senior Vice President of Advancement Sara Bradford Renaissance Publishing Editor Drew Hawkins Art Director Ali Sullivan Account Director Meggie Schmidt

6 Letter from the President 8 About Greater New Orleans, Inc. 10 By the Numbers 12 Keeping Time The Idea Village’s Metronome accelerator program gives New Orleans musicians a boost.

14 Power Players Utility providers in the Big Easy go green.

18 Diverting Disaster A look at how sediment diversions hope to save Louisiana’s coasts.

22 Leap of Faith An Profile of Ryan Tax Firm’s Gabrielle Begue

24 Let’s Meet up On 11! The Conference Centre on 11 is serious about seminars.

26 Photo Gallery 30 Newsflash

Digital Director Rosa Balaguer Senior Production Designer Meghan Rooney Production Designer Ashley Pemberton Chief Executive Officer Todd Matherne

1100 Poydras St., Suite 3475 New Orleans, LA 70163 (504) 527-6900 gnoinc.org

32 Newsflash Region is produced for Greater New Orleans, Inc. by Renaissance Publishing, LLC 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123 Metairie, LA 70005 (504) 828-1380 | Fax (504) 828-1385 myneworleans.com | bizneworleans.com

TO ADVERTISE

Contact Meggie Schmidt at (504) 830-7220 or email Meggie@myneworleans.com Copyright 2023 Region, GNO, Inc., and Renaissance Publishing, LLC. No part of this publication may be reproduced without consent of the publisher.

REGION Q3 2023

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

elcome to the Q3 issue of REGION Magazine! In this issue, you’ll learn more about some of the developments that are shaping the future of the Greater New Orleans. New programming is being offered to help grow companies, existing companies are getting some relief from rising operational costs, and infrastructure investments are being made to ensure that southeast Louisiana is here to stay. Recently, GNO, Inc. developed a partnership with the Idea Village to provide support to startups that are focused on growing the music industry. The METRONOME music accelerator program is a 3-month experience that helps provide founders with some of the foundational skills and habits needed to grow into a successful company. During their cohort, participants go through a series of training exercises, receive mentorship from experienced business leaders, and have a chance to perfect the pitching that will earn investments in their ideas. Another impactful set of programs being offered in the area are focused on reducing the environmental and financial impact of energy costs experienced by businesses. Utility providers Entergy and Cleco have developed a set of initiatives that allow companies to take on steps that will increase energy efficiency for their operations, while reducing the amount of energy they need to operate. These programs allow brands to embrace green ideologies while holding on to more of their own cash. Next, there’s a profile of one of the largest and most ambitious projects that our state has taken to invest in coastal restoration. The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion effectively removes a

REGION Q3 2023

portion of levee along the Mississippi River to divert some of its flow, which includes critical sediment that can create land, from its existing channel into open areas which once contained land which makes up our coast. The project is a major feat in engineering and construction, and a significant investment into Louisiana’s future. This issue also explores a unique meeting space in downtown New Orleans. Located inside the Pan-American Life Center at 601 Poydras Street, The Conference Centre on 11 is a full-floor meeting space that includes an auditorium space, countless breakout rooms, A /V support, and catering services that are each meant to help bring an event of any size to life. Finally, you’ll meet one of the region’s rising business leaders. Gabrielle Begue is an expert at navigating the state’s Historic Tax Credits, allowing the unique architectural appeal of the city to thrive while bringing properties into commerce. These are just some of the companies and individuals driving in the new era of Greater New Orleans, but their stories are vital to share with you all.

MICHAEL HECHT GNO, Inc. President & CEO

ABOUT GREATER NEW ORLEANS, INC.

RELATIONSHIPS. RELEVANCE. RESULTS.

reater New Orleans, Inc. (GNO, Inc.) is the economic development nonprofit for the 10-parish region of southeast Louisiana. GNO, Inc. is built on a simple but broad mission: To create a region with a thriving economy and excellent quality of life for everyone. The key is GNO, Inc.’s two-pronged approach to economic growth: by focusing on business development, the alliance aims to attract, retain and develop businesses that will employ our future workforce, propelling our economy forward and upward. This initiative is coupled with a concurrent nurturing of the business environment: by proposing, promoting and facilitating policies that improve conditions for business operations, GNO, Inc. ensures that businesses and corporate leaders are

positioned for long-lasting success. For GNO, Inc., it is not enough to simply serve the community: we must also be a part of it. Real influence and significant change starts from within, and the alliance’s presence in the community is evident and expanding. Working together with the business community, regional stakeholders and all levels of government allows GNO, Inc. to coordinate, consolidate and catalyze action on key issues and opportunities, effectively maximizing job and wealth creation and creating systemic impact. From workforce development and coastal stabilization to fiscal and criminal justice reform, GNO, Inc. is driven by results. It’s helping to create a robust and growing middle class and, in the process, ensuring our region’s continued prosperity.

PARISHES OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA

JEFFERSON ORLEANS PLAQUEMINES ST. BERNARD ST. CHARLES ST. JAMES

LOUISIANA STATE GOVERNMENT Louisiana Economic Development

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST ST. TAMMANY

PARISH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS

STAKEHOLDERS

Our Investors Parish Government

Jefferson Orleans Plaquemines

Colleges/ Universities

St. Bernard

Legislators

St. Charles

Business Community

St. James

Nonprofits

St. John the Baptist

Influencers

St. Tammany Tangipahoa Washington

REGION Q3 2023

MEDIA

PUBLIC

PROSPECTS

TANGIPAHOA WASHINGTON

BY THE NUMBERS

Greater New Orleans BY THE NUMBERS Q3 2023 An economic snapshot of Greater New Orleans’ 10-parish market EMPLOYMENT & ECONOMY STATISTICS

POPULATION

1,428,249

31% of Louisiana’s population resides in Greater New Orleans

EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS

$66,092

Metro Average Annual Wages SOURCE: U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, Q4 2022

SOURCE: LIGHTCAST, 2022

TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS JOBS

26,658 AVERAGE SALARY

$54,852 ECONOMY

51,179

660,832

Private Establishments

Civilian Labor Force

SOURCE: BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS,

SOURCE: LIGHTCAST 2023.3

GDP

$3.3B

NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED, Q1 2023 SOURCE: LIGHTCAST 2023.3

47,763

3.66%

SOURCE: LIGHTCAST, 2023.1 DATA

SOURCE: LIGHTCAST 2023.3

Unique Job Postings

REGION Q3 2023

Regional Unemployment

FAST FACTS: TRANSPORTATION & TRADE

COST OF LIVING & REAL ESTATE

RECENT ANNOUNCEMENTS Louisiana is the #1 Exporting State in U.S. Louisiana’s $122 billion in exports in 2022 — more than double the $56 billion in 2017 — gives the state a 43% export-share-of-GDP ratio when matched against its $281 billion GDP. This is twice the 21% ratio of secondplace Texas. The boom reflects the growth of U.S. energy exports that are centered around Louisiana’s three specially designed liquefied natural gas export terminals, which are allowing Europe to move away from Russian gas, and Asia to switch from coal. The state is expected to gain 30,000 jobs over the next year. Over the last f ive quarters, Louisiana has gained 56,000 net new jobs, with 9,000 net new jobs in the third quarter. It's the highest pace of growth since 2007. An economist predicts that over the next 12 months, Louisiana will bring in more than 30,000 net new jobs, with the Lafayette area predicted to be one of the fastest-growing regions int he state for new jobs. AxoSim acquires Vyant Bio's StemoniX subsidiary as the company continues to expand. With origins that trace back to Tulane University, AxoSim has been expanding over the last decade in a niche corner of the biotech world. The company specializes in nonanimal drug testing for degenerative neurological diseases, like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's using. The acquisition further positions AxoSim to be one of the top companies in the biotech industry. Plans for solar-powered hubs gain a big step forward through community centers. The "Community Lighthouse" project began as a grassroots movement after deaths during Hurricane Ida as a result of power outages. A $259 million federal grant will help boost the project, which has already completed six locations in New Orleans and one in LaPlace. LSU receives grant for start-up support. The U.S. Economic Development Administration has awarded LSU a $600,000 grant to boost technology entrepreneurship. The funds will go to the Baton Rouge Initiative for Development, Growth to help provide technical support, mentorship services, and executives-in-residence for start-up businesses.

OVERALL COST OF LIVING GNO Region: 99.5 U.S. Average: 100 SOURCE: LIGHTCAST

TRADE

$10.2B

Value of Exports from the New Orleans Metro Area

Largest U.S. metro measured by value of exports SOURCE: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU; U.S. EXPORTS BY METROPOLITAN AREA, Q2 2023

REAL ESTATE OFFICE Local Vacancy: 6.6% National Vacancy: 13.1% Local Rent: $21.47/ft2 National Rent: $35.19/ft2 Local Inventory: 54.4M ft2

INDUSTRIAL Local Vacancy: 2.1% National Vacancy: 4.3% Local Rent: $9.67/ft2 National Rent: $11.60/ft2 Local Inventory: 82.4M ft2 SOURCE: COSTAR

RANKINGS RECENT RANKINGS #10 for Best States for Middle-Class Families (lowest tax burden for middle class households) by Kiplinger

GNO, Inc.’s mission is to create a Greater New Orleans with a thriving economy and an excellent quality of life, for everyone. For more information about the market, or help with your business, please contact our Research and Business Development team: Chantilly Benitez Business Development & Research Manager hcrabtree@gnoinc.org

Josh Fleig Vice President of Business Development jfleig@gnoinc.org

*Due to data collection methods, previous GNO By the Numbers are not directly comparable

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MUSIC INDUSTRY

Keeping Time The Metronome accelerator program aims to help New Orleans musicians to get up to speed. BY MICHAEL PATRICK WELCH

he ci ty o f New Or lea ns is Am er ica’s m u s i c capi tal, a nd p er ha p s t h e wo r ld’s. M u s i c a l m agi c flow s f ro m Cres cent Cit y b a rs a n d ni ghtclubs, a nd o f ten s p ills o u t into t h e stre e ts. T h e cit y is a great p la ce t o enjoy fe stival s, and i t’s also a p la ce w h ere a r t is t s co m e f ro m a l l over t he world to play gigs a lo ngs ide t he great s, wo r k o n t heir musi cal chops, a nd genera lly gat her ins p irat io n . B u t l argely, m o st m ajor i n dus t r y f unct io ns do n’t h a p p en h e re , an d New O rle ans’ m us icia ns ver y o f ten do n’t m a ke t h e mon ey t hey de se rve . The Ide a Vi llage’s Met ro no m e a ccelerat o r p ro gram fo r music busi ne ss ai m s t o ch a nge t hat . “We’re a no n-pro fi t im p a s s io ned w it h h elp ing fo u n ders create com pani e s b a s ed in New Or lea ns. We’re ve r y foc use d on he lpi ng i nves t o rs ra is e ca p it a l inves t m e n t s, ”

REGION Q3 2023

s a i d M e ga n B a l c h , t h e pro g ra m d i re c t o r r u n n i n g t h e accele rat o r pro g ra m s fo r t h e Id e a Vi l l a ge o rga n i z at i o n “We’ve be e n t r y i n g t o i d e n t i fy i f we h ave i n d u s t r y c l u s te rs, an d it d o e s fe e l l i ke t h e re i s a go o d o ppo r t u n i t y fo r m us ic tech n o lo g y t o h ave a h o m e i n New O r le a n s. We t h i n k we cou ld m a ke a re a l hu b fo r i n n ovat i o n h e re . ” M e t ro n o m e s t a r te d a f te r G N O In c . c o m m i s sion ed a s t u dy, c a l le d New O r le a n s M u s i c E c o n o my ( N O ME), to i d e n t i f y w h at i t wo u ld t a ke t o leve l u p t h e m u s i c in d u s try i n New O r le a n s. T h e s t u dy i d e n t i fi e d a ro a d m a p to s u c c e s s fo r t h i s. T h e M e t ro n o m e pro j e c t i s t h e f i rs t reaction t o t h at re po r t , w i t h h o pe s t o h e l p a r t i s t s w i t h t h e ir mu s ic bu s i n e s s s k i l l s A s a s pe c i a l i z e d t ra c k i n s i d e t h e te n -we e k M e tron ome pro g ra m , e n t re pre n e u rs w i l l h ave a cc e s s t o a n i n du s try-foc u s e d m e n t o r, s pe c i a l i z e d wo r k s h o ps, a cc e s s t o d ed icat-

MUSIC INDUSTRY

ed cowo rki ng space , h ighly cu rated co a ch ing s es s i o n s, an d ongoi ng pe e r-to -p eer co nnect io n o p p o r t unit ies. E ntrep rene urs wi ll le arn t o go f ro m idea t o vent u re- re a dy in areas i ncludi ng re co rding, s t rea m ing, b o o king a n d ar tist m anage m e nt, li cens ing, p ub lis hing a nd roya l t i e s, music -focuse d le gal aid, a nd s o undt ra cking v ideo ga m e s. Bor n and rai se d i n t h e cit y o f New Or lea ns, L o u H i l l has b e e n i n t he m usi c indu s t r y fo r m o re t ha n 25 ye a rs. As founde r, songwri ter a nd dr um m er fo r t h e B illbo a rd Top 2 0 char ti ng band Water Seed, a nd fo r m er h ea d o f mar keti ng for L o ui si a na Red H o t Reco rds, h e is n ow heavily i nvolve d i n help ing t he grow t h o f t he New O r lean s’ musi c i ndustry. “Yea rs a go t h ey p u t t o get her a pa n e l of in d u stry who s who s a nd t h at wa s ca lled NOM E a n d t hat p roje ct was de si gned t o do a ca s e s t udy t o d e te rmin e how can we ge t New Or lea ns m u s icia ns a nd t h e t h e music busi ne ss and eco no my s u p p o r t ing m us icia ns a n d seen as a vi able busi n es s, b eyo nd t h e co ncep t o f p lay i n g a g ig or go i ng on to ur; reco rd la b els, P R f ir m s, h ow d o we gen erate t hose t hi ngs h ere?” H ill s a id. An advisor and mentor who now helps wit h t he Metronome accelerator, Hill said, “Metronome is t he active version of t hat study. The impact music has on t he whole state is massive, so we’re putting rubber to t he road and trying to build t hat economy in New Orleans wit h GNO Inc and Idea Village. You apply to be in t he accelerator program, t hen you’re picked and go t hrough an eight week course and by t he end you’ll have your stuff in order.” Hill said t hey’ve received over 50 applications so far. “W he n I cam e up i n m u s ic we were m a k ing a lo t o f mon ey i n t he late 90s, ” reca lled H ill. “ B ut t he m o ney t h at was ma de t he n–usual ly $100 p er b a nd m em b er fo r a 9 0 minute se t–i s t he sam e a m o unt t h at ’s m a de now, wh i c h today i s li ke t he e quiva lent o f $20. T he b a nds w h o ge t top d ollar put t he wo r k int o t h eir intellect ua l p ro p er t y. ” GNO Inc’s New Orleans Music Economy Initiative previously launched its Music Industry Career Development University Partnership Program, ot herwise known as MIC’D UP which, not unlike Metronome, aims to help keep New Orleans musicians from moving away to bigger cities

in order to “make it.” MIC’D up helps implement music business programs in local universities, plus hook local musicians up wit h managing agencies, mentors, IP managers, publishers, marketers, and legal representatives. A n d ye t , lo c a l m u s i c i a n s s t i l l c o n t i nu e t o s t r u g g le. T h o u g h t h e M e t ro n o m e i n i t i at ive i n c l u d e s t i m e set as id e t o e d u c ate m u s i c i a n s o n i s s u e s s u r ro u n d i n g l ive perform a n c e s a n d t o u r i n g, s o m e m u s i c i a n s w h o’ ve g i g ged in New O r le a n s fo r d e c a d e s fe e l a bi t c y n i c a l w i t h prog rams t h at f ra m e m u s i c m o s t ly a s a bu s i n e s s. “ M o s t b u s in es s i d e a s re a l ly s e e m t o be a bo u t pro m o t i n g m u s i c bus in es s, n o t m u s i c i t s e l f , ” e x pl a i n e d ve te ra n New O r le a n s g u itaris t Jo n at h a n Fr i e l i c h , w h o d o e s n’ t love m u s i c be i n g treated a s “ge n e ra l c o n te n t fo r bu s i n e s s e x plo i t at i o n . ” “O n a m o re s u ppo r t ive n o te , ” F r i e l i c h c o n t i nu ed , “I’d l i ke t o s ay t h at t i m e s a re n o t s o e a s y, a n d s o m e t h in g t h at e n a ble s m o re pe o ple t o m a ke a l iv i n g i s a be n e fi t sin ce we a re fa c i n g d ow n a lo t o f pove r t y a n d a i m le s s n e s s in ou r music scene.” O f fB e at m a ga z i n e ow n e r a n d pu bl i s h e r Ja n R ams ey fe e l s s i m i l a r t o Fre i l i c h bu t a d d e d t h at M e t ro n o me mig h t be a g re at ve s s e l fo r te a c h i n g m u s i c i a n s t o t a p i n to h ig he r pay i n g s i t u at i o n s t h a n ju s t g i g g i n g at lo c a l bars an d c l u bs. “ T h e i n i t i a l N O M E s t u dy d e te r m i n e d t h at mu s ic i a n s a re n o t ge t t i n g pa i d be c a u s e t h e i r m u s i c i sn’t gett i n g pl aye d i n o t h e r m e d i a , m ov i e s, c o m m e rc i a l s,” s aid R a m s ey, a d e d i c ate d pro po n e n t o f m u s i c bu s i n e s s h ere in New O r le a n s fo r a l m o s t 4 0 ye a rs. “ T h e re’s a re a l d ivid e be t we e n t h e c re at o r a n d t h e bu s i n e s s pe o ple w h o h ave t h e a bi l i t y t o pu t m u s i c i n t o m e d i a t h at w i l l pay re s i d uals. Bu t n o n e o f t h o s e pe o ple a re h e re ; t h ey ’re i n L. A . , New York , m aybe N a s hv i l le . G e t t i n g m u s i c pl a c e d by a pu blis h er is key t o t h i s i d e a o f ge n e rat i n g m o n ey fo r lo c a l m u s ician s, a n d n o t m a ny m u s i c i a n s h ave t h e a bi l i t y t o d o t h at.” “ T h e w h o le po i n t o f M e t ro n o m e i s t o te a c h m u s ician s d i ffe re n t ways t o e m powe r t h e m s e lve s. ” H i l l s a i d . “I wan t t o e m powe r t h e m u s i c i a n s t o m a ke m o re m o n ey w h en t h ey pl ay a ro u n d t ow n o r go o u t i n t o t h e wo r ld o n t o u r.” Wh i le t h e s e t y pe s o f pro g ra m s s o u n d pro m i s i ng, an d a re ge n e ra l ly wa r m ly re c e ive d , m o s t fo l k s e n ga ge d in New O r le a n s’s m u s i c e c o n o my wo u ld h o pe yo u s t i l l re member t o at te n d lo c a l s h ow s a n d , a s a lways, pu t s o m e mon ey in t h e ba n d ’s t i p ja r. Le t ’s ke e p t h e m u s i c a l m a g i c of New O r le a n s f low i n g.

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ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Power Players Utility providers offer impactful programs to help companies become more energy eff icient. BY MISTY MILIOTO

h i le e n e rg y e f f i c i e n c y h a s a lways been important, it is becoming eve n m o re n e c e s s a r y fo r a nu m b e r o f re a s o n s. Fi rs t , c u s t o m e rs a re lo o k i n g fo r re s o u rc e s t o m a n a ge e n e rg y u s a ge w h i le a l s o s av i n g o n t h e i r e n e rg y b i l l s. O n a l a rge r s c a le , e n e rg y e f f i c i e n c y p l ays a key ro le i n t h e re d u c t i o n o f g re e n h o u s e ga s e m i s s i o n s. E n e rg y

REGION Q3 2023

e f f i c i e n c y i s b e c o m i n g i n c re a s i n g ly m o re i m p o r t a n t a s o rga n i z at i o n s wo r ld w i d e s t r ive t o re d u c e t h e i r c a r b o n fo o t p r i n t . H e re , we s p e a k w i t h t wo re p re s e n t at ive s f ro m lo c a l p owe r c o m p a n i e s — D e re k M i l l s, m a n a ge r o f d e m a n d s i d e m a n a ge m e n t at E n te rg y Ne w O r le a n s a n d Ja c i S e we l l , m a n a ge r o f e n e rg y e f f i c i e n c y at C le c o Powe r — t o le a r n m o re a b o u t t h e i r lo c a l a n d re g i o n a l e f fo r t s t o i n c re a s e e n e rg y e f f i c i e n c y.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Entergy’s Energy Smart program, developed in 2010 by the New Orleans City Council, provides incentives for Entergy New Orleans’ customers to perform energy-saving upgrades in their homes and businesses. “Our team works with residents, business owners, facility managers and trade ally contractors to identify opportunities and provide cash incentives for completing eligible upgrades with measurable, verifiable energy savings,” Mills said. “Since 2010, the program has saved over 354.8 million kWh, and provided over $43 million in incentives to more than 113,000 Energy New Orleans homes and businesses.” Meanwhile, Cleco Power is a regulated electric public utility and subsidiary of Pineville, Louisiana-based Cleco Corporate Holdings (a regional energy holding company). Cleco Power owns nine generating units with a rated capacity of 3,035 megawatts, and it operates 946 megawatts on behalf of its generation partners. Assets also include 1,335 miles of transmission lines and 12,152 miles of distribution lines. The company uses multiple generating sources and multiple fuels (such as natural gas, coal, petroleum coke, biomass and waste heat) to serve approximately 293,000 customers in 24 of Louisiana’s parishes. “Cleco first began offering an energy efficiency program nine years ago and has continued to expand its program offerings each year,” Sewell said. “We added an online marketplace in 2018, an elementary education program in 2019, a virtual home energy audit during the pandemic and, this year, an income-qualified residential weatherization program to further expand our services. We recognize that helping customers reduce their energy at home or at their business is good customer service, while also helping us reduce the stress on the grid and our carbon footprint."

IMPACTFUL INCENTIVES

HISTORY OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY En te rgy New O rlea ns, a s ub s idia r y of En te rgy Co rporatio n, is a n elect r ic an d gas uti li ty se rvi ng Or lea ns Pa r is h . On t he e le ctri c se rv ice s ide, E ntergy New Orle ans has 1,800 m iles o f elect r ic d istr ib uti o n li ne s a nd 138 m iles o f transm i ssi o n li ne s t h at p rov ide nea r ly 6 4 0 me gawatts of power t o a p p roxim ately 2 1 1 ,0 0 0 custom e rs. Entergy New Or lea ns al so has m ore t han 1,7 00 m iles o f nat u ra l gas di stri buti o n li ne s a nd 36 m iles o f n at ural gas transm i ss io n lines t hat s er ve ap p roxi m ate ly 109,000 cu s t o m ers.

Entergy currently has two energy efficiency programs for its business customers, depending on the utility from which they receive electric service. “Businesses that are Entergy New Orleans electric customers can take advantage of the energy efficiency offerings from the Energy Smart program,” Mills said. “Businesses that are Entergy Louisiana electric customers can utilize the energy efficiency offerings from Entergy Solutions. Both programs provide cash incentives to business customers that make qualifying energy efficiency upgrades in their facilities.” In fact, all Entergy New Orleans commercial customers can take advantage of Energy Smart program offerings and incentives involving lighting, HVAC improvements, building automation adjustments, compressed air and new construction. Large commercial customers have added benefits, such as retro-commissioning and demand-response programs that provide incentives for temporarily reducing their load during peak times. Meanwhile, small commercial customers can enjoy offerings such as a small business energy assessment and a small business online store. “Energy Smart’s small business energy assessment is a popular new offering this year,” Mills said. “The energy assessment is free to Entergy New Orleans small business customers. An Energy Smart energy advisor conducts a one-hour walk-through of the small business to evaluate and assess opportunities for energy savings. Once the assessment is completed,

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ENERGY EFFICIENCY

the energy advisor will install energy-efficient products — such as LEDs, a smart thermostat, water aerators and pipe wrap — all free of charge. They can also recommend additional projects that can be completed by an Energy Smart trade ally to further reduce their energy use and lower their electric bill. Moreover, Entergy Louisiana commercial customers can take advantage of Entergy Solutions program offerings and incentives for new construction and agriculture solutions, and the program offerings can be prescribed or customized. Both the Entergy Solutions and Energy Smart programs provide cash incentives that can cover up to 100 percent of a project’s total cost (depending on the type of upgrades a customer makes). Both programs also offer rebates on Energy Star commercial kitchen equipment, high-efficiency HVAC equipment, motors, controls and LED lighting. “Entergy takes pride in being a good steward to the communities it serves,” Mills said. “Providing opportunities for customers to reduce energy usage and perhaps lower their energy bills helps reduce the energy burden on residential customers and helps our commercial

REGION Q3 2023

entities become more profitable. To help customers make energy efficiency upgrades, the programs offer incentives to reduce the costs of energy efficient upgrades.” Companies can become more energy efficient first by benchmarking their energy use for free using ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. This tool allows companies to measure and compare their building’s energy use to similar buildings, past consumption or a reference performance level. Then, companies can upgrade to energy efficient equipment—such as replacing exterior and interior lighting to efficient LEDs, installing lighting and HVAC control systems (such as occupancy sensors and building automation systems) and installing energy efficient commercial kitchen equipment. “The energy efficiency upgrades reduce energy usage, which in turn reduces monthly utility costs and contributes to the reduction of greenhouse emissions in the city,” Mills said. “Today’s consumers prefer to do business with organizations that are environmentally conscious. Being energy efficient is good for business.” Participation in the programs is available to all Entergy

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

customers. Entergy New Orleans customers can visit energysmartnola.com or call 504-2296868 and Entergy Louisiana customers can visit entergysolutionsla.com or call 844-829-1300. Similarly, Cleco Power also has an energy efficiency program, which it calls Cleco Power Wise. “Recognizing that a small business uses energy quite differently from a large or industrial company, we’ve segmented our commercial programs based on annual peak demand (with less than 100 kW designated as small and more than 100 kW as large),” Sewell said. “Large commercial and industrial customers can use their own contractors to install the equipment, while small commercial customers must use a Cleco approved contractor. Multiple bids are encouraged, and every project is reviewed by a member of the Cleco Power Wise team.” Financial incentives and kWh savings also are available to customers who replace inefficient equipment. “The incentive is calculated based on what equipment a company is using [as compared] to what they will be replacing it with,” Sewell said. “So, the larger the reduction in energy usage, the larger the incentive.” For example, small businesses can receive a financial incentive for up to 100 percent of their lighting upgrade, up to $25,000 per building, while large commercial customers can receive a maximum of $35,000 per building. “However, project funding is limited and on a year-to-year basis, so there are no guarantees until the project has been approved,” Sewell said. In addition to incentives for lighting, HVAC and commercial kitchen equipment upgrades, Cleco Power Wise also has a Custom Commercial program. It offers engineering services for customized energy efficient projects, including motor controls and motor operated valves as well as evaluation measurement and verification projects. Since the Cleco Power Wise program launched in 2014, it has saved commercial customers more than 65 million kWh, which is the equivalent to providing electricity to 8,963 homes for one year. “We want to provide our customers with solutions that will improve their quality of life, and energy efficiency is one solution that can be felt almost immediately,” Sewell adds. Cleco Power customers can enroll in the Cleco Power Wise program by emailing energyefficiency@ cleco.com or calling 833-373-6842.

GET ON BOARD Energy Efficiency not only benefits consumers by empowering them to better control their energy usage while maintaining a comfortable environment, but it also benefits the utility provider who must provide reliable and clean energy via an ever-increasing power grid. Energy efficiency also benefits the planet by lowering greenhouse gas emissions. “There’s no downside to becoming energy efficient,” Sewell said. “It’s a win-win for everyone.”

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SEDIMENT DIVERSION

Diverting Disaster How the Mid-Barataria Diversion project aims to build marshland and replenish one of Louisiana’s most beautiful estuaries. BY MICHAEL PATRICK WELCH PHOTOS COURTESY OF CPRA

ouisiana is one of the few places in the world where the mix of freshwater and saltwater means that alligators swim beside dolphins. Bass swim next to redfish and speckled trout. It’s a delicate balance though. Add to that equation the fact that humans have a way of creating problems in these estuaries–but then we also come up with amazing ways to solve them. Over eons, the Mississippi River twisted and turned and shifted, spitting out sediment downstream by overtopping its natural banks, and building up Louisiana’s coast, creating land in every direction. Since then, humans have, for economic and cultural

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purposes, artificially trapped the river in place with levees and such, and in the process keep it from building more land the way it otherwise naturally would—which is one reason why Louisiana has lost over 1.2 million acres in the past century. Every six years since 2007, Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), updates its Coastal Master Plan. The Coastal Master plan outlines priority projects meant to restore and protect Louisiana’s coast. “We’ve completed around 140 projects included in variations of the Master Plans,” said Bren Haase of Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA). “These projects are spread

SEDIMENT DIVERSION

We’ve dredged and built around 10,000 acres in the Barataria Basin, building and restoring barrier islands and marshlands,” Hasse said, “but we are not in a position to argue over one method versus the other when it comes to restoring our coast. We have to use every tool in our toolbox to effectively address our land loss problem. We’ve created about 60,000 acres over the last 10 to 15 years through dredging. That’s 42 to 45 Superdomes worth of sediment.”

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SEDIMENT DIVERSION

out across our coast and include things like large-scale marsh restoration and structural risk reduction measures that are designed to decrease impacts from hurricanes and tropical storms.” One of the more ambitious projects being executed right now is the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion on the West Bank of the Mississippi River, south of New Orleans and east of Lafitte. “One of the most important projects in the history of coastal Louisiana,” explained Haase, “the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion has the ability to restore the Barataria Basin back to a living and growing estuary for our children and grandchildren.” New coastal land is usually created, replaced and repaired using two restoration tactics: dredging or sediment diversions. In Louisiana, sediment diversions are projects designed to restore the natural land building processes of the Mississippi River and redistribute sediment into areas that have been disconnected from the river by levees. A slice of the levee is cut out along the Mississippi River, and a manmade channel allows river water and sediment, silt, and nutrients to naturally flow in and strategically build land into the various deteriorating coastal areas. A multi-billion-dol-

REGION Q3 2023

lar project, the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion is now being undertaken by CPRA in coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and other south Louisiana coastal partners. Dredging, on the other hand, means digging up sediment from the bottom of the Mississippi River or another borrow source and pumping it elsewhere to create and repair damaged marshes. Because sediment diversions inevitably bring freshwater into areas with higher salinity–building land, but sometimes drastically changing the ecosystem—Louisiana fishermen often prefer dredging projects to diversion projects. The state is using both methods. “We’ve dredged and built around 10,000 acres in the Barataria Basin, building and restoring barrier islands and marshlands,” Hasse said, “but we are not in a position to argue over one method versus the other when it comes to restoring our coast. We have to use every tool in our toolbox to effectively address our land loss problem. We’ve created about 60,000 acres over the last 10 to 15 years through dredging. That’s 42 to 45 Superdomes worth of sediment.” Yes, that’s right, we in Louisiana do often measure land in Superdome-sized chunks.

SEDIMENT DIVERSION

Haase admitted, “The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion will pump freshwater into the Basin at certain times of the year, meaning some places that are salty and ripe for oyster growth will change. But then, other new places will be,” Haase said. “The project will simply move some resources around—same with shrimp and crabs and other fish.” Brad Barth, CPRA’s program manager for the Mid-Basin Sediment Diversion program added, “When dredging, we’re just using what’s sitting on the bottom of the river, but with the sediment diversion we’re capturing what is continually going out into the Gulf of Mexico.” The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion alone is expected to build and sustain up to 26,000 acres of wetlands. These wetlands will increase storm surge protection and reduce flood risk to communities, businesses, and residents in southeast Louisiana.” Dredging, however, doesn’t do as much to address the problems that caused our coastal land loss in the first place; as soon as a dredging project is complete it begins to deteriorate. A sediment diversion, on the other hand, builds and sustains land continuously, offering a more sustainable solution to coastal land loss. The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion will also help sustain the land created through other coastal restoration projects, including dredging projects such as the Upper Barataria Marsh Creation Project. Haase went on to say, “Dredging is also more expensive overall, takes a lot of manpower and a lot of fuel, and while a sediment diversion is expensive as well, it’s the gift that keeps on giving. A dredging project tends to last 20 years, but land created with a sediment diversion will last and benefit the coast for about 50 years.” The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion will not only protect communities south of New Orleans on the Westbank, but, said Haase, “The investment of project funds will be an economic boost to that region; the multi-billion-dollar project will inject a

significant amount of capital into the local economy.” The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, already underway, is expected to create around 340 new jobs annually over the life of the project. “Taking into consideration hurricanes and flood seasons, I’m expecting this one project to take about five years to complete,” Barth said. “That means five years of spending billions on construction, which includes hundreds of millions toward mitigation. Plus, it will generate tens of millions in local and state tax revenue and grow household earnings.” It’s fair to ask how the recent much touted “salt wedge” coming down the river this Fall fits into this plan. Pumping saltwater instead of freshwater into the marshes wouldn’t benefit the wetlands in the same ways, and could even potentially cause harm; it’s a delicate balance. “The salinity gets high on the Mississippi whenever we have a low river in the late summer and early fall,” said Haase. “It’s happened a few times over the last few decades. The salt is always somewhere in the river, but these are the months where it starts marching its way up to New Orleans, especially during extended drought periods like we’re seeing this year.” Haase explained that the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion is actually opened and closed using a gate system, where each gate is about 66 feet wide. “The salt wedge usually happens in the opposite season of when we would run the project,” he said. “This year has been a drought year so there are more saltwater issues. It’s all about flood seasons upriver, meaning torrential rains and snow melt. But in general, we will mostly operate the project when there are no saltwater intrusion issues. As a controlled gated structure, when it needs to be closed it will be closed.” Though a monumental and costly effort, the project’s gates, once open, will build land, so that the alligators and dolphins and redfish and bass can continue to coexist in one of the world’s most diverse, beautiful ecosystems.

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PERSONAL PROFILE

Leap of Faith A Prof ile of Ryan Tax Firm’s Gabrielle Begue BY MM KAUFMAN

a br iel le Beg ue i s a l l t h at her t it le at R ya n Ta x F i r m suggest s a nd more. She i s t he sen ior m a n ager of H i stor ic Ta x Cred it s at R ya n t a x ser v ices, but she i s foremost a New O rlea n ia n t h rough a nd t h rough. Bor n a nd ra i sed i n t he c rescent cit y, she g rew up i n a n 1870 s resident on Wa sh i ng ton S q u a re i n Fau bou rg M a r ig ny, one of t he cit y ’s ea rl iest neigh borhood s out side of t he F renc h Q u a r ter. O ne of her favor ite places i s Cit y Pa rk ’s Cout u r ie Forest : A 6 0 -ac re n at u re preser ve r ight i n t he m idd le of t he pa rk , where t he sou nd s of t he cit y fa l l away. “ T he pa st t wo su m mers I ’ve a l so been lov i ng C h a nce i n Hel l SnoBa l l s, a nd a P i m m’s C up on t he f ront porc h of t he Colu m n s Hotel i s a lways a good idea.” A nd l i ke most New O rlea n ia n s, she cont a i n s mu lt it udes. B e g u e f i r s t le f t t he S ou t h t o s t u d y F r e nc h l a n g u a g e a n d l i t e r a t u r e a t N e w Yo r k U n i v e r s i t y. B u t a f t e r a d e c a d e of e x p e r ie nc i n g l i f e i n t he b ig a p p le , a n d e x p lo r i n g a n u n i n s p i r i n g c a r e e r i n b o o k p u b l i s h i n g , s h e k ne w i t w a s t i m e f o r a b ig c h a n g e . “ I w a nt e d b a d l y t o m o v e ho m e t o N e w O r le a n s a n d s t u m b le d u p o n h i s t o r ic p r e s e r v a t io n a s a p o t e nt i a l ne w c a r e e r p a t h ,” G a b r ie l le s a y s . “ Tu l a n e S c ho ol o f A r c h i t e c t u r e h a s a r e s p e c t e d g r a d u a t e p r o g r a m , a n d s o I t o o k t h e le a p . T h a t w a s t w e l v e y e a r s a g o a n d I ’ v e ne v e r lo o k e d b a c k .” I n 2 013, Beg ue co -fou nded , a long w it h a fel low g radu ate of t he Tu la ne prog ra m , Bet h Jacob, a h i stor ic preser vat ion con su lt i ng compa ny, Cl io A ssociates. T he t wo lea r ned a bout t he federa l a nd L ou i sia n a h i stor ic t a x c red it pro g ra m s wh i le i n sc hool a nd saw t hem a s t he per fec t com bin at ion of preser vat ion a nd econom ic prac t ica l it y. P roper t y ow ners a nd rea l est ate developers, who m ight ot her w i se h ave l it t le i nterest , cou ld be i ncent iv i z ed to save old bu i ldi ngs due to luc rat ive c red it s — a 2 0 % federa l c red it a nd a 25% L ou i sia n a c red it— wh ic h cou ld be st ac ked a s wel l.

REGION Q3 2023

“ We c reated Cl io becau se, at t he t i me, t here wa s no compa ny i n New O rlea n s to h i re u s a s employees to do t h i s work , a nd so we decided to c reate one ou rselves.” T he r i sk y ju mp to a new f ield , t he eye for a g reat opport u n it y, a nd t he g u mpt ion to c reate wh at wa s m i ssi ng (a nd needed), led Cl io A ssociates to benef it Beg ue a nd Jacob i n m a ny ways: “ We met so m a ny wonder f u l people a nd worked on some i nc red i ble projec t s.” I n 2 018 , Cl io wa s acq u i red by M ac Rost ie H i stor ic Adv i sors ( M H A), t he leadi ng n at ion a l h i stor ic preser vat ion con su lt i ng f i r m , a nd beca me M H A’s New O rlea n s of f ice. “It wa s t h r i l l i ng to be come pa r t of suc h a n esteemed g roup of profession a l s a nd rewa rded ou r ef for t s a s Cl io over t hose f ive yea rs.” T hen R ya n Ta x F i r m entered t he scene. I n Febr u a r y 2 02 2 , R ya n acq u i red M H A to become t he compa ny ’s new H i stor ic Ta x Cred it ( H TC) g roup. R ya n i s a lead i ng globa l t a x ser v ices a nd sof t wa re prov ider a nd t he la rgest f i r m i n t he world ded icated e xclu sively to bu si ness t a xes. T he f i r m prov ides a n i nteg rated su ite of federa l, st ate, loca l, a nd i nter n at ion a l t a x ser v ices on a mu lt i-ju r i sd ic t ion a l ba si s, i nclud i ng t a x recover y, con su lt i ng, advocac y, compl ia nce, a nd tec h nolog y ser v ices. R ya n wa s fou nded i n 19 91 i n Da l la s, Te x a s w it h a fo c u s on sa les a nd u se t a x a nd i n Ju ly of 2 0 0 0, it opened it s t h i rd of f ice out side of Te x a s i n Baton Rouge. T he New O rlea n s of f ice opened i n 2 014 w it h a n e xclu sive foc u s on sa les a nd u se t a x . Tod ay t he New O rlea n s of f ice prov ides a broad scope of ser v ices, i nclud i ng sa les a nd u se t a x , proper t y t a x , h i stor ic t a x c red it s, st ate a nd federa l i ncent ives, a nd t ra n sac t ion t a x a nd proper t y t a x compl ia nce. T he compa ny now boa st s over 4 , 50 0 employees on a globa l sca le a nd i sn’t slow i ng dow n. “I n t he pa st 5 yea rs, ou r tea m h a s g row n f rom a rou nd 10 employees to over 4 0, wh ic h i s a 30 0 % g row t h ,” Beg ue says. “O u r New O rlea n s operat ion s h ave e x pa nded so q u ic k ly t h at we a re c u r rent ly

PERSONAL PROFILE

i n t he process of mov i ng i nto ou r 4t h of f ice i n t he pa st 10 yea rs.” “ My role at R ya n i s si m i la r to wh at it wa s at M H A ,” Beg ue e x pla i n s, “e xcept for t he fac t t h at joi n i ng R ya n a l lowed u s to h i re more st a f f , a nd now more of my t i me i s spent doi ng t rad it ion a l m a n ager-t y pe dut ies.” T hose dut ies i nclude teac h i ng t he m a ny joys a nd c h a l lenges of t he h i stor ic t a x c red it i ndu st r y a nd Beg ue d i scovered t h at she rea l ly enjoys t he new role a s teac her. “ W h at we do i s so n ic he, a nd f i nd i ng ot her mem bers of ou r ra re t r i be helps f uel my pa ssion a nd com m it ment to t he work .” A s a sen ior m a n ager i n t he h i stor ic t a x c red it s g roup at R ya n , Beg ue does a m i x of projec t a nd cl ient m a n agement a s wel l a s st a f f m a n agement . “I n t he mor n i ng I m ight be con su lt i ng w it h a developer a nd a rc h itec t on appropr iate approac hes to h i stor ic w i ndow repa i r, a nd t h at a f ter noon I cou ld be negot iati ng a new proposa l or d ra f t i ng i nvoic es.” Si nce t he d ay Beg ue joi ned Rya n , she h a s loved t he i nc red i ble dept h of suppor t a nd resou rces m ade ava i la ble. “A l so,” Beg ue sh a res, “a nd t h i s m ight sou nd facet iou s but it ’s t r ue – t he peo ple a re rem a rk a bly f r iend ly a nd help f u l. T hey ca re a bout wh at t hey do a nd wa nt ever yone to succeed.” W he n a s ke d a b out he r p e r s on a l a nd profe s s ion a l go a l s , B e g ue i s q u ic k to s h a r e how t he t wo go a l s a r e a l ig ne d : “ I wou ld l i ke to one d ay b e a pu bl i s he d aut hor. T he r e a r e s o m a ny i nc r e d i ble s tor ie s t h at we e nc ou nte r a s a rc h ite c t u r a l h i s tor i a n s d igg i ng i nto t he p a s t , a nd I hop e to s h a r e s ome of t he m i n non -f ic t ion a s we l l a s f ic t ion a l i z e d work s .” B e g ue i s proud of he r de c i s ion to c h a nge c a r e e r s , b e c au s e it me a n s s he ove rc a me t he f r ighte n i ng n at u r e of u nc e r t a i nt y. “ I ’m for t u n ate t h at i n my c a s e it w a s t he e x ac t r ight c hoic e for me. P rofe s s ion a l ly, I ’m proud of t he m a ny h i s tor ic bu i ld i ng s I h ave he lp e d to r e h a bi l it ate, bu i ld i ng s t h at c ou ld e a s i ly h ave b e e n de mol i s he d a nd lo s t for e ve r i f h i s tor ic t a x c r e d it s we r e not av a i l a ble.”

BUSINESS PROFILE

The Conference Centre on 11 Let’s Meet Up On 11! BY KELLY HITE

f yo u’re lo o k i n g t o h o s t a m e e t i n g, s e m i n a r, o r c o n fe re n c e i n t h e h e a r t o f t h e Ne w O r le a n s C e n t ra l B u s i n e s s D i s t r i c t , c h e c k o u t t h e e leve n t h f lo o r o f t h e Pa n -A m e r i c a n L i fe C e n te r. T h at ’s w h e re t h e n e w ly re n ovate d C o n fe re n c e C e n t re o n 1 1 b o a s t s c u s t o m i z a b le m e e t i n g ro o m s, s t ate - o f- t h e - a r t AV fe a t u re s, a n d d e l i c i o u s, f le x i b le c ate r i n g. Wi t h t h e l a rge s t a u d i t o r i u m i n t h e a re a h av i n g a s e ati n g c a p a c i t y o f o n e hu n d re d fo r t y- f ive p e o p le , T h e C o n fe re n c e C e n t re o n 1 1 i s s e r i o u s a b o u t s e m i n a rs. I t a l s o h a s fo u r te e n c u s t o m i z a b le m e e t i n g ro o m s, f ive m o d e r n b o a rd ro o m s w i t h t h e l ate s t b u i l t- i n p re s e n t at i o n te c h n o lo g y, e i g h t u p g ra d e d c l a s s ro o m s, a n d a b a l l ro o m w i t h a s e at i n g c a p a c i t y o f n i n e t y p e o p le . A l l t h e ro o m s a re s o u n d p ro o f w i t h h i g h - s p e e d i n te r n e t . “ We h ave t h e c a p a c i t y a n d f le x i b i l i t y t o m e e t t h e n e e d s o f a w i d e ra n ge o f c u s t o m e rs w h e t h e r t h ey ’re b a s e d i n

REGION Q3 2023

Ne w O r le a n s o r t h ey ’re c o m i n g h e re f ro m o u t o f t ow n , ” s a i d T h e C o n fe re n c e C e n t re o n 1 1 ’s G e n e ra l M a n a ge r, B ra n d o n Fa l l s. “ We c a n h o s t a ny s t y le o f gat h e r i n g, m e e ti n g o r c o n fe re n c e a n d p rov i d e at te n d e e s w i t h g re at fo o d , t o o. ” Fa l l s b r i n g s a we a l t h o f e x p e r i e n c e t o t h e ro le o f G e n e ra l M a n a ge r, a p o s i t i o n h e a c c e p te d t wo ye a rs a go. A p ro fe s s i o n a l c h e f w i t h a c u l i n a r y d e g re e f ro m t h e C u l i n a r y I n s t i t u te o f Ne w O r le a n s a n d c u l i n a r y c e r t i f i c at i o n s f ro m Tu l a n e U n ive rs i t y, Fa l l s k n ow s h ow t o ke e p c u s t o m e rs c o m i n g b a c k fo r m o re . Fa l l s b e ga n h i s c a re e r a s a p e rs o n a l c h e f t o t h e 6 0 t h M ayo r o f Ne w O r le a n s, R ay N a g i n , w h o wa s i n o f f i c e f ro m 2 0 0 2 t o 2 0 1 0 . W h e n H u r r i c a n e K at r i n a s t r u c k i n 2 0 0 5 , Fa l l s c h a n ge d c o u rs e a n d j o i n e d t h e m i l i t a r y, s e r v i n g a s a G a l ley C a p t a i n fo r t h e N av y Re s e r ve i n B e l le C h a s s e fo r 1 5 ye a rs. H e l ate r m ove d i n t o t h e h e a l t h c a re s e c t o r,

BUSINESS PROFILE

s e r v i n g a s a n E xe c u t ive C h e f fo r h o s p i t a l s a n d m e d i c a l c e n te rs t h ro u g h o u t t h e Ne w O r le a n s re g i o n i n c l u d i n g O c h s n e r, We s t Je f fe rs o n , a n d Tu l a n e M e d i c a l C e n te rs. Wit h t his diversity of experience, Falls brings hands-on capability and relevant know-how to t he role of managing The Conference Centre on 11. And he’s more t han ready to cater to all visitors’ and attendees’ dietary preferences or restrictions. “We have an innovative café t hat features a seasonal menu,” Falls said. Conference organizers can request hot luncheon menus, buffets, or boxed lunches. Coffee and iced tea are included. Visitors love t he food and say t here are plenty of options including snacks and desserts. While t he most popular dishes at The Café on 11 are t he seafood gumbo and chicken marsala, Falls said his favorite dish to prepare is stuffed chicken wit h seafood dressing. T h e C o n fe re n c e C e n t re o n 1 1 ’s n e a r ly e n d le s s c a p a c i t y t o c o n f i g u re s p a c e s a c c o rd i n g t o c u s t o m e rs’ n e e d s i s o n e o f i t s s t re n g t h s a n d Fa l l s s a i d , “ I lo o k fo r wa rd t o s e e i n g w h at l i e s n e x t ! ” The Conference Centre on 11 is optimally located across t he street from t he Hale Boggs Federal Building-Court house right in t he middle of t he “Poydras Corridor” featuring t he Poydras Corridor Sculpture Exhibition – t he Sout h’s leading outdoor, rotating public sculpture exhibition since 2013.

P re s e n te d by T h e H e l i s Fo u n d at i o n w h o s e v i s i o n i s t o a dva n c e a c c e s s t o t h e a r t s i n Ne w O r le a n s, t h e Poyd ra s C o r r i d o r S c u l p t u re E x h i b i t i o n s p a n s Poyd ra s S t re e t b e t we e n C o nve n t i o n C e n te r B o u leva rd a n d No r t h G a lve z S t re e t a n d h a s s h owc a s e d ove r fo r t y s c u l p t u re s o f re n ow n e d lo c a l , re g i o n a l , a n d i n te r n at i o n a l a r t i s t s. T h e H e l i s Fo u n d at i o n , O gd e n M u s e u m o f S o u t h e r n A r t , a n d T h e C i t y o f Ne w O r le a n s D e p a r t m e n t o f Pa r k s a n d Pa r k ways wo r k t o ge t h e r t o b r i n g t h e s e i n te re s t i n g a n d i n s p i r i n g s c u l p t u re s t o t h e c i t y. To u r i s t s e x p lo r i n g t h e o u t d o o r s c u l p t u re s, p e o p le wo r k i n g i n t h e C B D, a n d a nyo n e d o i n g b u s i n e s s i n t h e a re a a re a l l e n c o u ra ge d t o p o p u p t o t h e 1 1 t h f lo o r o f t h e i c o n i c , 2 8 - s t o r y Pa n -A m e r i c a n L i fe C e n te r fo r a d e l i c i o u s l u n c h at T h e C a fé o n 1 1 a n d a s p e c t a c u l a r v i e w o f t h e c i t y. T h e Pa n -A m e r i c a n L i fe C e n te r i s a l s o h o m e t o t h e Pa n -A m e r i c a n L i fe I n s u ra n c e G ro u p, Fi rs t H o r i z o n B a n k , M o r r i s B a r t L aw O f f i c e s, M c G l i n c h ey S t a f fo rd , M e r r i l l Ly n c h , L u ge n b u h l , W h e at o n , Pe c k , R a n k i n & H u b b a rd , a n d S t i r l i n g P ro p e r t i e s. Wi t h s u c h a p r i m e lo c at i o n , a lo n g w i t h wo n d e r f u l c a te r i n g o p t i o n s, m o d e r n , c u s t o m i z a b le s p a c e s, a n d t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o wo r k w i t h a wo r ld- c l a s s c h e f l i ke Fa l l s, w h o c o u ld re s i s t s ay i n g, “ L e t ’s m e e t u p at T h e C o n fe re n c e C e n t re o n 1 1 ! ”

GNOINC.ORG

PHOTO GALLERY

Throughout the summer, our Women In The STEM Economy (W.I.S.E. Women) high school students explored many aspects of STEM by visiting various companies, institutions, and organizations throughout the region to learn about what careers and educational pathways are available to them in Louisiana.

This past summer’s HBCU Innovation Internship was a fantastic cohort with many accomplishments. Impressively, more than 40% of interns received extension offers, while also acquiring a total of eight professional certifications. The cohort actively engaged in groundbreaking biomedical research, crafted compelling and successful marketing campaigns, and achieved even more milestones.

REGION Q3 2023

PHOTO GALLERY

GNO, Inc. and its collaborative partners celebrated the launch of METRONOME at Tipitinas! This initiative focused on the music business sector aims to cultivate innovation, empower residents for enhanced career opportunities, and provide musicians with the knowledge to effectively capitalize on their talents.

During Louisiana Clean Energy Week, GNO, Inc. and the GNOWind Alliance were proud to participate in the 1-year anniversary of the Louisiana Wind Hub. To make the celebration even more monumental, the inaugural cohort of the UNO Wind Scholars program was announced.

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PHOTO GALLERY

A partnership of regional organizations, including GNO, Inc., the Greater New Orleans Foundation, and the Bywater Institute, launched Urban Water @ 10 to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Greater New Orleans Urban Water Plan and related programs. Over 5 months, the initiative brought together leaders from various sectors to commemorate achievements, address challenges, and collaborate for ongoing progress in water management, which culminated in a report and celebratory event in November.

GNO, Inc. Executive Director of Future Energy, Lacy McManus, and GNO, Inc. CEO and President, Michael Hecht, gave a presentation on #H2theFuture and offshore wind in the Gulf of Mexico to the New Orleans City Council. H2theFuture will build a clean hydrogen energy cluster to decarbonize the South Louisiana industrial corridor while creating and preserving good jobs.

REGION Q3 2023

PHOTO GALLERY

This fall, GNO, Inc. hosted our annual GNOu Workforce Summit! Participants learned industry trends & workforce needs & also had an opportunity to network with industry and education leaders in our state.

GNO, Inc. hosted the National Talent Collaborative, a CEO-led community of national organizations consisting of the country’s most innovative civic problem solvers committed to working collectively to close the talent & opportunity gap in the US by building pathways to good jobs.

GNOINC.ORG

NEWSFLASH

For more than 60 years, NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) in New Orleans East has been “America’s rocket factory,” the nation’s premiere site for manufacturing and assembly of large-scale space systems. The facility is one of the largest in the world, with 43 acres of manufacturing space under one roof, about 31 football fields. Every single manned space flight in American history - including the Apollo mission to the moon in the 1960s, and the Space Shuttle after that – was partially built in New Orleans at Michoud. An artist’s conception shows NASA’s Space Launch System in flight. (NASA Illustration)

Today, Michoud is manufacturing and assembling the largest rocket stage in human history: the Space Launch System (SLS) core stage—the world’s most powerful rocket, which will send the Orion spacecraft, astronauts and supplies on exploration missions to the Moon and then Mars. Significantly, NASA's Artemis III mission, currently planned for 2025, will mark the first time a woman and a person of color land on the moon. The mission will also mark the first time humans return to the moon in more than 50 years, and the first time humans explore the region near the lunar South Pole.

Michoud Assembly Facility

You can learn more how to get into orbit via New Orleans at nasa.gov/nasas-michoud-assembly-facility-overview.

REGION Q3 2023

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NEWSFLASH

Ochsner and Team Gleason have announced an exciting relationship to enhance healthcare, research, technology, and other resources for those living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurological disorders. The new Team Gleason Assistive Technology Lab will be built in the recently announced Debra H. and Robert J. Patrick Neuroscience Center, a world-class destination care center for neurologic diseases. This lab is specifically designed to replicate at-home living spaces, to help patients facing ALS and other conditions learn how to use cutting-edge equipment and technology for increased independence, mobility, communication, and safety.

Further, the Team Gleason Foundation will relocate its office to Benson Tower, allowing the team to work alongside Ochsner Ventures, innovationOchsner (iO), and the Ochsner Connected Health teams. The Benson Tower location, located in BioDistrict New Orleans, allows for Team Gleason to continue to expand its resources to meet the growing need for their specialized care services in the heart of the New Orlean's BioDistrict, a growing hub for biomedical job growth and investments.

REGION Q3 2023