City Of New Orleans

New Orleans, LA— Mayor Mitch Landrieu today announced appointments to the NOLA Business Alliance board and launched the city’s first-ever public-private partnership for economic development, a structure that will deliver unprecedented coordination for economic development across the city.

“This is a landmark step for our city,” said Mayor Landrieu.  “For the first time, both the public and private sector will partner in a single coordinated effort to deliver new jobs and economic opportunities for this city.  And we will facilitate economic growth by linking government, the private sector and the nonprofit sector while leveraging our resources.   It’s another step in our goal to restructure and transform city government by implementing best practices that improve our quality of life.”

Studies by both the RAND Corporation and the International Economic Development Council demonstrated that a transformational structural change was needed in the City to improve the effectiveness of our economic development efforts.

To that end, a new corporation named the NOLA Business Alliance was formed to serve as the official public-private partnership entity.  NOLA Business Alliance is governed by a 17-member board of directors of which seven (7) seats originate from the public sector, seven (7) seats from the private sector, and three (3) seats from non-governmental organizations.

Each of seven nominating groups – the Asian Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana, the Business Council of New Orleans & the River Region, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana, the Horizon Initiative of New Orleans, the New Orleans Board of Trade Ltd., the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce and the New Orleans Regional Black Chamber of Commerce – nominated up to three (3) persons to fill the seven (7) private sector seats and one person (1) to fill the three (3) non-governmental organization seats.  From there, an advisory committee consisting of local university presidents from Dillard University, Loyola University, Our Lady of Holy Cross College, Southern University at New Orleans, Tulane University, University of New Orleans and Xavier University selected board members from the nominations submitted by the nominating groups.  Mayor Landrieu, who selects a Chair and Vice-Chair from his appointments, appointed four (4) members today. The City Council is expected to name two (2) members at upcoming Council meetings.  Mayor Landrieu also serves on the board.

The Mayor has made the following appointments:

• Henry Coaxum, President of Coaxum Enterprises, Inc. will serve as Chairman.
• Leslie Jacobs, Executive Vice President of Strategic Comp, will serve as Vice-Chair.
• Justin Augustine, Vice President of Veolia Transportation and CEO of the Regional Transit Authority, will serve as a member.

·         Rita Benson LeBlanc, Owner and Executive Vice-President of the New Orleans Saints, will serve as a member.

The Advisory Committee has selected the following as members:

·         Hal Brown, Partner of Paladin Capital Group

·         Andrea Chen , Chair of Social Entrepreneurs of New Orleans

·         Lucy Chun, Associate at Re/Max Commercial Brokers

·         Patricia Hightower, President and CEO of Bayou Equity Mortgage

·         John C. Hope, III, Chairman and CEO of Whitney National Bank

·         Darlene Kattán, Executive Director of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of LA

·         Michael W. Kearney, Sr., President and CEO of Kearney Companies, Inc.

·         Charles Rice, President and CEO of Entergy New Orleans, Inc.

·         Ronald J. Sholes, President of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation

 “I have said from day one that it is important that city government is helping, rather than hindering economic development,” noted Landrieu. “With our recent overhaul of city contracting procedures in place and this partnership hitting the ground running, we will have laid the foundation needed for New Orleans to have a more diverse economic base and a business climate that is fair and open for all.”

“Our number one priority will be to maintain and expand the economic base of the City in alignment with both local and regional priorities,” said Henry Coaxum, Chairman of the NOLA Business Alliance.  “This new partnership will dramatically improve the coordination of government and the business community's resources to invigorate  and provide new energy, and diversity to the economic base of our beloved city.”

  “As a city, we must take advantage of our valuable assets — strategic location, natural resources, rich culture and worldwide identity,” said Leslie Jacobs, Vice-Chair of the NOLA Business Alliance.  “This Public-Private Partnership will help the entire city leverage those assets to create good paying jobs and improve the quality of life for our residents.”

The City of New Orleans will contribute $1.5 million annually from the Economic Development Fund, while the NOLA Business Alliance will raise a minimum of $500,000 annually from the private sector.  The NOLA Business Alliance board will soon commence its search for a Chief Executive Officer. 

The NOLA Business Alliance will handle b usiness retention and expansion, prospect engagement and negotiation, marketing, small business services, entrepreneurship initiatives, international business development and strategic planning.

The City will retain responsibility for licenses and permits (including film, music and theatre), neighborhood economic development programs and services, workforce development, development and administration of incentive programs, International protocol, Base Realignment and Closure Act projects (BRAC), grants and federal/statutory funding, contract administration for City-specific projects, regulations, housing and Historic Preservation.

“Over the last three years the Council worked closely with the private sector and other communities studying best practices to develop a sound and working economic development program for the City of New Orleans,” said City Council President Arnie Fielkow. “The implementation of a robust Public Private Partnership for Economic Development is the beginning of new opportunities for all of our citizens and fulfilling the great economic promise of our City.  I applaud Mayor Landrieu for his leadership and swift actions in moving this long overdue initiative forward.”

"This Public Private Partnership for Economic Development shows that the City is committed to creating a strong, diverse economy in New Orleans, one with good-paying, forward-moving jobs for our families and communities," said Council Vice President Jacquelyn Brechtel Clarkson, co-chair of the Council's Special Projects and  Economic Development Committee.

“One of the most important elements of the continued revitalization of New Orleans is the creation and implementation of a comprehensive economic development plan for the city,” said District E Councilmember Jon D. Johnson, co-chair of the Council’s Special Projects and  Economic Development Committee. “The Public Private Partnership will establish a logical plan that will act as a catalyst for job creation, attract more businesses, and will be a vital link to large, small, minority, and female business owners.”

Bios of all NOLA Business Alliance appointments made to date are attached to this release.