WHAT NEW ORLEANS NEIGHBORHOOD DO YOU LIVE IN? / WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?We've lived in Algiers more than 5 years, but with adult kids still repping the 12th Ward where they grew up, we'll always be Uptown folk as well.
DESCRIBE YOUR JOB TO US!
As the Lot Maintenance Program Manager, I'm responsible for cutting grass and clearing debris from thousands of blighted lots citywide.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR CAREER PATH.
I'm a civil engineer with more than 30 years' experience in construction and project management, so this latest job is a real departure for me.
WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU FIND TO BE THE GREATEST IN YOUR ROLE?
There's a lot of pent-up frustration in those parts of town most affected by blight, and our ability to address everybody's concerns is limited by budgetary and other constraints, but blight remediation is a top priority of the Mayor's and we're doing our best to address it head on.
WHAT ASPECTS OF YOUR JOB DO YOU ENJOY THE MOST?
I still enjoy the reaction of skeptical citizens when to their surprise, we actually deliver and cut/clear lots that have been neighborhood eyesores for years.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT NEW ORLEANS?
I treasure not only the richness of our culture, but also that so many of us participate constantly in creating and preserving it. Living in New Orleans is like a team sport, but with the players and fans constantly swapping roles. Nowhere else compares...