Recently, GNO, Inc. gathered leaders from across sectors at the Port of New Orleans to mark the twentieth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.  The purpose of the special event was to commemorate the tragedy, highlight how innovative civic engagement arose from the crisis, and inspire future leaders to act boldly in the face of adversity. This event was made possible by the generous support of Shell, OnPath Foundation, and Entergy New Orleans.

Kim Boyle, who served on multiple recovery bodies, delivered the opening keynote. She underscored the scale of the disaster – nearly 2,000 lives lost, over a million people displaced, more than 80,000 businesses interrupted or destroyed – and reminded the audience of the bipartisan spirit that guided early recovery.  “This was about recovery,” said Boyle. “This was about bringing our region back. Party affiliation did not count.”

The first panel, Government Responds, featured leaders who were on the front lines of public recovery efforts, and included:

• Louisiana Recovery Authority – Andy Kopplin
• Bring New Orleans Back Commission – Alden McDonald
• Louisiana Stadium Exposition District – Tim Coulon
• LRA / St. Bernard Citizens’ Recovery Committee – Walter Leger, Jr.
• St. Bernard School District – Doris Voitier
• Moderator – Kim Boyle, Phelps

The second panel, The Community Comes Together, highlighted civic leaders and private efforts, and included:

• Faith-Based Community – Bishop Tom Watson
• Women of the Storm – Anne Milling
• From Private Sector to Public Reform – Leslie Jacobs
• New Orleans Business Council – Jay Lapeyre
• Multi-Racial Coalitions – James Carter and Greg Rusovich
• Moderator – Michael Hecht, GNO, Inc.

The closing keynote came from Colette Hirstius, newly named President of Shell USA and native New Orleanian. She spoke candidly about the personal toll of Katrina – seeing her family’s Gentilly home go underwater, caring for an infant, and living in displacement. She credited her company for standing with the city: “Experts said New Orleans was dead, never to recover. But Shell decided the best business decision was to stay and be part of the rebuilding.”

Hirstius ended by announcing $500,000 in new investments towards local nonprofit initiatives. The first is a $350,000 investment in  Rebuilding Together New Orleans for their new resilience center and their vital fortified roofs program. The second is a $150,000 investment in the NOLA Coalition to establish after-school mentoring, homework help, and recreation programs to meet the needs of young people in the vicinity of the River District.