GNO, Inc. Held Virtual ‘Annual Meeting’ to Install New Board and NextGen Council; and, Provide Post-COVID Plan for Region

NEW ORLEANS— On Thursday, February 4, 2021, GNO, Inc. hosted its Annual Meeting as a virtual event produced by Loyola University’s School of Communication and Design.  This year’s theme was “Better Tomorrow.”  Better Tomorrow has three meanings: getting physically better; pivoting out of COVID with new economic opportunity; and, instilling a culture of continuous improvement for the region.

“We are grateful for our continued support in the community, and proud to install the new GNO, Inc. Board and NextGen Council,” said President and CEO Michael Hecht of Greater New Orleans, Inc. “COVID has accelerated economic trends that play to our region’s natural strengths.  If we are smart, and make the right decisions today, we can exit from this crisis with a more diverse and prosperous economy for tomorrow.”

Learn more about GNO, Inc.’s new board here and NextGen Council here. 

Click here to view GNO, Inc.’s 2021 Annual Meeting presentation 

GNO, Inc.’s GNOfuture outlines a job growth strategy to capitalize post-COVID, and general macroeconomic trends, of the next decade.  The strategies and tactics recommended are practical, and will be implemented via partnership, political will, and passion for Greater New Orleans.  GNOfuture is rooted in both local experience, and global models.  It was developed over the course of more than a year, via interviews with over one hundred business leaders, government officials, and national and international experts.

The plan has now been revised and strengthened to reflect the changed environment of coronavirus.  Greater New Orleans is well-positioned to benefit from these changes, which include:

• Rising dominance of logistics – New Orleans was founded on logistics, and with a consolidated strategy for the river, combined with unparalleled multi-modal connectivity (rail and airport) Greater New Orleans can reassert trade and logistics dominance.  Learn more here
• Reshoring of technology – The low cost / high culture business case of Greater New Orleans is extremely attractive to tech companies looking to bring jobs back to the US.  Learn more here
• Onshoring of manufacturing – A similar trend, over a longer time horizon, will happen with manufacturing.  The region’s logistics, workforce, and low utility rates make GNO a natural location for opportunities in Aerospace and Energy to build the rockets and rotors for the next generation.  Learn more here
• Healthcare trends – The region has an opportunity to leverage partnership in its multiple institutions to drive destination healthcare in neurodegenerative diseases, and other areas of excellence, such as infectious disease and digital health.  Learn more here
• Lifestyle trends – Greater New Orleans is already seeing remote workers, Louisiana ex-pats, and others, leaving dense, expensive places like NYC and San Francisco, for the more hospitable clime of the New Orleans market.  Learn more here

You can download GNOfuture here, and read more about these trends, and GNO, Inc.’s strategies to capitalize on them.