March 1, 2026

GNO, Inc. Sunday Night Highlight: GNO, Inc. Annual Meeting 2026 – Renewed 💫 / Refocused 🔦 / Ready 💪

On Friday, over 1,200 business and civic leaders gathered for the sold-out 2026 GNO, Inc. Annual Luncheon.

Reflecting the palpable optimism in the region, the theme of the day was Renewed / Refocused/ Ready.

2025 Board Chair Leah Irons of Chevron kicked off the luncheon with remarks celebrating GNO, Inc.’s momentum, and its NextGen Council’s role in developing emerging regional leadership. Leah underscored that Greater New Orleans is renewed and ready for growth, and urged everyone in the room to actively partner to build a thriving region for future generations.

I then delivered the 2025 Year in Review, in which highlights included:

Super Bowl LIX, described as “the Best Super Bowl ever” 🏈
The lowest level of violent crime in over 50 years 🕊️
Business development wins including $19 billion in new investment, and over 2,000 jobs 🪏
Louisiana Economic Development winning “Best Deal in America” for the second year in a row 🥇
The new Louisiana International Terminal advanced toward permitting and construction ⛴️
Establishment of the New Orleans Entrepreneurship Council, to focus on innovation 💡
Hundreds of high school and college students placed in internships with local companies 🤓
Policy wins ranging from infrastructure development to protection of key energy initiatives ⚡️
Formation of a new “Infrastructure Coordinating Council” with city, state, and private companies 🤝

Midway through the program, Mayor Helena Moreno made a surprise appearance. Just six weeks into her administration, Moreno spoke about urgency, accountability, and cultural change at City Hall. She detailed early actions already underway: over 1,000 streetlights repaired, new investments in paving and lighting, a hiring and spending reset to stabilize the budget, modernization efforts like implementing DocuSign, and a renewed focus on safety and permitting. The Mayor also highlighted renewed communication and coordination with other regional leaders.

I then gave a brief presentation on the themes for 2026:

💫 Renewed – From physical buildings to regional relationships, renewal for the future
🔦 Refocused – Doubling down on the industries that have made us great, as well as fixing the issues that have held us back
💪 Ready – From new innovation centers, to new training programs, to new companies…the Region is building for the future

Incoming 2026 Board Chair Kim Boyle closed with a forceful call to action: Renewal must mean action. Refocus must be intentional. Readiness requires execution. The region is s family affair, and we are all in!

If you would like to see or download more:

A video recording of the event can be found here
The PowerPoint presentation can be found here
Special pre-event broadcast of Newell Normand, featuring Ray Gregson of River Region Chamber of Commerce, 2025 Board Chair Leah Irons, 2026 Board Chair Kim Boyle, LED Secretary Susan Bourgeois, Greg Rusovich, and NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick can be found here

A deep thanks to the sponsors who made the luncheon possible: Jones Walker, Chevron, Gibbs Construction, Gulf Coast Bank & Trust, Ochsner Health, Phelps Dunbar, Adams & Reese, Camelback Venture, Chaffe & Associates, Chalmette Refining, Cleco, Cox, EisnerAmpner, Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Louisiana, Hyatt Regency, IMTT, LCMC, Louisiana Blue, Lynn Burkhart, TNGD, and ThirtyNorth Investments.