Jessie Schott Haynes

Jessie Schott Haynes is the Managing Director of The Helis Foundation, a Louisiana private family foundation, which primarily makes grants to sustain operations, to provide free admission to, and to acquire significant art works on behalf of major institutions within the Metropolitan New Orleans area.  She is responsible for ensuring that the Helis Family’s commitment to… Read More

Meg Adams

Meg is the Director of Environmental Stewardship for New Orleans City Park. She has been at the Park since 2007, when she joined the efforts to rebuild the Park in the aftermath of catastrophic Katrina flooding. While rebuilding the damaged areas, and managing the construction of new facilities, she started the Green Team and has… Read More

Shellond Chester

Shellond Chester, with over 27 years of experience in higher education administration,  currently serves as the Assistant Provost and Chief Operating Officer of Academic Affairs at Xavier University of Louisiana.   At Xavier, she is responsible for the operations and budgets of all units within Academic Affairs. Prior to joining Xavier, Shellond held the position… Read More

Meaghan McCormack

Meaghan McCormack is St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation’s Executive Director. McCormack has nearly 10 years of experience working for and with community and economic development organizations to create a positive impact. Prior to joining EDF, McCormack was vice president of program management and strategic partnerships at the World Trade Center New Orleans (WTCNO). She functioned… Read More

Tania Tetlow, J.D.

Tania Tetlow, J.D., is the 17th university president of Loyola University New Orleans. She is  the first woman and the first layperson to lead  Loyola since the Society of Jesus founded the university in 1912. President Tetlow is also the  fourth woman president, as well as the youngest woman president, to lead one of the… Read More

Joy Bruce

Joy M. Bruce is the Executive Director of CASA New Orleans, a nonprofit organization that fights for the rights of abused and neglected children. Under her leadership, CASA New Orleans has diversified their funding and programming, becoming the first CASA program in the state to secure funds to follow youth after they transition out of foster… Read More

Dr. Alexandra “Sashi” Band

Dr. Alexandra “Sashi” Band is a board-certified OB/GYN. She attended Middlebury College in Vermont for her undergraduate studies. And returned home to Tulsa, Oklahoma for medical school where she attended Oklahoma State University College of Health Sciences. She completed her internship and residency at Ochsner Clinic Foundation in New Orleans where she served as education… Read More

Anitra Blue-Francis

As a financial advisor, Anitra Blue-Francis impacts the lives of the people you love the most! She began her career in 2007 while completing an internship during her senior year of college while studying finance at Louisiana State University. She gained experience that would shape her career as a Chartered Financial Consultant, ChFC®  She has… Read More

Karen DeBlieux

Karen DeBlieux is Capital One Commercial Banking’s head of U.S. Corporate Banking and market president. As head of U.S. Corporate Banking, DeBlieux leads a team of relationship bankers covering U.S.-based large cap companies in diversified industries. In her almost 30 years with the firm, DeBlieux has held leadership positions in national accounts, Gulf South banking,… Read More

April Dupré

April is a lover of animals, music, dance, corny puns, and a true New Orleans native. Her favorite meal is 5 lbs of crawfish, a sno-ball, and an order of beignets! It doesn’t get more Nola than dat! “Like any other New Orleanian, I love to eat and drink, however, I’ve found a balance between… Read More