Meet the ARPA Team

The New Orleans ARPA Implementation team was established in Fall 2023 to ensure $387,523,048 from the U.S. Treasury is spent in full compliance with federal guidelines and to support departments in spending their ARPA allocations. The Office is responsible for providing technical support and guidance to support all city departments and subrecipients that received funds from SLFRF. Our mission is to ensure a strong, resilient, and equitable recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic by making investments that support long-term growth and opportunity to ensure a prosperous future for the city of New Orleans. 

Implementation Team

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  Trish Diamond, PhD
  ARPA Implementation Director 

  Dr. Diamond’s career has spanned public administration, aviation, education, telecommunications and detention management both nationally and internationally.  Diamond is a leader in strategic planning, grant and program management, most recently serving as Senior Airport Administrator at Boeing Field and later as a Program Manager in the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention leading programs such as Language Access, continuous improvement, and electronic health records, earning a Distinguished Service Award in 2022. Diamond speaks Dutch, Afrikaans and Hausa. She is the eldest daughter of the late New Orleans musician and manager Billy Diamond, who named, performed with and managed Antoine "Fats" Domino. 

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  Michal Mackie
  Infrastructure Project Manager Supervisor

  Michal G. Mackie was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. She recently moved to New Orleans with her husband. She has worked as a project manager on a variety of capital improvement programs and government project for the past 8 years.

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  Christianna Kooney
  Infrastructure Project Manager Supervisor

  Christianna Kooney moved to the New Orleans area in the mid 70’s with her family when her father accepted a transferred from Denver, CO to work on the then new Space Shuttle External Fuel Tank project. She attended Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA and received her Bachelor’s of Science in Biochemistry. Most of her 35+ year career has been as a Systems Engineer and Project Manager in Aerospace Large Structures manufacturing at the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans East. She also has experience in Manufacturing Processes and Requirements consulting and in Consumer Product development and patents. She is an amateur machinist, enjoys reading and collecting vintage technology books, baking, and developing her own recipes.

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  Jira Williams
  Infrastructure Project Manager

  Jira Williams, a native of vibrant New Orleans, Louisiana, brings a wealth of experience in project management across diverse sectors, including the non-profit industry. With a strong foundation rooted in her hometown, Jira has honed her skills and expertise over the years, contributing to various capital improvement programs. In addition to her project management background, Jira is a licensed therapist with a counseling practice, where she provides support and guidance to individuals seeking mental health and well-being. Passionate about driving impactful change and fostering collaboration, Jira's dedication to delivering successful outcomes extends beyond her professional endeavors to her commitment to improving lives through counseling and therapy.

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  Oluwatoyosi Kade
  Infrastructure Project Manager

  Oluwatoyosi Kade, originally from Lagos, Nigeria, embarked on a transformative journey to pursue her education in the United States. After earning her A.S. from Southern University and her B.S. in computer science from Louisiana Tech University, she made the vibrant city of New Orleans her home. Inspired to further her professional growth, Oluwatoyosi chose to pursue her MBA at the University of New Orleans. Throughout her career, she has applied her expertise to a variety of projects, including technical ones. She speaks English and Yoruba.

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  LaTora Latson
  Infrastructure Project Manager

  LaTora D. Latson was born and raised in Shreveport, La. As a retired Navy veteran, she has a diverse professional history as a Project Manager. Her goal is to continually refine and apply expertise to spearhead transformative initiatives and play a pivotal role in the triumph of cutting-edge projects. 

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  Amy Mennelle
  Infrastructure Project Manager

  Amy Mennelle is originally from Columbia, South Carolina, but moved to New Orleans following completion of her B.S. in Public Administration from the University of Arizona. Amy originally moved to the city to be a Project Manager with a non-profit construction organization, in 2014, but has since obtained her M.A. in Social Work and developed an extensive background in mental and behavioral health services in alternative schools and hospitals.

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  River Scrantz
  Infrastructure Project Manager

  River Scrantz is a Louisiana native who completed his B.A. in Political Science and Master of Public Administration at Louisiana State University. After graduation in 2020, River worked as a Management Analyst with the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service before becoming a budget and management consultant for local governments, working with local policy leaders on a wide range of projects including use of ARPA funds. He speaks Louisiana French and Spanish and enjoys reading, writing, and traveling.

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  Andrew Sensi
  Infrastructure Project Manager

  A graduate of the University of Virginia, Andrew moved to New Orleans in 2009 to attend Tulane Law School. After graduation in 2012 he returned home to Virginia to practice law before returning to New Orleans in 2016. Committed to sustainability he joined the board of The Green Project and is working to reduce waste in the city through creative reuse. Andrew also serves on the National League of Cities Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee to provide strategic direction and guidance for NLC’s federal advocacy agenda and policy priorities on sustainability, climate change, community resilience, water infrastructure, solid waste management and more. Andrew is a big sports fan, an amateur woodworker, and the proud father of two wonderful little girls. 

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  Gloria Thomas
  Project Manager

  Gloria Thomas is a seasoned operations professional with experience across diverse sectors, including telecommunications, IT infrastructure, and retail implementation. She has successfully led teams to achieve short and long-term projects as a Program Manager. Gloria's primary focus in project management has been establishing infrastructure for new construction and remodels, overseeing site relocations, and managing store rebranding initiatives. She is a resourceful problem solver committed to excellence and passionate about driving project success. Her expertise encompasses strategic communications, vendor management, and process improvement. With a commitment to excellence and a passion for driving success, Gloria is excited to make a meaningful impact within the ARPA team.