City Hall Spotlight

October 5, 2018 | From City of New Orleans

City Hall Spotlight: Ramsey Green

 

What neighborhood do you live in and what do you like best about your neighborhood?

I live in the Uptown neighborhood just off of Magazine Street and within walking distance of two beautiful NORD parks where I love to take my children. We also have a dog park in the neighborhood. Years before my time in City Hall began, I worked with my neighbors to get the first City-funded dog park in place and it’s been a big success.  I also love that there are a lot of great small businesses. Magazine is a model for encouraging small businesses to thrive.

 

What is your favorite New Orleans restaurant?

Mais Arepas in Central City, which is where my wife and I went on our second date. My wife is Cuban-American and we love Latin-American cuisine. Mandina’s in Mid-City is also great. It’s family-oriented and the fish almandine is delicious.

 

Describe your job in 25 words or less.

It’s the biggest honor of my career. The public servants who are working to improve our infrastructure are passionate and they really inspire me. You touch, feel, and experience our work on a daily basis and that means a lot to me. I am truly excited to see the progress over the next few years with the leadership of Mayor Cantrell.

 

What do you see as the biggest challenges for you as the Deputy CAO of Infrastructure?

After August 5, 2017, as residents, my wife and actually considered moving. But we could never find a place we would want to live in more than New Orleans. We decided to stay and wanted to be part of the solution to the problems the City was and is facing. When Mayor Cantrell asked me to do this job I was not expecting it. There are few people in my life who I actually remember the first time meeting, and I specifically remember meeting then-Broadmoor leader LaToya Cantrell in May 2006. She was then and is now an incredibly inspiring leader. We built a school together, Andrew Wilson Elementary, and I am excited about building a city together.

The biggest challenge is coordinating people, money, and the public. Residents need to know that there are good people focused on honestly and ethically solving the problems at the City and SWBNO.

Using federal money in a responsible and honest way to rebuild a city’s infrastructure within two agencies takes a lot of communication. A big part of my job is communication to, within, and outside of government and empowering folks to do good work.

 

What aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?

The people, by far. Solving problems together. There is no single problem I solve myself. I hear people out. I give feedback on ideas. There are people who, before Mayor Cantrell came into office on May 7th, may not have felt heard. They have ideas and they weren’t being listened to. I can name a lot of people who in my short time here who are really stepping up and thriving. Inspiring and empowering the workforce is one of the Mayor’s top priorities. She pushes us to value the people who are committed to this important work.

Tropical Storm Gordon was a really good test for this administration.  It allowed us to show the public that we are operational and thoughtful in how we communicate to residents and leaders what we were doing. And, then when the potential danger had passed, we reopened city government and Mayor Cantrell said bring your kids to City Hall and we had a firetruck, ice cream, and activities for them. It was awesome!

 

What is a fun fact people should know about you?

If I’m not at work, I’m with my wife and kids. We have two girls, a one-year old and a four-year old, as well as two dogs.

We love gardening. My wife is from Miami, so tropical plants are big for us. We garden together as a family. We have fruit trees – one young pomegranate, a grapefruit, and Meyer lemon. We also plant hibiscuses and white roses. 

September 12, 2018 | From City of New Orleans

City Hall Spotlight: Gilbert Montano

 

1. What neighborhood do you live in and what do you like best about your neighborhood?

I live in the Warehouse District. I really love the area for its walkability and all of the new restaurants and businesses opening in the at area. At the same time, though, I’ve really tried to use what little free time I have to explore all that the city has to offer and I love exploring the city’s many parks and museums with my two children.

 

2. What are your favorite New Orleans restaurants, so far?

I feel like this is a loaded question that many people far more experienced in New Orleanian cuisine have strong opinions on. Let’s just say that I’ve really been pleased with every restaurant I’ve visited in New Orleans and am starting to develop an appetite for a nice and spicy crawfish boil.

 

3. Describe your job in 25 words or less.

To oversee the operations of city government, ensure that quality services are delivered cost-effectively, and hold people accountable when they fail to meet that standard.

 

4. What do you see as the biggest challenges for you as the CAO?

The biggest challenges that we face are clearly budgetary. We are a city that hosts nearly 18 million visitors a year but we see only a fraction of the revenue that they bring to our city, so we struggle to fund city services while continuing to be one of the premiere tourism destinations in the country. As a result, every year we need to make tough choices and not fund programs that the community strongly desires. I see part of my mission as CAO is to make our government run efficiently so that we can expand services without increasing the tax burden on citizens.

 

5. What aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?

I enjoy working so closely with the dedicated city employees, passionate community advocates, and effective elected officials who all share a vison of making New Orleans one of the most livable, safe, and vibrant communities in the country. Here will always be resource and priority conflicts because we have limited resources, but what has been very heartening to me is seeing how willing everyone is to work together to move New Orleans forward.

 

6. What is a fun fact people should know about you?

You might assume that since I spend most of my day in suits that I’m a very formal person, but actually I have a penchant for playing practical jokes. I think that laughter is a great unifier among people of different backgrounds.

May 15, 2018 | From City of New Orleans

City Hall Spotlight on Kimberly W. LaGrue

1. What is your job in 25 words or less? To oversee the delivery of stable technology services to all City departments, and to drive New Orleans’ ability to address challenges with smart technology solutions.

 

2. What aspect of your job do you enjoy the most?  I enjoy solving the smallest and largest problems with technology.  I realize that if not used responsibly, technology can actually become a part of the problem instead of the solution.  So a very important part of my job, and our team’s work, is to help users get the most benefit from technology tools in their daily work.  It’s great to hear someone say, “I didn’t know I could do that!”

 

3. What is the one accomplishment, at work of which you are most proud? Why   Having the opportunity to represent the work of our great team of IT professionals and the City of New Orleans, which is nationally recognized as one of the best cities at using data.  Our City team is a very diverse, multi-talented group, and I am proud to learn from them and carry their work forward.

 

4. What neighborhood do you live in and what do you like best about your neighborhood?  I currently live on the Westbank, but lived in the Desire area of the 9th Ward from my childhood through Hurricane Katrina.  It will always be my neighborhood, and what I like best is how it has survived over the years.  Our neighbors were on the ground very early post-Katrina, battling blight and bringing residents back into the neighborhood.  Many of the home owners in the area returned quickly to begin rebuilding, and I enjoy going back to visit with them and their families.

  

5. Any random facts you could share with us?  The ITI department manages more than 3000 computers and phones at 125 City sites, including Police and Fire stations.  Our NOLA311 office handles over 200,000 citizen calls per year and performs well above national call center averages.

 

6. Additional facts about the work or department?  The majority of the IT services we provide, from ServiceDesk requests to password resets to website development, can be found on the Neutral Ground at employee.nola.gov.  Our Web and GIS teams have a new home in the City’s VA building at 1601 Perdido Street.

April 3, 2018 | From City of New Orleans

City Hall Spotlight on Adrienne D. Recasner

 

 

What is your job in Property Management?

I'm the Administrative Assistant to the Director.  I manage the orderly flow of the Director's office and its ten divisions.  I serve as the Special Events Coordinator for the City to include all community requests (i.e. schools, churches, profits/nonprofits, government entities, media and Mardi Gras clubs.  I serve as the Parking Coordinator, manages the City parking system, employee contract parking at Heal and the Superdome Garages.  I also manage the city's electronic work order system.

What aspect of your job do you enjoy the most?

The most rewarding aspect of my job is servicing the community and seeing a smile on someone else's face.

What is the one accomplishment, at work, of which you are most proud?  Why?

As a public servant the greatest accomplishment is helping others and hearing the words "thank you" from the citizens I work for.

What neighborhood do you live in and what do you like best about your neighborhood?

I live in Walnut Bend in Algiers.  My neighborhood is very family oriented, quiet with lots of birds, trees and squirrels surrounded by nature.  

Any random facts you could share with us?

A line from one of Dr. Martin L. King's favorite songs says, "If I can help somebody as I pass along, If I can cheer somebody with a word or song, If I can show somebody he is traveling wrong, then my living will not be in vain."  the Bible says, "For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen."

October 9, 2017 | From City of New Orleans

City Hall Spotlight on Charles E. Allen III

City Hall Spotlight on Charles E. Allen III

Describe what it is you do in the Office of Resilience & Sustainability.

As the Resilience Outreach Manager, I work with colleagues in my office as well as other city agencies to help engage our citizens regarding the various resilience focused projects. By engaging residents on these projects, we essentially plan community meetings and other creative activities as a means of raising awareness and understanding of the various water management and other projects. And, with that raising of awareness and understanding, our intent to engender ownership of the resilience projects on the part of our entire community.

What do you like best about your job?

The best part of my job is when we interact with residents through our various community engagement activities. For instance, through our work, we have cultivated some very good relationships and friendships with residents in the Gentilly neighborhood. Recently, a couple of Gentilly residents expressed to me that they feel our resilience office has helped to put a better face and touch on the work of local government in our community. It was very encouraging to hear that conveyed to me and all of us.

What is your proudest achievement in your career at City Hall?

Again, I feel that our current work in the context of our city’s Gentilly Resilience District project and all of our work focused on long-term resilience and sustainability represents my proudest work that I’ve been involved in thus far. I believe in this work wholeheartedly. And, I feel resilience doesn’t just speak to what we do in terms of water management and environmental issues. Resilience speaks to how we should approach all our difficulties and challenges differently than how we have approached them in the past. In approaching our challenges differently, perhaps we can come up with more sustainable solutions.

What do you like best about your neighborhood?   

I really enjoy the levee along Lake Pontchartrain where I live in New Orleans East. On weekend mornings, I greatly enjoy walking my dog along the levee as we observe the rolling waves of the lake. The overall experience is so therapeutic.  

September 5, 2017 | From City of New Orleans

City Hall Spotlight: Margrett Magee

This month's City Hall Spotlight is on Margrett O. Magee, Office of Economic Development Business Services Manager. She is a true asset to City Government and to the community in her efforts to educate enterpeuners and business owners on how to grow their businesses.  

1. What is your job in 25 words or less?

My role as the Office of Economic Development Business Services Manager is to educate entrepreneurs and business owners on how to start or grow their business.

2. What aspect of your job do you enjoy the most?

My free quarterly Business Information Sessions, where I partner with many, financial institutions, non-profit organizations, federal, state, local government agencies and others. At the sessions, speakers provide a presentation on services and programs offered to the business community. There are five sessions each quarter offering a variety of topics, such as “How to Do Business with the City of New Orleans”, “State and Local Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Certification”, “Business Lending Alternatives”  “Business Branding/Internet Presence” and much more.

3. What is the one accomplishment, at work of which you are most proud? Why

It is a great accomplishment every time I can help an entrepreneur or business owner overcome the many obstacles that come their way, because it is a joy to see them at the end happy, and open for business. I enjoy witnessing the growth in our business community and economy that creates good-paying jobs that provides equal access to economic prosperity. It is a joy to drive throughout the city and see all the thriving businesses that I assisted with their start up or expansion process.

4. What neighborhood do you live in and what do you like best about your neighborhood?

I live in New Orleans East and my neighborhood is special to me because it is like a little community of its own. Most of my neighbors have been there with me for years and we have become more like family. I love the closeness!

5. Any random facts you could share with us?

I love helping others!

 

August 9, 2017 | From City of New Orleans

City Hall Spotlight on Tiffany Aidoo with NOLA for Life

The City Hall Spotlight series aims to showcase the amazing work from some of the City's most dedicated public servants. For the August feature, meet Tiffany Aidoo, Program Manager at NOLA for Life and the force behind the highly successful Midnight Basketball program. 

1. What is your job in 25 words or less?

My role as the NOLA FOR LIFE Program Manager is to facilitate and empower our community through Midnight Basketball and Mentoring initiatives.

2. What aspect of your job do you enjoy the most?

Witnessing the transcendence of participants’ success through the power of sport and/or mentoring emphasizes the important role all citizens of New Orleans play in the lives of our youth. I’ve been honored with the opportunity to build rapport with participants. As I am able to support them in future endeavors, whether workforce, educational or personal development, all is reciprocated. I have witnessed players become leaders, pursue opportunities they believed unattainable, and much more.

3. What is the one accomplishment, at work of which you are most proud? Why

There are many accomplishments to achieve including continuing to offer a wonderful opportunity. Additionally, this season the National Basketball Players Association Foundation in partnership with JOB1 granted the program $150K to support workforce development opportunities for players. Without the support of the NOLA FOR LIFE and Mayor’s team, this opportunity may not be possible. I am a passionate believer of sport being the gateway to transforming lives. Sport teaches resiliency, the ability to be a part to a whole with a common goal, and how to transfer all skills learned in that individual’s respective sport to personal and professional endeavors. It did for me throughout my life, and I want to pass along my knowledge as a professional and athlete.

4. What neighborhood do you live in and what do you like best about your neighborhood?

I live in the Carrollton neighborhood is a beautiful location near Audubon and Palmer Parks. This is my favorite feature as I love being outdoors. Also, the street car is easily accessible, which makes New Orleans festivals more enjoyable.

5. Any random facts you could share with us?

I have am extremely passionate about health and wellness, as well as love elephants.  Also, I am a personal trainer and instruct TRX classes at Higherpower.

July 7, 2017 | From City of New Orleans

City Hall Spotlight: Cheryn Robles of the Department of Public Works

Describe what it is you do at DPW.

As the Community Outreach Manager for Public Works, I help residents understand what the department does each day. By working closely with residents and neighborhood groups, I attempt to incorporate residents’ feedback into projects and programs as much as possible and help resolve grievances.

What do you like best about your job?

The best part of my job is best described with an example. A couple weeks ago I had a resident contact me asking about the timeline for a future road project. Her father is a veteran and suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. A significant pothole in front of the house was generating vibrations inside the home each time a large truck passed by. Cars and trucks hitting the pothole were causing the windows to shake and make a loud “boom” noise at impact. Even with DPW’s limited resources, I was able to help accelerate a temporary pothole repair which in turn stopped the booming noise from alarming the resident’s father each time a truck passed by their home.  While resources aren’t available to solve every resident’s grievance, it’s very rewarding to work with a team that can help accelerate resolutions that affect people’s lives.

What is your proudest achievement in your career at City Hall?

Rather than talk past tense, I’m most excited about a project currently in development. I’m currently working internally and with City contractors and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to facilitate re-using concrete road debris beneficially, to build or grow artificial reefs in Lake Pontchartrain. This project will help minimize construction waste streams, rebuild fishing habitats and increase opportunities for neighborhoods to recreate along the lakefront.

What do you like best about your neighborhood?   

West Riverside is a friendly neighborhood. I have become friends with many of my neighbors, am walking distance to the Uptown parade route and a number of restaurants and the Wisner Dog Park.