COVID-19 Business Impact and Recovery

Please join us for this live webinar when GNO Inc.'s Michael Hecht and Ileana Ledet will discuss the COVID-19 impacts on our local businesses and economy. You won't want to miss it! 

Michael Hecht, President & CEO of Greater New Orleans, Inc.

Michael Hecht is President & CEO of Greater New Orleans, Inc., the economic development agency for southeast Louisiana. GNO, Inc.'s mission is to create a region with athriving economy and an excellent quality of life, for everyone. Under Michael's leadership, GNO, Inc. has been named a “Top Economic Development Organization in the United States” by Site Selection magazine. Before coming to GNO, Inc. Michael led the quarter-billion dollar Katrina Small Business Recovery Program for the State. Previous to coming home to Louisiana, Michael worked for Mayor Michael Bloomberg in New York City, running the post-9/11 small business program.

Michael's entrepreneurial experience includes co-founding a conglomerate of restaurant ventures, including “Foreign Cinema” named Restaurant of the Year 2000 in San Francisco. He began his career as a strategic management consultant in the US, Canada, Europe and Australia. Michael holds an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business, and an undergraduate degree from Yale. Recently, Michael has been recognized as “One of the Ten People Who Made a Difference in the South,” “One of the 20 Business ‘Icons’ of the Tricentennial,” and “2018 CEO of the Year.”

With family roots in Louisiana back to the 1830s, Michael now lives in New Orleans with his wife, Marlene, an ESL professor at Delgado, and his two teenaged sons.

Ileana Ledet, Vice President of Policy for Greater New Orleans, Inc.

As the Vice President of Policy for Greater New Orleans, Inc., Ileana Ledet leads the organization’s legislative affairs efforts as well as day-to-day policy operations. These initiatives involve everything from building catalytic assets and supporting fiscal reform to workforce and other programs that support economic development. She works closely with partners in developing and advancing policies that further GNO, Inc.’s mission of creating a thriving regional economy.

Prior to joining GNO, Inc., Ileana served as Deputy Commissioner of Public Affairs for the Louisiana Department of Insurance. She also managed communications and stakeholder engagement at the Louisiana Department of Education. Ileana is a New Orleans native and graduated from The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs.

SMPS Domain(s) of Practice: Marketing Planning, Marketing Research, Client & Business Development, Management

Who this is for: Firm Leaders, Business + Technical Professionals in the AEC Industry, Marketers + Business Developers, Small Business Owners, and Entrepreneurs