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The Business Council of Greater New Orleans and the River Region; Greater New Orleans, Inc. (GNO, Inc.); and the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau (NOMCVB) joined other regional business and political leaders to present a platform of solutions to address the negative financial and economic impact of the oil spill. The coalition, under the rallying cry of “Move Forward Now,” asks that the President immediately authorize three specific actions that could mitigate the damage to the economy. In addition, a fourth point of the platform supports the Mayor of New Orleans’ call for BP’s investment in New Orleans and the surrounding area’s hospitality industry.

You can read the media announcement and download the Move Forward platform here.

The authors, Greg Rusovich, Merritt Lane and Bob Brown say: “As the oil continues to contaminate the barrier islands and marshes that are the state’s first defense in flood protection, the entire region is at risk, not only from a geographic shift, but also from an economic and tourism threat. Our entire way of life in Southeast Louisiana is being shattered.”

Read the full article online at nola.com

Merritt Lane, president and CEO of Canal Barge and chairman of the Business Council’s Task Force on Flood Safety, explained, “The Joint Communication Advisory Committee (JCAC) is a live example of the Business Council’s bringing disparate agencies together for the common good. The same kind of spirit of collaboration is what we, as the Business Council, are advocating today.”

Follow this link to read BCNO’s full press release.

Top CEOs will discuss how they are meeting current economic challenges – and prospering. The event is hosted by 10/12 magazine at the Crowne Plaza, 2829 Williams Boulevard in Kenner. Doors open at 7 a.m.; program begins at 7:30 a.m.

Speakers include:

• Jay Lapeyre, President, Laitram LLC (Harahan)
• Marty Mayer, CEO, Stirling Properties (Covington)
• Alden McDonald, Jr., President and CEO, Liberty Bank and Trust Company (New Orleans)
• Dennis Stine, CEO, Stine Lumber (Lake Charles)
• Scott Wester, CEO, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center (Baton Rouge)

Registration deadline is March 15th. Tickets are $20 and include a continental breakfast. For more information, call Valerie Huntley at 225-928-1700.

“The potential for the city and the state is unparalleled”, said Gregory Rusovich, chairman of the Business Council of New Orleans and the River Region and spokesperson for the group. “We simply cannot let this project get mired in lawsuits and delays; it is too important,” he said. ”Now is the time to further demonstrate our unity; to rally around what will be the most significant development for our economy and our medical industry. Now is the time to accelerate progress.”

View the resolution here (in PDF format), download a copy of the press release or call Janet Fabre Smith at 504-329-7974 for more information.

Over the past few weeks, City Council candidates were given the opportunity to review and discuss Forward New Orleans with members of the coalition. Candidates were then asked to commit, in writing, to the measures outlined in each platform.

All candidates who participated in the interviews have now responded to Forward New Orleans’ request for commitment.

Forward New Orleans has created a “scorecard” that will enable voters to easily assess each candidate’s position on a particular issue. The scorecard showing the responses of each candidate can be viewed at forwardneworleans.com.

Gregory Rusovich, chairman of the Business Council of New Orleans and the River Region and spokesperson for Forward New Orleans, said: “With the majority support of the candidates for these reform principles, the citizens should have a real sense of optimism about the opportunity for real change after these elections.”

GNO, Inc.’s goal is to generate wealth and improve the quality of life in the New Orleans region. Follow this link to view the 2009 Year in review.

Some of the organization’s 2009 highlights include:

• 829 jobs secured for the region, both new and retained, with a combined economic value in excess of $25 million
• Success in the legislative session, including passage of a best-in-class 35% digital media tax credit and the exclusion of a capital gains tax
• Establishing the first post-Katrina international flight for Louis Armstrong International Airport to Mexico City and on-going service to Honduras
• Opening of the I.P. (Intellectual Property) Building in New Orleans’ warehouse district in partnership with Idea Village. The converted office now serves as an entrepreneurial hub for creative and digital media companies, and has grown to ten tenants
• Earned over 200 media appearances, including articles in the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Economist, and Entrepreneur Magazine

“The progress of 2009 is not only an encouraging harbinger of our potential for the future, but also a testament to the unprecedented cooperation between state, regional and parish-level partners for economic development,” says GNO, Inc. President and CEO Michael Hecht.