NEW ORLEANS — The Business Council of New Orleans and the River Region has announced that Managing Director Coleman D. Ridley Jr. will be leaving his post at year’s end.
“Coleman has been a driving force behind the Business Council’s success for almost a decade. We are grateful for his contributions and wish him all the best in his future endeavors,” said Business Council Chairman Paul Flower, CEO of Woodward Design+Build.
“I want to express my deepest gratitude to the members of the Business Council for giving me the opportunity to serve as the managing director of this incredible organization,” said Ridley. “I am proud of what we have accomplished over the past nine years in shaping public policy and working to implement clear and predictable laws that foster open and accountable government. I am confident the Business Council will continue to build upon a foundation of excellence, continue to thrive and make a positive impact throughout the Greater New Orleans region and the state of Louisiana.”
During his nine years at the organization, Ridley served with five different chairs. One of those, investments executive Suzanne Mestayer, said his “embrace of the mission of the Business Council was impactful from the start. He stepped away from the practice of law to dedicate himself to making New Orleans a better place to live and work, and I appreciate the talent and enthusiasm he brought to the task.”
The Business Council will begin a search for its next managing director with no specific timeline announced. In the interim, the organization’s operations with be overseen by current chairman Paul Flower and the executive committee.
Established in 1985, the Business Council is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, public policy research and advocacy organization “dedicated to improving economic conditions, living standards, and the quality of life for all residents of the Greater New Orleans region.”
