Michael W. Kearney
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards appointed Tara C. Hernandez to the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans July 28. Hernandez, who was sworn in during the July board meeting, will serve a five-year term, succeeding Gregory R. Rusovich, as one of four Orleans Parish representatives on the seven-member regional Board.
In addition to the appointment of Commissioner Hernandez, Board Chairman William T. Bergeron, whose term as chairman expired in September, passed the gavel to Michael W. Kearney, who was elected the new chairman at the Sept. 22 board meeting. Kearney represents Orleans Parish and joined the Board in December 2012 when he was appointed by former Gov. Bobby Jindal.
Bergeron will continue to serve on the Board as a Commissioner. The Board also elected Robert R. Barkerding Vice Chairman and Laney T. Chouest Secretary-Treasurer. Continuing their terms are Commissioners Scott H. Cooper and Arnold B. Baker.
“We’ve got a deep bench with this Board and we are thrilled to welcome Ms. Hernandez,” said Port President and CEO Gary LaGrange. “She brings a wealth of experience in real estate development and entrepreneurial endeavors and is a respected leader within the greater New Orleans business community.”
Hernandez is President of New Orleans-based JCH Development, a boutique urban real estate development firm that specializes in the conversion of underutilized real estate into residential, commercial, and mixed-use redevelopment projects. She has led or participated in the development of residential, mixed-use, mixed-income and commercial development projects in Louisiana, Mississippi and Missouri, often involving public-private partnerships.
“I am truly honored and look forward to working with my fellow Commissioners, Port leadership and staff to continue the growth of economic opportunities for our regional businesses and our state,” Hernandez said.
A graduate of Loyola University – New Orleans with a degree in finance, Hernandez earned her Master of Science in real estate development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is active on several national and local industry and not-for-profit boards, including serving as chair-elect of the board of directors for Greater New Orleans Inc. – the region’s foremost economic development agency. Hernandez also serves on the executive boards of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Foundation and Idea Village.
She was the recent chair of the 2016 Urban Land Institute’s National Hines Competition Jury and has received awards locally from the Young Leadership Council of New Orleans and New Orleans Business Alliance.
Chairman Kearney is President and owner of The Kearney Companies Inc., a New Orleans-based third-party logistics company serving the supply chain needs of many large exporters and importers in the greater New Orleans region.
“I want to thank Bill Bergeron for his leadership over the past year. The changes that have been implemented will serve us well into the future,” said Kearney. “The Port of New Orleans is one of our region’s largest economic drivers and a critically important component of the global transportation network. I look forward to working with the Board, staff and all stakeholders so the Port can continue to address its challenges and realize its unlimited potential.”
Prior to founding The Kearney Companies in 1996, he served as President of Neeb – Kearney & Company and the Jackson Kearney Group. In 1997, Kearney became president of Transocean Terminal Operators – the Port’s largest stevedoring company at the time. He is a past President of the New Orleans Board of Trade and received the C. Alvin Bertel Award in 2015 in recognition of his contributions to the maritime community. He currently serves as Secretary of the New Orleans Business Alliance and serves on the Board of Ochsner Baptist Hospital. He was most recently honored as Rex, the King of Carnival, in 2016.
The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans is made up of seven commissioners. They are unsalaried and serve five-year staggered terms. The Governor of Louisiana appoints members from a list of three nominees submitted by 19 local civic, labor, education and maritime groups. The Board reflects the three-parish jurisdiction, with four members from Orleans Parish, two from Jefferson Parish and one from St. Bernard Parish.
