NEW ORLEANS — On Nov. 12, the Downtown Development District board of commissioners voted to appoint Davon Barbour as the group’s permanent president and CEO. Barbour replaces Kurt Weigle, who resigned a year ago after a long tenure at the helm. Created in 1974, the DDD is an assessment-based business improvement district that focuses on economic development, cleaning and safety. The DDD services the area bounded by Iberville Street, the Pontchartrain Expressway, Claiborne Avenue and the Mississippi River.
“The Board worked closely with a national executive search firm, Winner Partners, to recruit and review candidates for the position,” said DDD Board of Commissioners Chair Gregory Curtis in a post on the DDD Facebook page. “After careful consideration of 102 candidates, as well as in-person interviews, engagement with stakeholders and public meetings with Davon, we are confident that he is the leader the DDD needs to ensure that downtown New Orleans continues and builds on the progress made over the recent years. We would like to thank John Pourciau for serving as interim president and CEO. Through John’s leadership, Downtown operations and services continued without interruption.”
The DDD said that Barbour is a passionate urban advocate, possessing more than 20 years of progressive leadership in inclusive economic and community development. His areas of expertise include, public/private partnerships, business attraction, retail revitalization, and community development. He has worked for private sector, public sector, and nonprofit organizations nationwide, including the international tourism destinations Miami, Orlando and Los Angeles.
