On Aug. 4, local hotel industry veteran Jim Cook will officially step in as the new president and CEO of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Cook shares his plans to lead the sixth largest convention center in the country as it looks to break ground on a headquarters hotel next year and finish up the first phase of a $557 million capital improvement plan.
about
Jim Cook serves as the president and CEO of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (NOENMCC), the sixth-largest convention center in the United States.
Appointed by the Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority, the Convention Center’s governing board, Cook oversees the building’s strategic direction, daily operations, and a range of transformative initiatives. These include the development of the upcoming 1,000-room Omni New Orleans headquarters hotel, the River District mixed-use development, and the ongoing $557 million Capital Improvement Plan — all critical to enhancing the city’s competitiveness in attracting global conventions, trade shows and events.
Cook’s career spans more than 40 years in the hospitality sector, with significant experience in both hotel operations and regional leadership. He began in his hometown of Boston, Massachusetts, and at an early age began peeling shrimp and moving through a variety of roles prior to honing his culinary skills at Johnson and Wales University. Following that, Cook moved to Virginia to join the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation where he held a variety of leadership roles in tidewater Virginia. After joining Starwood Hotels in 1999 as the food and beverage director at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel, Cook advanced into hotel general management with the Doubletree Hotel Virginia Beach. Over his 26-year tenure with Marriott International, he held executive roles across Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Louisiana, including serving as senior director of franchise operations for the Northeast. Most recently, he served as general manager of the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, where he directed operations for a 1,110-room property with 100,000 square feet of meeting space and led numerous community engagement and repositioning efforts.
A respected figure in New Orleans’ hospitality industry, Cook is a former chair and long-time board member of New Orleans & Company. He has also served with organizations such as the Downtown Development District, the Business Council of New Orleans, and the New Orleans Police & Justice Foundation. His collaborative leadership style, civic commitment and forward-thinking approach make him uniquely suited to guide NOENMCC during a period of dynamic growth and change.
Cook holds a bachelor’s degree in food service management and an associate degree in culinary arts from Johnson & Wales University, as well as an MBA from Louisiana State University Shreveport.
