NOMA Awarded $1 Million Grant
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) a $1 million grant to support the establishment of the only photography conservation program for much of the Southeastern United States. The grant will also enable the creation of two new museum positions in object conservation, including outdoor sculpture and photography conservation.
NOMA’s comprehensive photography collection of more than 14,000 works includes some of the rarest examples and most significant achievements in photography from the 1840s to the present.
Enjoy India With Chef Nina Compton
Looking for a fall getaway? From Oct. 16-27 James Beard Award-winning chef Nina Compton will be leading a 12-day trip through India through a company called Modern Adventure. A native of the Caribbean Island of St. Lucia, Compton said she’s excited to explore the spices of India in a trip that will include high-end accommodations, a wildlife safari and various other adventures through New Delhi, Jodhpur, Chanod, Udaipur, Mumbai and Jamtara. The trip is priced from $10,000 per person based on double occupancy. For more information, visit ModernAdventure.com.
RANKINGS
Louisiana Ranks 41st for Retiring Early
If you’re looking to retire early, you may want to consider a move according to a study released by TheSeniorList.com on the Best and Worst States to Retire Early. The study used the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Journal of the American Medical Association, among others, to look at issues such as life expectancy, income, housing costs, income tax rates, insurance premiums, consumer spending and average temperatures to determine the state rankings.
Key findings from the study on Louisiana include:
Median household income: $47,905 (No. 5 lowest in the country)
Average health insurance premium: $181.93
Median monthly housing cost: $806 (No. 9 lowest in the country)
Average temperature: 67.8 (No. 3 highest in the country)
Median life expectancy from birth: 75.6 (No. 4 lowest in the country)
Here are key national findings:
5 best states to retire early: Texas, South Dakota, Florida, Nevada, Wyoming.
5 worst states to retire early: West Virginia, D.C., Minnesota, Connecticut, Missouri.
Nine states don’t have a state income tax or don’t levy it on wages.
Insurance premiums are highest in DC ($447) and lowest in Mississippi ($76.08).
New Board Announced for New Orleans & Company
New Orleans & Company has inducted key leaders in the city’s tourism industry to serve on its 2020 Board of Directors, which will provide guidance and direction for New Orleans’ $9.1 billion tourism industry and advance the interests of the more than 1,100 members of New Orleans & Company.
“With key leadership in place for 2020, led by Amy Reimer Sileo, we are looking forward to implementing new and innovative strategies for growing visitation and expanding our economic impact through sales, marketing, public relations and customer service,” said Stephen Perry, president and CEO of New Orleans & Company in a press release announcing the board. “We are continuing to focus on enhancing and managing our brand, building a solid, growing base of meeting and group business, attacking need periods with new sales and incentives, as well as stimulating major growth and job creation across the city.
The 2020 Board of Directors Executive Committee:
Amy Reimer Sileo (Chairman of the Board)
David Bilbe, Omni Royal Orleans (Chair-Elect)
Steve Caputo, Hotel Monteleone (Past Chair)
Steve Pettus, Dickie Brennan & Company (Treasurer)
Darryl Berger, The Berger Company (Secretary)
Jim Cook, Sheraton New Orleans Hotel (Assistant Secretary)
Ron Forman, Audubon Nature Institute
Doug Thornton, ASM Global
“Louisiana has not had a maternal fetal medicine fellowship since Hurricane Katrina. This program is a significant investment by Ochsner both in the next generation of healthcare professionals and the wellbeing of mothers and babies in our state.”
Joseph R. Biggio, Jr., MD, system co-chair for Women’s Services and system chair for Maternal Fetal Medicine, Ochsner Health System. Ochsner is currently training its first MFM fellow for the new three-year program and will welcome its second fellow this July. Louisiana ranks second-highest in the country for pre-term births, behind Mississippi.
Hispanic Chamber Receives $100,000 for Workforce Initiatives
Verizon will present a $100,000 grant to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana (HCCL) to support workforce and enrichment programs in New Orleans and throughout the state.
The company has joined forces with HCCL to help build programming focused on digital literacy, technology workforce development and STEM education to prepare more people for meaningful careers in a digitized workforce. Verizon’s vision is that such partnerships will help to reduce social disadvantages, increase economic equity for all and offer opportunities for program participants to improve their financial lives and those of generations to come.
