NEW ORLEANS – The Board of Directors of Longue Vue House and Gardens is pleased to announce the promotion of Maria Pote Esq. to the position of Executive Director, effective November 1. Pote succeeds Tony Chauveaux who was appointed in June as the Deputy Chairman for Programs and Partnerships at the National Endowment for the Arts. Chauveaux hired her as Longue Vue’s Director of New Business and Development in May, and the board immediately recognized her remarkable administrative talents.
Pote quickly made waves at Longue Vue, leveraging her skills and dynamic personality to help triple revenues. New, earned income under Pote’s slogan “Longue Vue is open for business” greatly enhanced the organization’s ability to support its mission-driven programming and stay on target with the ambitious goals outlined in its recently adopted long-range institutional plan. Board President Carol Reese said Pote’s leadership style and business acumen impressed the board.
“Maria is a dazzlingly quick study of both institutional challenges and opportunities. Perhaps most important, she understands how to mobilize Longue Vue’s stakeholders—board, staff, and members—and how to engage a widening circle of new supporters. Under Maria’s leadership, Longue Vue’s future shines bright," Reese said.
With over 10 years in securities litigation and 10 years of an outstanding record of sales and leadership with Eli Lilly, Pote is uniquely poised to bring a new perspective to the executive director position at Longue Vue. Successful in other fields, Pote is committed to the mission of Longue Vue, specifically social equality, education, and the arts, and is passionate about giving back to the New Orleans community–a passion echoing that of Longue Vue’s founders, Edith and Edgar Stern.
When asked about Pote, Chauveaux chimed in with his own accolades: “With deep family ties to the City of New Orleans, professional ties to both the medical and legal communities, a proven record of community service, coupled with her remarkable awareness and value of the Sterns’ legacy, Maria Pote is remarkably qualified to lead Longue Vue House and Gardens. Her unique appreciation of the magnificent estate and those who created it ensure her success in orchestrating that daunting task of striking the correct balance between preserving Longue Vue’s exceptional physical assets and making sure those assets are fully available for the benefit of those who seek inspiration there.”
