Cathy Alfonso
CEO, St. Bernard Chamber of Commerce
In September 2017, Kenner native Cathy Alfonso was named the new CEO of the St. Bernard Chamber of Commerce.
Alfonso’s background is in public relations, including work at the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau and Visit Baton Rouge, and she served for a year as the admissions director at her alma mater, Archbishop Chapelle High School.
“My passion is anything involving student or community involvement,” says Alfonso, “so this job is just an incredible chance to do something I really love in the community in which I live.”
Alfonso says St. Bernard Parish has seen a huge increase in new construction lately, noting that this year the parish is projecting to see triple the amount of home permits as in 2017.
“We have safe schools, low crime and great streets,” she says, “so naturally people are moving here and more people means we’re better positioned for more business.”
Alfonso says the chamber is heavily focused on programming and professional development — including programs like Grow St. Bernard (now in its second year) and Leadership St. Bernard.
“One of the biggest things we’re working on right now is creating a 100-day action plan as part of our strategic plan,” she says. “Our goals are to grow our membership — most of which are small businesses — grow our events and really focus on our community presence. We want people to know us as a resource and be a visible force in the parish.”
