New Orleans 500: Gerald Duhon

Executive Director of New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute (NOCHI)

On the Horizon: With its initial accreditation review complete, NOCHI is looking forward to taking the lead as our community’s culinary and hospitality education leader and industry convener.

Go-to Restaurant: With so many wonderful partners at NOCHI, how can I pick just one? Let’s just say this is the most exciting time ever to go out for a meal in our city. It’s hard to go wrong.

Best Fest: Jazz Fest

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Hobby/Passion: Watching my son coach college baseball at George Mason in Fairfax, Virginia

Best Advice: Think of extending true hospitality as someone feeling like you are on their side, even if the outcome is not what they want. The secret is moving through life with this spirit of hospitality.


Duhon draws on his 30-year experience in nonprofit management, workforce development and food service to lead NOCHI’s mission of culinary and hospitality education. NOCHI’s programs center on culinary arts and baking and pastry arts, as well as onboarding and upskilling industry workers in the organization’s signature Hospitality Investment Training (HIT) curriculum. Duhon is also active on civic and nonprofit boards.

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