NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and the Urban League of Louisiana have opened nominations for the 2023 Morial Awards, which recognize a small business and a corporation making “exceptional contributions to sustainability and growth in communities and enterprises over the last year.” Submissions are due March 15, and the winners will be recognized at an awards ceremony on June 6.
The awards celebrate the legacy of former New Orleans Mayor (and Convention Center namesake) Ernest N. Morial, who championed the Convention Center’s construction and saw it as a way to promote economic development.
“The Convention Center has a vested interest in the success of local vendors here in New Orleans and with the Morial Awards we honor businesses who demonstrate the same ideal,” said Jerry Reyes, president of the Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority, the governing board of the NOENMCC. “These awards allow us to celebrate that commitment while recognizing Mayor Morial’s legacy. We invite businesses to submit a nomination and look forward to awarding the distinction again.”
Last year, Small Business of the Year was awarded to ILSI Engineering, a woman-owed, minority-owned civil and structural engineering firm that specializes in water, streets and drainage as well as construction management. Corporation of the Year in 2022 was awarded to Ochsner Health, which serves a million patients across the Gulf South each year.
“Creating a thriving city requires equity that allows underserved communities to build generational wealth,” said Judy Reese Morse, president and CEO, Urban League of Louisiana. “That is why our organization continues to support, educate and champion underserved businesses in our state. There are so many businesses and leaders delivering exceptional work, and we’re proud that this award gives us the opportunity to spotlight some of them.”
