Originally from the Rio Grande Valley in south Texas, Deanna Rodriguez has lived between Austin, Texas and New Orleans most of her adult life. In 1999, she moved to New Orleans to lead the corporate philanthropy program for Entergy, where she has held multiple positions that have each shaped and prepared her for her current role as CEO of Entergy New Orleans.
“My most recent position as Vice President of Regulatory and Public Affairs both in New Orleans and in Texas exposed me to the regulatory process and the importance of having strong partnerships with our regulators,” she says. “My role as Vice President of Corporate Contributions exposed me to the value of our community partners and how critical it is for companies like Entergy to help local communities grow and thrive. I also served as Director of External Affairs for Entergy Corporation, where I coordinated post-Hurricane Katrina funding efforts, which resulted in more than $200 million in community development block grant funding for Entergy’s Louisiana, Mississippi and New Orleans operating companies.”
As CEO, a position she accepted in May 2021, Rodriguez now oversees the company’s electric distribution system, safety, financial performance, customer service, resource planning, economic development, charitable contributions, employee development, and regulatory and governmental affairs. As a Hispanic woman, Rodriguez hopes to bring a different point of view to her role, while setting an example for her peers by being a great leader.
Rodriguez credits her cultural background for guiding her journey to becoming CEO of such a large corporation. “I take enormous pride in my Hispanic background,” she says. “I think it is one of my super-powers. I also take great pride in having grown up along the Texas-Mexico border in a bi-cultural and bi-lingual community. I appreciate the fact that my experience and culture are translatable to others, because, at the base, we are all the same. We all love our families, take pride in our children and love this country.”
She also encourages young Hispanic women to reach for the stars. “The sky is the limit,” Rodriguez says. “If I can be a CEO, then they can achieve whatever goal they set for themselves. I would also suggest that they dream big. I was so fortunate to have many teachers, mentors and champions that said that I could do anything that I set my mind to doing. Hard work and tenacity pay off.”
Her goal for Entergy New Orleans is to lead the company through the numerous challenges facing customers and the industry. “We want Entergy New Orleans to be one of the most resilient companies in the nation, while directly combating climate change and its impact on our region,” she says. “Naturally, we also want to provide reliable and affordable service to all our customers in New Orleans.”
To that end, Entergy New Orleans supports numerous nonprofit organizations that serve the local Hispanic community, such as Cervantes Fundacion Hispanoamerican De Arte and, of course, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana.
The relationship between HCCL and Entergy is long-standing and mutually beneficial: together, the organizations ensured the Hispanic community was represented in the 2020 Census through critical funding and outreach, and Entergy has helped HCCL to foster a more inclusive and diverse supply chain in Greater New Orleans (see page XX for more on this initiative). Most recently, Entergy awarded the HCCL with $150,000 in shareholder-funded grants to help Latino-owned small business owners cover uninsured losses and impacts from Hurricane Ida. Entergy New Orleans.
Personally, Rodriguez feels honored to be involved with the mission to ensure parity and prosperity for all New Orleanians. “I love this city,” she says, “and feel so lucky to be here.”
