NEW ORLEANS – The Urban Conservancy announced its 2020 Urban Hero honorees, five individuals who epitomize the Urban Conservancy’s core values and have been instrumental in shaping a vision for a vibrant and resilient New Orleans.
“Since 2001, the Urban Conservancy has been leading and collaborating to strengthen our urban environment and local economy through equitable practices, policies and programs,” says Dana Eness, Urban Conservancy’s executive director. “We draw inspiration from those who are contributing to a safer, healthier, and more beautiful New Orleans, and whose work intersects with our own in meaningful ways. We love having the opportunity to recognize the contributions of these special individuals.”
This year’s Urban Heroes are Joseph O. Evans III, principal/partner, Evans + Lighter Landscape Architecture; the Hon. Calvin Johnson, retired chief judge of Orleans Parish Criminal District Court; Phyllis Jordan, founder, PJ’s Coffee & Tea Company; Bivian “Sonny” Lee, III, founder and CEO, Son of a Saint; and Jenga Mwendo, director of Backyard Gardeners Network, former deputy director of Crescent City Community Land Trust.
Heroes will be recognized at a luncheon Friday, March 6 at the Walnut Room of the Lakefront Airport, 6001 Stars and Stripes Blvd.
Doors open at noon for a reception and cash bar; lunch will begin at 12:30 p.m. The awards presentation will include a keynote address delivered by Peter Ricchiuti, A. B. Freeman School of Business professor of finance and host of NPR’s “Out to Lunch.”
Funds raised from Urban Heroes support Urban Conservancy’s programs: BASIN (Building Active Stewardship in New Orleans), FYI (Front Yard Initiative), and StayLocal.
The Urban Heroes Awards Luncheon is open to the public, but seating is limited. This event is made possible by the support of LCI Workers Compensation and QSM/Quality Sitework Materials.
