The Buzz of Business
“Tonight has a very full program,” said Dina Powell McCormick, who perused the packed premises in the Galerie de Galatoire dining room. And smiled. The location was in an upstairs area, handsomely decorated, on Royal Street in the French Quarter, and facing the historic Monteleone Hotel.
The emailed invitation came a week or so earlier from the above speaker and stated, “Dina Powell McCormick, President and Vice Chair of Meta Platforms, cordially invites you to a special evening with Governor Jeff Landry, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, Walter Isaacson plus special guests, Archie and Cooper Manning.” Steve Scalise was represented in absentia. Cohosting the event, called a Salon Supper with food served family-style, was John D. Georges, Galatoire’s majority owner and owner of Georges Media Group. In attendance were two of his three children with spouse Dathel: John Jr. “Nike” Georges, Georges Enterprises president; and Liza Georges Freeman, with the Meta team. Meta planned to bring in 50 team members, among whom were Josh Ginsburg, Tucker Bounds, Andrea Saul, Brian Rice, Joel Kliksberg, and Shelley Venus.
Guests, who began arriving at 6 p.m., rubbed shoulders in the Galerie’s Garden Room with brass from business, the universities, and the media, as well as elected officials and notables from the Crescent City and the state. They hovered over the 10 raised, circular tables that were centered with small arrangements of white and violet flowers, greenery, and mini cattails. Hors d’oeuvres were passed. Delfeayo Marsalis and his music makers entertained on an improvised stage, based with an abundance of the same flowers, prior to the arrival of the Kinfolk Brass Band and their jaunty rendition of “Little Liza Jane.” Slated to attend, and all with a professional title, or two, were Meryl Kennedy Farr, Kristin Preau, Aimee Quirk, Ben Dupuy, Mike Fitts, Larissa Littleton-Steib, Xavier Cole, Susie Schowen Fuller, Cathy Beeding, Drew Marsh, Anne and King Milling, Barry Kern and son Fitz, Julia Letlow, Kristi and Scott Ballard, Julie Emerson, Bill Hines, Tim Poche, Darryl and Louellen Berger, David Aubrey, Susan and Mace Bourgeois, Suzie H. Terrell, David Gaines, Kyle France, E.J. Lagasse, Walt Leger III, Sarah and Greg Feirn, Shane Guidry, TJ and Kaycie Weed, Tim and Lindsay Allen, and Scott Holmes.
Noted, too, from Georges Media (and guests) were president and publisher Kevin Hall, executive editor Rene Sanchez (with spouse Kerri Westenberg), Karyn Kearney (with husband Bill), Jo Anne Keck, Robert Elliott Young, Ryan Lips, and Chase Heatherly.
At 7 p.m., and in the trellage dining room where seats were designated by a postcard place card with the person’s name and a picture of a cherished image, such as a steam boat or a streetcar, John Georges welcomed the assembly and the presence of two New Orleans mayors, current Helena Moreno and past Mitch Landrieu, who were joined by respective spouses Chris Meeks and Cheryl Landrieu. Archbishop James Checchio, who began by saying he tells his former sacerdotal colleagues that he’s in “the funest archdiocese in the country,” gave the invocation and asked for prayers for “our city and our beautiful state.”
The felicitous occasion was the announcement of Meta’s increased investment in our state. Meta plans to build a massive AI data center in Richland Parish to the east of Monroe and has increased the original figure fivefold to $50 billion.
Meta also announced a grant to Louisiana Delta Community College in Monroe to train workers for the Hyperion data center and donated $250,000 to the New Orleans Career Center to provide tech training.
Dina Powell McCormick then spoke, saying she felt “so honored to be here” and praised Gov. Jeff Landry for his role in bringing the data center to the state. She thanked the archbishop and then called on Cathy and Walter Isaacson (with a shout-out to his recent book, “The Greatest Sentence Ever Written”) to come to the stage. Walter addressed the subject of social media and local media, as well as “new tech.” Claire Jecklin, NOCC CEO and founder, was then singled out and applauded.
As attendees supped on a first course of asparagus and hearts of palm, which was followed by the three courses served family-style of Gulf fish meuniere amandine, demi filet, and wild mushroom cassoulet, they watched Mitch and Cheryl Landrieu ascend the stage to speak. He talked about getting people back (to the city and parts of Louisiana) after Katrina. And Cheryl, the successful New Orleans Book Festival on the Tulane campus. She co-chairs the fest with Walter Isaacson.
A video that featured, among others, Sheldon Jones, Richland Parish School District Superintendent, was then shown. The message was that Meta was giving people opportunities and hope. McCormick requested those present from the parish to stand.
The next speaker, and introduced by McCormick, was Gov. Landry, who began saying, “Dina, the fact that you were able to get John Georges in from Greece (for the dinner) was something.” Of Greek ancestry, John Georges and his family retain a presence in the country. The governor raved about the future data center and the connected economic opportunity that it will bring to Louisiana. Among his concluding words were, “The world is watching Louisiana.”
In a relaxed interview, Archie Manning and oldest son Cooper were interviewed by Betsy Fischer Martin (joined by husband Jonathan). In addition to their talk about football, they were hailed for the renaming of Children’s Hospital to Manning Family Children’s and their generous involvement.
After the program and the prandial pleasures, the guests returned to the capacious Garden Room for more music and a suite of sweets. From Brennan’s (owned by Ralph Brennan) came small mint chocolate doberge cakes, lemon ice box cakes, garnished with lemons and mint sprigs, and fruit tarts; and from The Batterina (owned by JoAnna Euraque), mini cheesecakes and additional confections. Observant members of the crowd were amused to see a framed rendition in French of “When the Saints Go Marching In,” which will be useful for the Saints football team’s game in Paris on Oct. 25 vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Salon Supper and related sociality concluded with a party favor: Meta smart glasses, for, among other things, hands-free photo/video capture, and charging cases. Chatter was lively as the throng exited. Said one departing guest after he issued thanks for the invitation and surveyed the site, “It was very exciting to see that many leaders all in one space.”
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.nola.com ’
