[StBernard] New Orleans Service Organization Honors Two LRA Board Members

[Westley Annis]

New Orleans Service Organization Honors Two LRA Board Members

Johnson, Leger Recognized as 'Outstanding Persons'


NEW ORLEANS (October 30, 2007) - Family Service of Greater New Orleans named Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) Board Members Alex Johnson and Walter Leger as two of the groups 10 "Outstanding Persons" at its annual gala earlier this month.

Family Service of Greater New Orleans is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing counseling and community education to families in need. Its mission is to strengthen the emotional health and fosters the self-sufficiency of families and individuals. 

For more than 111 years, the organization's staff has provided families throughout the New Orleans metropolitan area with skills for success, with staff members trained in the fields of marriage and family therapy, social work, counseling, skills training and community education.

"Outstanding Persons" nominations come from members of the Family Service Board, community leaders and former honorees. 

In addition to his role on the LRA Board, Johnson is Chancellor of Delgado Community College in New Orleans and he also serves on local boards, including Junior Achievement of Greater New Orleans, PBS affiliate WYES, Kingsley House, and the Workforce Committee of Greater New Orleans, Incorporated (GNO, Inc.).

Nationally, he serves on the board of the American Council on Education (ACE), and has been a member of its Commissions on Women and Effective Leadership. 

Following Hurricane Katrina, Dr. Johnson has contributed his expertise to the recovery of New Orleans as a member of Mayor C. Ray Nagin's "Bring New Orleans Back Commission" steering committees on education, strategic healthcare issues, and economic development, chairing its workforce subcommittee. He was appointed to the Hurricane Recovery Advisory Committee by the New Orleans City Council and is a "champion" with the Louisiana Recovery Authority's Louisiana Speaks Campaign.

Leger, of Arabi, is a lawyer, businessman and civic leader who serves as the chair of the LRA's Housing Task Force and is a former chair of both the Board of the New Orleans Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Chairman of the St. Bernard Chamber Council.


Leger is a co-owner and past President of the New Orleans Zephyrs Triple A Professional Baseball Team and is also a partner in the law firm of Leger & Shaw. He was appointed by the Governor to serve on the NFL Stadium Advisory Commission and was a member of the New Orleans Saints Community Advisory Committee. Leger is a graduate of Louisiana State University and Tulane School of Law.

Leger serves as a member of LSU's College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Board and is on the Board of Directors of the Foundations of the LSU Health Science Center, Delgado Community College, and Nunez Community College. He also is a Board Member of the University New Orleans Business Alliance, the World Trade Center, and Chalmette Medical Center. Leger is a member of the Tulane Cancer Center Advisory Council and LSU's Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center Board, and the Directors' Council of the Louisiana Cancer Research Consortium. 

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated South Louisiana, claiming 1,464 lives, destroying more than 200,000 homes and 18,000 businesses. The Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) is the planning and coordinating body that was created in the aftermath of these storms by Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco to lead one of the most extensive rebuilding efforts in the world. The LRA is a 33-member body which is coordinating across jurisdictions, supporting community recovery and resurgence, ensuring integrity and effectiveness, and planning for the recovery and rebuilding of Louisiana. 

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