[StBernard] N.O. CityBusiness Salutes Outgoing LRA Executive Director Kopplin

[Westley Annis]

N.O. CityBusiness Salutes Outgoing Executive Director Andy Kopplin


Kopplin's LRA inspired recovery
by CityBusiness Staff

Monday, December 17, 2007

For the first time in 12 years, Andy Kopplin will not be a key part of the state administration when Gov.-elect Bobby Jindal takes office Jan. 14.

The Louisiana Recovery Authority executive director resigned to ply his considerable talents in the private sector where he will become a much wealthier man. As a state, however, we are considerably poorer for the loss of his institutional knowledge, his unrivaled grasp on state recovery issues and the integrity and grit he brought to bear while fighting for our state's recovery.

Kopplin is a humble man, too, as evidenced by his notice of resignation where he prominently shares the credit for successful LRA state recovery efforts.

"It has been my extraordinary honor and pleasure to serve as the LRA's Executive Director on behalf of Gov. Kathleen Blanco, our Chairman Dr. Norman Francis and our Vice Chairman Walter Isaacson and our extraordinary Board of Directors, the victims of Katrina and Rita, and all the people of Louisiana," Kopplin wrote.

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated south Louisiana, killing 1,464 and destroying more than 200,000 homes and 18,000 businesses. Under Kopplin's leadership, the LRA has labored to place Louisiana in general and New Orleans in particular on the tipping point of its recovery momentum. Kopplin's LRA deserves far more credit than it has received for helping rescue a crippled state.

The LRA implemented the largest housing recovery program in U.S. history by delivering more than 76,000 grants totaling more than $4.8 billion directly to homeowners. By the time Road Home payouts conclude, 162,000 or so Louisiana homeowners will have collected more than $10 billion in reparations from the damage wrought by the hurricanes and the failed levees.

The LRA initiated more than 20,000 permanent construction projects under Kopplin while helping reform the corrupt New Orleans school system and levee boards. Kopplin was a wizard working through the bureaucratic nightmare entangling every single recovery project.

"I am tremendously proud of everything that we've accomplished over the last two and a half years. It is with great pride as well as with optimism for Louisiana's future that I am moving on," Kopplin concluded in his resignation.

All Louisianians should salute Kopplin for his varied and complex contributions to the painstaking recovery drive. Without his yeoman's efforts, we would be much further away from full restoration than we are. 

To view the editorial on the City Business Web site visit: http://www.neworleanscitybusiness.com/uptotheminute.cfm?recid=14465&userID=0&referer=dailyUpdate <http://www.neworleanscitybusiness.com/uptotheminute.cfm?recid=14465&userID=0&referer=dailyUpdate>  

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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