[StBernard] New St. Bernard civic center director at helm as state audit continues

[Westley Annis]

New St. Bernard civic center director at helm as state audit continues

Benjamin Alexander-Bloch, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
Print Benjamin Alexander-Bloch, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune By Benjamin
Alexander-Bloch, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune 
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on May 01, 2014 at 10:45 AM, updated May 01, 2014 at 11:43 AM

About a month after the director of the St. Bernard Parish civic center was
fired and the state legislative auditor's office began a review of the
center's finances, a new director is at the center's helm.

Maurine L. Liuzza, 50, of Arabi, accepted the position last month as the
Frederick J. Sigur Civic Center's executive director. She said on Thursday
that her main goal "is to continue to increase revenue."

St. Bernard Parish President Dave Peralta fired the previous director,
Stephanie Bachemin, in March, saying at that time that he was "was not happy
with the state of affairs" at the civic center.

Peralta said on Thursday (May 1) that state legislative auditors continue to
work examining the civic center's finances.

Both Peralta and Parish Councilman Richie Lewis have cited concerns about
the center's finances under Bachemin. After firing Bachemin, Peralta did
tell the Parish Council that he had discussed the center's financial
troubles with St. Bernard Sheriff Jimmy Pohlmann and that Pohlmann was
prepared to investigate the matter if the audit revealed any possible
criminal wrongdoing.

Pohlmann later confirmed that he would "prefer to first have that audit and,
if it then seems anything criminal was going on, then we will handle it."

Officials have not said what specifically prompted their concerns. 

Peralta said that Luizza was hired because "she has a great deal of
experience and expertise in the area that will lend itself to running a very
efficient and professional operation of the Sigur center as well as the
other ancillary buildings, such as the Old Beauregard Courthouse as well as
Val Reis."

He added that Katie Tommaseo, the parish director of tourism, and Kristen
Pellegrini, the assistant director of tourism, will help market the parish's
various event centers.

Luizza's resume touts 18 years of experience in the hospitality industry in
New Orleans, often supervising events and directing catering. She also
previously worked for 8 years as a teacher in St. Bernard, she said.

She is the daughter of Ray A. Liuzza, a longtime tourism industry leader,
hotel developer and former chief executive of the Ernest N. Morial
Convention Center, who died in December 2011.