Fellow Mariners, of the esteemed Port of New Orleans Mariners Club, it is our pleasure to introduce our distinguished speaker for the upcoming luncheon on November 11, 2025. We are honored to welcome Mr. Michael Hecht, President and CEO of Greater New Orleans, Inc. , the economic development nonprofit organization for Southeast Louisiana
The mission of GNO, Inc. is to create a region with a thriving economy and an excellent quality of life, for all. Under his leadership, GNO, Inc. was named “Economic Development Organization of the Year” and a “Top Ten Economic Development Organization in America.”
Michael was appointed by Governor Jeff Landry as State Coordinator for Infrastructure and Economic Development for Super Bowl LIX, tasked with overseeing over 500 of projects in preparation for the big game. Recently, the Governor again turned to Hecht, having him lead delivery of the Louisiana International Terminal (LIT), a critical project for the state.
Before coming to GNO, Inc. Michael led the quarter-billion-dollar Katrina Small Business Recovery Program for the State. Before coming home to Louisiana, Michael worked for Mayor Michael Bloomberg in New York City, running the post-9/11 small business program.
Michael's entrepreneurial experience includes co-founding a conglomerate of restaurant ventures, including “Foreign Cinema,” named Restaurant of the Year 2000 in San Francisco. He began his career as a strategic management consultant in the US, Canada, Europe and Australia.
Michael holds an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business, and an undergraduate degree from Yale.
Michael was recognized as New Orleans “CEO of the Year” in 2018 and has received honors for his leadership locally and nationally as “One of the Ten People Who Made a Difference in the South,” “One of the Top 50 Economic Developers in North America,” and “One of 20 Economic Icons of the New Orleans Tricentennial.” In 2022, Michael was named Honorary Consul of the Republic of Finland.
With family roots in Louisiana back to the 1830s, Michael now lives in New Orleans with his wife, Marlene, who is pursuing her PhD in Aging Studies at Tulane University. Michael and Marlene have two sons, Dexter and Kaj ("Kī").
We look forward to seeing you all on November 11, 2025!
