Georges remains active player on political stage

Posted by New Orleans CityBusiness New Orleans, Louisiana August 04, 2008

As it stands now, don’t expect John Georges to throw his name into the race for mayor of New Orleans next year, but that does not mean you have seen the last of him in the political realm.

The former gubernatorial candidate says it is too early for him to make a definitive decision on the mayoral race, but he apparently has not given up his interest in the state’s top elected seat.

“I think governor is much better for me,” Georges said when asked if he would seek the seat of term-limited Mayor C. Ray Nagin.

Although he is no longer on the campaign trail, Georges continues to keep a high profile in political circles. He had a seat at the dinner table when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., led a congressional delegation to New Orleans last month. He was also among the voices that sounded off when Gov. Bobby Jindal waffled on vetoing a pay raise for legislators.

Georges said Jindal is “learning on the job” and has yet to produce concrete plans to rebuild health care, schools and the tourism industry in New Orleans.

As for the future of the city, Georges said it is up to leaders and citizens to start looking at the future — beyond the Nagin era and even past Jindal.

“There are some people who can’t get over the storm,” he said. “And then there are those who have moved past it and seen what’s on the other side of the mountain. These are the people who are going to take the city into the future.

And who will lead New Orleans in that direction as mayor.

“We have a very divided city,” Georges said, pointing out that racial differences still impede progress. “We need a uniter.”

Aside from his political future, there is Georges Enterprises to run. The company recently purchased Harrison Co. in Bossier City for an undisclosed price and will run it as a northern distribution point for Georges’ Imperial Trading Co. in Elmwood.

There’s also Dolphin Marine, an offshore service company that expects an upswing in work.

GNO Inc. launches work force research

Economic development interests in New Orleans are doing their part to shape the retraining of Louisiana’s work force. To ensure area employees can tap into a pool of workers able to meet their needs, Greater New Orleans Inc. is analyzing the employment needs of its 10-parish region.

President and CEO Michael Hecht sent out survey requests asking employers to identify, among other items, the basic skills they require of job applicants, their recruitment and screening methods, training and educational resources, the impact of retiring employees and what improvements they would like to see from the schools that train their prospective hires.

Ultimately, the GNO Inc. survey will be able to pair the needs of business with the skill groups available in the work force. And in areas where the skill set is not up to snuff, education officials will gain insight on where they can upgrade their efforts.

With GNO Inc. focusing on the labor pool, the Horizon Initiative is preparing to assess employment opportunities for young professionals. With this information in hand, the available jobs can be marketed appropriately within the growing segment of 20- and 30-somethings who are increasingly flocking to the city.

07/04/08
New Orleans CityBusiness