In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans has worked hard to build its resilience to future shocks. New Orleans is one of 10 cities taking part in the Cities of Service Resilience AmeriCorps program. Through this program, the city is engaging with citizens to build and sustain resilience in low-income neighborhoods through initiatives that reduce flooding, such as green infrastructure retrofits and efforts to keep catch basins clear of debris.
New Orleans has been a member of the Cities of Service coalition since 2011, when Mayor Mitch Landrieu signed the Declaration of Service .
Mayor Mitch Landrieu
Mitch Landrieu was elected to the office of mayor in May 2010. Throughout his years of public service, Mayor Landrieu has governed by the philosophy that the city of New Orleans is “one team, one fight, one voice, and one city.” He also created the first-in-the-nation Office of Social Entrepreneurship to advance social innovation by supporting the creation and growth of the most innovate, measurable, and sustainable solutions to the social problems affecting Louisiana's citizens.
Chief Resilience Officer Jeff Hebert
Prior to becoming Chief Resilience Officer, Jeff Hebert served as executive director of the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority. Hebert also served as the first-ever director of blight policy and neighborhood revitalization for the City of New Orleans. And,iIn the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, he served as the director of community planning for the Louisiana Recovery Authority.
What's Happening in New Orleans
“The thing that appealed to us about the program was the focus on touching communities on a personal level. It’s easy for resilience planning and the concept of resilience to stay up at 30,000 feet, but we wanted to involve citizens more.”
Resilience Planning and Strategy Manager Jared Genova