On Thursday, November 9 from 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. at Bayou Oaks City Park Club House, Young Leadership Council (YLC) will host a panel discussion featuring top New Orleans industry leaders. These distinguished individuals will share their leadership and career development wisdom and take questions from participants. The annual event supports YLC’s mission of developing young professional leadership through community projects.
Each panelist will bring a leadership book that has greatly influenced their career, followed by a moderator-led discussion about how these books shaped each panelist’s view of leadership. Panelists include Kenneth Polite, former U.S. Attorney Chief Compliance Officer at Entergy; Mark Romig, President and Chief Executive Officer of New Orleans’ Tourism Marketing Corporation; Poppy Tooker, cultural ambassador and host of the NPR-affiliated radio show Louisiana Eats!; and Robin Barnes, New Orleans vocalist and bandleader of Robin Barnes & the Fiya Birds. The panel will be moderated by Antwan Harris, Communications Director for Jefferson Parish.
“The goal of this annual event is to help YLC members gain a better understanding of what leadership looks like while discussing how successful people in our community have become great leaders,” said Allen Smith, YLC’s VP of Membership and event organizer. “We’re excited to provide young leaders with yet another opportunity for dialogue and inquiry.”
“The upcoming Leadership Symposium continues a long-standing YLC tradition of looking to leaders who are making big strides in our city,” said Stephanie Powell, Executive Director of YLC. “Allen and the YLC Membership Committee have organized an incredible evening with a stellar panel of exemplary leaders. This event is not to be missed!”
The event begins with a cocktail hour-reception from 5:30 – 6:00 pm, where food and beverages will be served. Following the reception, each panelist will be introduced and given time to discuss the book they have chosen. The moderator-led discussion will be followed by an open Q&A and a short meet and greet session as the event nears 8:00 pm.
Availability is limited. Attendees may purchase tickets at http://ylcnola.org/ylc-events/. Tickets are discounted 50% for members of YLC.
About the Panelists
Kenneth Polite represents the pinnacle of leadership, as demonstrated by his distinguished career of public service. Appointed by President Barack Obama to U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana in 2013, Polite now serves as Entergy’s Chief Compliance Officer. Among his many achievements as District Attorney, Polite was responsible for the Crescent City Keepers Mentoring Program, the creation of an anti-corruption unit to address claims of civil rights violations and public corruption, and introduced the 30-2-2 reentry program for former inmates, which joined with local businesses to employ formerly incarcerated individuals.
Mark Romig is the President and Chief Executive Officer of New Orleans’ Tourism Marketing Corporation. His distinguished public relations career has spanned more than 35 years. Mr. Romig is Volunteer President and Chief Executive Officer of the 2018 NOLA Foundation, the non-profit agency organizing New Orleans’ Tricentennial celebration. He serves on the Executive Committee of the Louisiana Travel Promotion Association, and as a board member of the Audubon Nature Institute, Emeril Lagasse Foundation, Travel Advisory Council, and many others.
An acclaimed cultural ambassador, Poppy Tooker broadcasts her love of New Orleans food and culture through the NPR-affiliated radio show Louisiana Eats!, which New Orleans Press Club awarded Best Radio Show of 2014. As a culinary activist, Poppy has been instrumental in reviving endangered local foods. She was a key element in the success of the Crescent City Farmers Market and authored its official cookbook, which earned the Eula Mae Dore Tabasco Award. Poppy founded Slow Food New Orleans in 1999 and was recognized by the Times-Picayune as a “Hero of the Storm” for her post-Katrina work in foodways.
Robin Barnes has stunned audiences across the country with a voice of amazing range: intimate, rich, and soulful. Often performing at Hotel Monteleone and House of Blues, Robin’s musical talents are not only rooted in her hometown of New Orleans — they’re in her blood. From her early beginnings singing with her family’s jazz band, Robin represents the best of New Orleans’ next generation of incredible musicians and leaders. In 2016, Robin was rated #5 on the Traditional Jazz Albums Billboard charts. She has appeared on ESPN and BET networks and has been featured in Forbes, Southwest Magazine, Travel & Leisure, Marie Claire, and Southern Living Magazine.
About Young Leadership Council
Young Leadership Council is a nonprofit, nonpartisan civic organization created to develop leadership through community projects. Through volunteer-created community projects, YLC recruits and retains young professionals to New Orleans, creating a positive impact on the quality of life in the region. The oldest, independent YPO (young professionals’ organization) in the country, YLC has raised more than $25 million to support community projects in and around the Greater New Orleans area since 1986.
