rankings INVESTORS BOARD OF DIRECTORSEXECUTIVE COMMITTEEBill Hoffman Chairman of the Board Woodward Interests, LLC

Maura Donahue Chair-elect of the Board DonahueFavret Contractors

Michael Hecht President and CEO Greater New Orleans, Inc.

Phil Gunn Treasurer Postlethwaite & Netterville

Mark Spansel Secretary Adams and Reese

Ronnie Slone Chair, Policy Committee The Slone Group

Patricia LeBlanc Immediate Past Chair LeBlanc Fantaci Villio

Dale Benoit Print All

Mike DeBoer GE Capital

Tommy Faucheux The Dow Chemical Company

Melissa Gibbs Gibbs Construction

Jim Hudson First Bankers Bank

Mike Illanne Chevron

Gay LeBreton Chaffe & Associates

John Little International Properties

Carlo Mulvenna Pan American Life Insurance Group

Greg Rusovich Transoceanic Development

BOARD OF DIRECTORSBill Aaron Aaron, PLC

Danica Ansardi Ansardi Financial

Michele Avery LaPorte CPAs & Business Advisors

Jerry Bologna Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission

1100 Poydras Street, Suite 3475 New Orleans, LA 70163

504.527.6900 | www.gnoinc.org | @GNOINC

Susan Bonnett Northshore Community Foundation

Michelle Bourg Entergy

Patricia Brister St. Tammany Parish Government

Sean Burkes Burkes Engineering

Henry Coaxum Coaxum Enterprises

Richard Cortizas Jones Walker

Karen Deblieux Capital One Bank

Greg Fiern LCMC Health

Henry Friloux Echo Venures

Cherreen Geggenheimer Jefferson Parish

Lee Giorgio Select Properties

Rick Haas Latter & Blum

Ben Hales New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans

Tara Hernandez JCH Development

Karl Hoefer IBERIABANK

John Hollowell Shell

Scott Howard Regions Bank

Wan Kim Smoothie King

Leigh King Cox Communications

Bill Langenstein Chaffe McCall

Wayne Lee Stone Pigman

Gary Lorio Whitney Bank

Ti Martin Commander’s Palace

Todd Murphy Jefferson Chamber of Commerce

Warren Murrell Peoples Health

Roger Ogden Ogden Development & Investments

Mike Palamone Urban Systems

George Pivach Venice Port Complex

Stephen Reuther St. Bernard Chamber of Commerce

Natalie Robottom St. John the Baptist Parish

Taryn Rogers Valero

Ashton Ryan First NBC Bank

Bobby Savoie Geocent

Ryan Seal Washington Economic Development Foundation

Jay Seale Seale & Ross

Melonie Stewart Entergy

Lizette Terral JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A.

Warner Thomas Ochsner Health System

Dan Wagner Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana

Guy Williams Gulf Coast Bank & Trust

Matt Wisdom TurboSquid

ADVISORSKevin Lin Entrepreneur

Steve Nosacka Town of Gramercy

Fernando Rivera South Louisiana Veterans Health Care System

PAST CHAIR EMERITUSBill Hines Jones Walker

Leslie Jacobs Strategic Comp

Marty Mayer Stirling Properties

Suzanne Mestayer ThirtyNorth Investments

Bill Oliver William A. Oliver Enterprises

Patrick Quinlan Ochsner Health System

Henry Shane Favrot & Shane

UNIVERSITY EX-OFFICIOF. King Alexander Louisiana State University

John Crain Southeastern LA University

Dale Doty River Parishes Community College

Michael Fitts Tulane University

Peter Fos University of New Orleans

Norman Francis Xavier University

Larry Hollier LSU Health Sciences Center

Walter Kimbrough Dillard University

Joan Davis Delgado Community College

Earl Meador South Central LA Technical College

Victor Ukpolo Southern University of New Orleans

William Wainright Northshore Community Technical College

Tommy Warner Nunez Community College

Kevin Wildes Loyola University

BOARD MEMBER FAVITORDavid Darragh Reily Foods

David Fennelly Associated Terminals

Jay Lapeyre Laitram

Mary Matalin Political Advisor

PINNACLE INVESTORSblue moon fundCapital One, N.A.ChevronCity of New OrleansEntergyJPMorgan ChaseThe Kresge FoundationLouisiana Economic DevelopmentLouisiana Office of Community DevelopmentNew Orleans Business AllianceThe Rockefeller Foundation U.S. Economic Development AdministrationWalton Family Foundation

CAPSTONE INVESTORSAdams and ReeseBlue Cross and Blue Shield of LouisianaThe Dow Chemical CompanyFirst NBC BankIBERIABANKJefferson Parish GovernmentJones, WalkerNorthshore Community FoundationRegions BankSt. Tammany Parish GovernmentWhitney Bank

PILLAR INVESTORSBP AmericaBiz New OrleansBoh Bros. / BroadmoorFavrot & Shane CompaniesGoldring & Woldenberg FoundationsGulf Coast Bank & TrustLaitramLCMC HealthNew Orleans PelicansNew Orleans SaintsOchsner Health SystemPeoples HealthReily Foods CompanyShell Exploration & ProductionStirling PropertiesSuperior Energy ServicesSurdna FoundationWWL-TV

ANCHOR INVESTORSAssociated TerminalsBanner Automotive GroupBarriere Construction Co.Bart’s Office Furniture RepairsThe Boeing Company Bollinger ShipyardsBusiness First BankCanal BargeCheniere EnergyCoats RoseCommander’s PalaceCORE Construction ServicesCory, Tucker & Larrowe, Inc.Cox CommunicationsCrescent Bank & TrustCrystal Clear Imaging East Jefferson General HospitalGE CapitalGibbs ConstructionGoldman Sachs 10,000 Small BusinessesHannis T. Bourgeois Harrah’s New Orleans CasinoHyatt Regency New OrleansInternational Matex Tank TerminalsJefferson Business CouncilKelly Hart & PitreKent Design BuildLakelawn Metairie Funeral HomeLandis Construction CompanyLatter & Blum

LLOG ExplorationMcMath Construction NANONorthshore Business CouncilOgden Development & InvestmentsPan-American Life Insurance GroupPelican Energy ConsultantsPhelps DunbarPlaquemines Association of Business & IndustryPlaquemines Parish GovernmentPort of PlaqueminesPostlethwaite & NettervillePricewaterhouseCoopers Pyramid AudioRain CIIRazorlineRoy Anderson Corp.Sheraton New Orleans HotelSmoothie KingSoutheastern Louisiana UniversitySt. Charles Parish GovernmentSt. James Parish GovernmentSt. John the Baptist Parish GovernmentStone Pigman Walther WittmannTransoceanic DevelopmentTulane UniversityTurner IndustriesUNO Research & Technology Foundation ValeroWaldemar S. Nelson & Co.Woodward Design+Build

CORNERSTONE INVESTORS365 ConnectAdvantage Capital PartnersAquiana Springs WaterBellwether Technology CorporationBrennan’s Restaurant Chaffe & AssociatesChenevert ArchitectsCity of KennerCornerstone Government AffairsCorporate RealtyCrescent Crown DistributingCSRS Daul Insurance AgencyDickie Brennan Restaurant GroupDonahueFavret ContractorsFishman HaygoodGCRGlobalstarGulf States Real Estate ServicesGuster W. McIlhenny Family FoundationHarbor Towing & FleetingHRI PropertiesHumanaHuntington IngallsKean MillerLauricella Land The Lemoine CompanyLevel 3 CommunicationsLookfarLoyola University New OrleansMary Freeman Wisdom FoundationMathes Brierre ArchitectsThe Mosaic CompanyNalco - An Ecolab CompanyNOLA Motorsports ParkPhillips 66The Pond CompanySalmen CompanySalmen Family South Louisiana BankSouthwest AirlinesSt. Bernard Parish GovernmentTangipahoa Parish GovernmentTCI PackagingTelemundo New Orleans

Trapolin-Peer Architects UTSI Venice Port ComplexWashington Parish GovernmentWegmann Dazet & Company

PARTNER INVESTORSAcadian Ambulance ServiceAdvantous ConsultingAll South Consulting EngineersAssociated Office SystemsAudubon Nature InstituteBaker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & BerkowitzBrian Gibbs DevelopmentChaffe McCallCoca-Cola Bottling CompanyColdwell BankerCon-Tech InternationalDCL Mooring & RiggingDidier ConsultantsDixie MillThe Domain CompaniesDuplantis Design GroupDurr Heavy ConstructionEagan Insurance AgencyEcho VenturesThe Ehrhardt GroupErnst & YoungFidelity HomesteadFM ServicesGameloft GoToInterviewGulf Coast Office Products Hertz Investment GroupHGIHome BankThe Hornsby GroupHUB InternationalJ.V. Burkes & AssociatesJacobs TechnologyJCH DevelopmentJefferson Chamber of CommerceJones Lang LaSalleJos. A. Bank ClothiersThe Kearney CompaniesKPMGLaPorte CPAs & Business AdvisorsLeBlanc PartnersMahl & AssociatesMedical Executive PartnersMetairie Bank and Trust CompanyMy RecruitingNew Orleans Zephyrs N.O. Steamboat Company/Gray Line ToursNorthwestern Mututal Financial NetworkOMI Environmental SolutionsOmni Air Transport ORX ExplorationPalmisano Contractors Pat O’Brien’s BarPerlisThe Personnel Consulting GroupPoché ConstructionRE/MAX Commercial BrokersSelect PropertiesSizeler Thompson Brown ArchitectsThe Slone GroupStolthaven Teminals Sumit CreditsThirtyNorth InvestmentsTriton DivingVenice Port CoalitionVintage Church of New OrleansWaggonner & Ball ArchitectsWOW Café & Wingery & PJ’s Coffee of New OrleansYoung Leadership Council

GNO, Inc. Named A “Leading EDC In America”> Global Trade

Greater New Orleans, Inc. Ranked Top 20 EDO In The USA> Site Selection

GNO, Inc. World of Work Program Named “Most Effective Statewide Career Awareness and Exploration Initiative”> Louisiana Department of Education

New Orleans Ranked #2 In USA For Number of Women In Tech> SmartAsset

New Orleans Ranked #2 City In North America> Travel + Leisure

New Orleans Ranked #1 In The USA For School Choice> Thomas B. Fordham Institute

New Orleans Named #1 In America For Creatives > SmartAsset

Armstrong International Breaks All-Time Record High for Total Passengers> Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport

The Port of New Orleans Sets Cargo Record> The Port of New Orleans

Greater New Orleans is #2 in the USA for Growth of Knowledge Industries> EMSI

Louisiana #4 In USA For Business Climate> Site Selection

Louisiana Ranked #1 In The USA for Workforce Training Program, #3 for Business Climate and High-Wage Manufacturing, #4 for Economic Potential and Best Infrastructure, #6 for Export Value> Business Facilities

Louisiana Receives “Silver Shovel” award> Area Development

SEE OUR FULL LIST AT GNOINC.ORG/RANKINGS

2015YEAR IN REVIEW

LEADING TO THE FUTURE

gnoinc.org/annualmeeting

201520152015

INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS

Copa Airlines started direct service to Panama City, and over 50 destination in the Americas,

“reopening the Gateway to the Americas”

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Largest NextGen Council to-date; joint Board of Directors and NextGen Council meetings

commenced

Dear Friends,

Ten years after Hurricane Katrina, Greater New Orleans is doing extraordinarily well. By nearly every measure, the region has not just come back from the storm, but is doing better than in decades.

Traditional industries, like manufacturing, are booming, with over $60B in recent announcements. Trade is at record levels, and the Mission to Mars is under construction at Michoud. The economy is also diversifying, with New Orleans’ tech sector one of the fastest growing in America, billons in biomedical investment, and a brand-new sector – Environmental Management – where southeast Louisiana is set to lead the world. Greater New Orleans leads the nation for in-migration of people with college degrees, and Travel + Leisure just named us #2 Best City in North America.

But it is still early days. The lessons of Miami, New York, Research Triangle, and even Singapore tell us that economic transformation is a generational project – and so we still have decades of hard work in front of us. That is why the theme of our meeting this year is “Leading to the Future:” even as we celebrate our progress, we need to commit now to years more of hard work, and to the leadership that will be required to provide the vision, motivation and direction for this effort.

This leadership can take many forms: leadership of a company, of an organization, of a campaign. What is most important is that each of us take ownership of an issue, and commit to seeing it through.

Moreover, new leadership will be required. As the years pass, leadership succession will be critical to ensure not only continuity but also refreshed energy and ideas. The next generation of leaders will need to step up and step in, and in doing so honor the legacy of the first wave of post-Katrina leadership.

I am confident that, together, we can lead to the future. On behalf of the Board of Directors, staff and stakeholders of GNO, Inc. – thank you.

Michael Hecht President & CEO

Since 2008, the economic development organization has been “materially involved” in bringing $12.5 billion of capital investments and 21,525 jobs to the region, officials reveal.

MULTI-YEAR PRIORITIESGNO, INC.

[ WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT GNO, Inc. “World of Work” named “Most Effective Statewide Career Awareness and Exploration Initiative” by the Louisiana Department of Education

[ STATE FISCAL REFORM Developed Reform for Louisiana’s Future, a comprehensive policy guide for the Governor and Legislature for fundamental structural reform for Louisiana

[ FLOOD PROTECTION & RESILIENCE GNO Urban Water Plan adopted by City of New Orleans in Resilient NOLA Strategy and through Jefferson Parish Elmwood demonstration project; Coalition for Coastal Resilience and Economy met with Secretary of Commerce Pritzker and OMB Director Shaun Donovan

> WORKFORCE• WorkNOLA.com - 5,800+ job postings, 777,464 visits, and 3.9 million page views• Pilot and adoption of Supplemental Course Allocation (SCA) open

enrollment Process shifts course choice provider application cycle to year round structure

• Successful pilot and region-wide launch of GNO World of Work (GNO WOW), deemed the “most effective” career awareness and exploration initiative in louisiana by louisiana Department of education

• gno, inc. and uno Coastal Engineering and Science (CEAS) certificates, nearly doubles the size of the class over inaugural semester, currently enrolling 50 students and working professionals

> PUBLIC POLICY

> MARKETING

> AWARDS

• 1,000+ pieces, including 650 national articles (Bloomberg, Fox, nPr, WSJ, nY times, Forbes, cnBc, etc.)

• led public relations efforts, in partnership with the city of new orleans, around the 10th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina

• gno, inc. Top 20 EDO in uSa [Site Selection] and a “Leading EDC In America” {global trade magazine]

• national association of Development organization Innovation Award, uno coastal engineering & Science certificate Program

• american Planning association national Planning Excellence Award, greater new orleans urban Water Plan

• ceo michael Hecht named among 10 People Making a Difference in Economic Development [Southern Business & Development], one of “North America’s Top 50 Economic Developers” [consultant connect]

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT2015

• Signature legislation – Reauthorization of the Angel Investor Tax Credit through 2017

• Developed Reform for Louisiana’s Future, a comprehensive policy guide for the governor and legislature

• Export-Import Bank – reauthorization of the export-import Bank through 2019

• military – Secured additional funding for FA-18 aircraft, which will support Belle chasse naval air Base

• Trade Promotion Authority – tPa granted, allowing negotiation of the trans Pacific Partnership and the transatlantic trade and investment Partnership

• Economic Development Administration – Funding secured for eDa

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT20152015 was a remarkable year for business development projects in Greater New Orleans, with 9 announcements and two major global events that will bring over $2.3 billion in capital investment to the region. These projects represent a wide range of industry, further diversifying the local economy.

> ECOSYSTEM DEVELOPMENT• copa airlines began direct service to Panama City and 72 destinations in the

americas• launched RES/CON, he premier annual international conference on the

practice of successful resiliency and disaster management• organized teDxneworleans to showcase the systematic progress experienced

by the region during the decade following Hurricane Katrina“

Greater New Orleans, Inc. was selected as a “Leading EDC in America,” a list which recognized organizations which use creative and effective means for attracting business

February 2016, Global Trade magazine

RussiaFERTILIzER PLANT

New YorkBUSINESS ACCELERATOR

New YorkEDUCATION PLATFORM

FinlandLASER ENGRAVING

PhoenixVETERAN HEALTH BENEFITS

LouisianaCHEMICAL TERMINAL

DurhamDIGITAL AGENCY

CaliforniaVIDEOGAME DEVELOPER

New YorkCAPITAL FIRM

DublinTECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE

OhioE-SPORTS EVENT

PIN OAK HOLDINGSPOH