The New Orleans Business Alliance (NOLABA) is pleased to announce three new additions to its leadership team – a Chief Financial Officer, Vice President of External Affairs and Policy, and Vice President of Marketing and Communications. 

Norman Barnum IV joins the team as CFO, bringing recent experience from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program at Delgado Community College and the Ogontz Avenue Revitalization Corporation in Philadelphia. In 2017 as director of Evaluation and Business Support, Barnum managed all aspects of data analytics and metrics related to the 10,000 Small Businesses Program, providing proof of impact for the Goldman Sachs Foundation. Previously from 2006-14, Barnum served as CFO at OARC, a community economic development corporation with eight subsidiaries (including a charter school and a restaurant) stimulating sustainable economic development in the Northwest section of the city. Barnum secured $20 million for expansion of the charter school subsidiary and consolidated an operating budget of more than $16 million annually. His work earned him a nomination for CFO of the Year for Nonprofits from the Drexel School of Business in 2009. He founded Barnum Group, LLC in 2015, a financial and management consulting firm focused on real estate development, tax planning, operational assessments and strategic planning.

Nolan Marshall III joins NOLABA as Vice President of External Affairs and Policy, responsible for representing the organization and the business community with public partners and elected officials at the local, state, and federal level. In his role, Marshall will advocate for legislation and policy favorable to New Orleans’ economic competitiveness. Marshall served as Director of Public Affairs and Policy at the Downtown Development District from 2013-16 before serving as President and Executive Director at Uptown Dallas, Inc., the public improvement district in Dallas’ historic Uptown neighborhood. Marshall was Secretary and Treasurer of the New Orleans BioDistrict from 2008-12, involved in master planning and marketing for the medical district. Former Mayor Mitch Landrieu appointed Marshall to the City Planning Commission in 2013, and he served as Chair in 2016. He earned 40 Under 40 honors from Gambit Weekly in 2011 for his work as Associate Director of Common Good, a group of organizations with a common goal of helping New Orleans solve problems post-Hurricane Katrina, and Principal of Good Citizen Consulting, a firm specializing in community relations, organizational development and political consulting.

Morgan Stewart joins the staff as Vice of President of Marketing and Communications after spending more than 25 years in various high-level communications and marketing roles. He brings to NOLABA experience in successful economic development organizations as well as leadership roles in two Fortune 200 corporations. Stewart was communications director for Virginia Gov. George Allen’s Secretariat of Commerce and Trade, managing public relations and marketing efforts for the Governor’s record-breaking economic development initiatives that secured $16 billion in new business investments and expansions, creating 300,000 jobs in four years. Stewart also managed media relations for the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, Virginia Port Authority and 12 other government agencies. He then managed media relations for Circuit City Stores, Inc., handling national and local media in more than 150 media markets. In 2000, Stewart returned home to New Orleans to spend the next 13 years in communications and external affairs at Entergy. Stewart began his Entergy career handling national media relations, crisis communication and the marketing communications for the corporation’s $30 million Low Income Customer Service Initiative. He then managed the Entergy New Orleans marketing communications department in the Katrina aftermath. From 2010 to 2013, he served as manager of External Affairs, managing key external low income and environmental initiatives, while creating the groundbreaking School Zone initiative. Most recently, as principal of Stewart Communications he provided marketing and communications services to companies such as PosiGen Solar Solutions, Another Broken Egg Cafe, Crescent City Cyber Security and Sigora Solar in Virginia.

“We are extremely delighted to welcome three talented professionals: Norman Barnum IV, Nolan Marshall III and Morgan Stewart to our dynamic team,” said NOLABA President & CEO Quentin L. Messer Jr. “As NOLABA continues to pursue inclusive economic growth for all New Orleanians, we will add more talented colleagues who will enable us to execute our new business model focused on holistic economic development.  Briefly, holistic economic development means greater business friendliness, developing more local talent while continuing to attract non-natives and creating more dynamic commercial corridors throughout our city. Norman, Nolan and Morgan bring critically needed skills and passion to our outstanding team.  Working alongside the Cantrell Administration, City Council, business community and other critical stakeholders, we have heightened expectations for more accelerated success of the New Orleans economy and the friends and neighbors whom our economy must benefit.”