New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell has appointed Geri Broussard Baloney and Ralph Mahana to the Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority, the governing board of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The Board consist of 13 commissioners appointed by the Governor, and three appointed by the Mayor—each serving a four-year term.
Baloney is a practicing attorney, and is the founder of the Broussard Baloney Law Firm, APC. She brings more than 25 years of litigation and trial experience in the areas of class action, environmental, natural resource damages and complex litigation. She currently serves as Special Assistant to Louisiana Attorney General, Jeff Landry, representing state universities, hospitals and other agencies. Baloney also owns Baloney Funeral Home, LLC and La Belle Place Reception and Conference Center, LaPlace, La.
In addition to serving on the Exhibition Hall Authority board, Baloney serves on the board of directors of the New Orleans Regional Black Chamber of Commerce. She holds membership in the American Bar Association, American Association for Justice, Louisiana State Bar Association, Louisiana Association for Justice, Hispanic Bar Association, Capital Area Legal Services Corporation (former board member), Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA, former advisory board member), Pontchartrain Levee Board (former Commissioner), Loyola University, New Orleans Alumni (former board member).
She is a graduate of Southern University of New Orleans and graduated with honors from Loyola University New Orleans School of Law. Baloney is an at-large appointee of the Mayor.
Mahana is a seasoned hospitality professional who rose through the ranks at the Windsor Court Hotel from night auditor/bellman as a student, to his current position as general manager—the youngest general manager in the property’s 34-year history.
Under his leadership, the Windsor Court Hotel has received multiple honors, including being named Preferred Hotels & Resorts Hotel of the Year Overall. AMEX Fine Hotels + Resorts named the hotel Partner of the Year – North America and New Orleans CityBusiness’ readers ranked the property as a Top Hotel in New Orleans.
An alumnus of Tulane University, Mahana completed the elite General Managers Program at Cornell SC Johnson College of Business in 2019, and was honored as GM of the Year in Where magazine’s Silver Plume Awards.
Mahana serves as a board member for GNO, Inc.’s Next Gen Council, chair of the Community Involvement C
ommittee for the Greater New Orleans Hotel & Lodging Association and is an executive board member for Kingsley House. He was appointed to a four-year term, representing New Orleans & Company.
“We are delighted to welcome Geri and Ralph as commissioners for the Ernest N. Morial Exhibition Hall Authority,” says Jerry Reyes (pictured right), president of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Exhibition Hall Authority. “Both of these individuals bring years of leadership experience and a history of excellence in the New Orleans business community that make them ideal choices to continue to deliver on the mission of the Exhibition Hall Authority.”
With 1.1 million square feet of prime exhibit space in an entirely contiguous hall, the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center provides the largest single exhibit space in the country, features an award-winning staff, first-class amenities, and is the sixth largest convention center in the nation. A leading contributor to the city’s robust tourism economy, the convention center’s event activity has produced $90.1 billion in economic impact since its 1985 opening, including $5.7 billion in new tax revenue for state and local governments. For more info, visit mccno.com
The Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority’s exclusive mission is to finance, construct and operate facilities in order to attract and conduct conventions, tradeshows and other events that support and expand the economy of both the State of Louisiana and New Orleans Region. The Authority is composed of a 13-member board of commissioners, ten appointed by the Governor of Louisiana and three appointed by the Mayor of New Orleans. For more info, visit exhallnola.com.
