There aren’t many places where an economic development advocate is a household name. But Michael Hecht, who recently announced he will in 2027 after 18 years as president and CEO of Greater New Orleans Inc., has done far more than negotiate tax incentives and recruit companies to the region. He’s been a high-profile civic leader, one who understands that the best way to sell a community to investors is to make it a place that works for everyone.
An energetic communicator and natural convener, Hecht has left his mark on a broad range of initiatives.
In 2013, GNO Inc. founded the , which encompasses 250 organizations across 35 states and advocates for policies involving everything from mitigation and mapping to affordability and program participation.
When crime in the city was spiraling in 2022, he organized the a diverse group of more than 180 nonprofits, civic organizations and businesses that came up with an action plan centered on supporting the New Orleans Police Department and investing in youth services.
With the 2025 in New Orleans approaching, Gov. Jeff Landry asked Hecht to coordinate an all-hands-on-deck effort to complete more than 500 backlogged infrastructure projects.
“What I loved about this opportunity is that it's complicated. It's under deadline. It's important. And it involves broad stakeholder management, which is something that I'm comfortable with,” Hecht said at the time. “I've built up a reservoir of relationships around the city, region and state that I thought that I could call on. But in terms of just pure feedback and enjoyment, so much of our work at GNO Inc. plays out over many years, and it's not always easy to know whether you've succeeded. When your job is to fill in a pothole or put up a mural by Feb. 9, you're going to know whether you succeeded.”
He did succeed, so much so that promised in her New Orleans mayoral campaign to adopt his approach to coordination across agencies permanently. Once elected, she asked Hecht to take part. He said yes.
Most recently, Landry tapped Hecht for yet another assignment, to oversee the multibillion-dollar container terminal that the is planning to build in St. Bernard Parish and construction of a new toll road.
That’s a portfolio that’s exhausting to read, let alone manage.
So we’re glad to hear that Hecht isn’t leaving the arena entirely. Once a replacement is hired, he’ll stay on as CEO emeritus and continue to support the organization’s initiatives.
“His commitment to economic development and prosperity, for all citizens throughout h, has inspired an optimistic vision of our collective future,” Kim Boyle, GNO Inc.’s board chair, said last week.
We agree and congratulate him on a job well done.