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WTC Advocacy & Policy Committee

As the voice of international trade of la and the gulf coast region, The World Trade Center New Orleans Policy & Advocacy Committee acts as our conduit for advocacy, operating at the local, state, and federal levels to represent the needs of our business community on policies that affect international trade. The Committee aims to help create an environment that bolsters trade efficiencies and opportunities throughout the state, and it strives to remove roadblocks to our continued success. Through our advocacy work, World Trade Center New Orleans’ clients gain access to congressional leadership in Baton Rouge, LA and Washington, D.C. We make your voice heard on trade agreements, policy changes, tariffs, regulations, compliance, and all other trade related matters. WTCNO serves as the state’s premier, internationally focused advocacy organization, protecting and representing companies both big and small in Louisiana. This Committee meets on a quarterly basis.
Ben Billings
Vice-Chair Sentinel Strategies, Principal
Edward Hayes
Chairman Leake & Andersson, Partner
Larry Collins
Louisiana Economic Development, Executive Director - International Commerce
Bobby Brannon
Ochsner Health System, Executive Advisor
William Coyle
Bilco Tools, Inc., President
Stephen Hanemann
Kean Miller LLP, Partner
Stephen Hanemann is a partner in Kean Miller’s New Orleans office. His practice focuses on a wide array of transportation-related subject matters...
John Hyatt
C H Powell Company, Vice President
David Kearney
The Kearney Companies, Inc - a Precision Terminal Logistics Company, President
Mag Bickford
McGlinchey Stafford, PLLC
Joel Whitehead
J. Whitehead & Associates, Inc., President and CEO
Anthony Bodin
Louisiana Economic Development
Stephen Champagne
Gulf Gateway Terminal LLC, Terminal Manager
Nellie Smith
Hancock Whitney Bank, SVP, International Operations Manager
George Mahl
Mahl and Associates, Inc., President
Matt Gresham
Port of New Orleans, Director of External Affairs
Wynn Radford
BP America, Inc., Communications and External Affairs
Patricia Denechaud
Crescent City Consultants, President
Ronald Branch (USCG, Ret.)
Louisiana Maritime Association (LAMA), President
Sean Duffy
Louisiana Maritime Association (LAMA), Executive Vice President
Christine Titus
Louisiana Maritime Association (LAMA), Port Operations
Kelly Fuller
Stolthaven New Orleans, LLC
Eric Smith
Tulane University, Professor of Practice
Liza Looser
The Cirlot Agency, CEO
Sean Delaune
Tommy's Seafood Inc., Owner
Mike Bourg
Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, VP of Institutional Advancement
Philip Gordillio
Hancock Whitney Bank, SVP, Senior Group Manager Corporate Banking
Cole Callihan
Adams and Reese LLP, Partner
Demetrius Porche, PhD
LSU Health Sciences Center, Dean and Professor
Scott Goldin
Goldin Metals, Inc, Chief Financial Officer
Michelle Citron
Clear To Work, LLC, Business Development
Wendi Couvillion French
Wyndston Services, GIS & Business Consulting Services
Wendi Couvillion French has a  rich toolbox of analytical skills to develop operational dashboards tied to spatial logistics for strategic growth...
Rachel Perez
United States Senate, Southeast Regional Director
Ross White
Office of U.S. Senator John Kennedy, Regional Director & Coalitions Director
Patrick Tuck
LSU AgCenter, Executive Director
His professional interests include fundraising, education, and the arts. His current focus is guiding the Louisiana 4-H Foundation through a time o...
Vinay Patel
Tulane University
Kristiann App
J. W. Allen & Co., Inc., Vice President
Jill Gautreaux
Kean Miller LLP
Louis Grossman
Kean Miller LLP
Tomeka Watson Bryant
New Orleans Public Belt Railroad , Manager, Network Development
Christopher Kane
Adams and Reese LLP, Attorney at Law
Nestor Navarro
Navarro International Group, LLC., Managing Director
BIOGRAPHY: Born in Cuba, raised in Port Allen, Louisiana.                                  Graduated from Louisiana State University (LSU) with a B...
Jason French
French Strategic Partners
Mark Nelson
Crescent River Port Pilots' Association , Chief Financial Officer
Jason Wilbur
Stratigos Dynamics, Inc., CEO
Innovative Security Operations and Management professional with extensive global experience executing security planning, training, and operations t...