Chris Beary, (wcb@lmhe.live), is a Social Entrepreneur. He is a lifetime New Orleanian with four amazing daughters. Chris attended the University of New Orleans where he received his Bachelor’s in Accounting; he later went onto Tulane University School of Law to complete his J.D. where he graduated Cum Laude. Chris is also a CPA (inactive
Chris Beary, (wcb@lmhe.live), is a Social Entrepreneur. He is a lifetime New Orleanian with four amazing daughters. Chris attended the University of New Orleans where he received his Bachelor’s in Accounting; he later went onto Tulane University School of Law to complete his J.D. where he graduated Cum Laude. Chris is also a CPA (inactive status).
Chris has focused on many community endeavors moving from law and business to service work in recent years. Over the past three decades, Chris has founded 6 non-profits and is currently managing 5 of them including Grace at the Green Light, The Fat Bankers Social Aid & Pleasure Club, The Funky Uncle Live, Northshore Radio and, his latest endeavor, The Louisiana Music Experience. Chris has been actively involved in his girls’ school and the family Church too. To hear more about Chris’ involvement, CLICK HERE.
Chris’ entrepreneurial spirit has helped him get involved with several businesses in many different industry verticals. Some of Chris’ business endeavors include him as Owner, Officer, Manager or Board Member in industries such as healthcare, gaming, construction, real estate, restaurants, entertainment, retail sales and others. Chris also practiced law for over 25 years, 17 of which he spent as a managing partner of his own firm. During his time as a lawyer, Chris was awarded the “AV” rating by the Martindale-Hubbell rating service which also awarded him the Silver Client Champion Award (given to less than 1% of lawyers).
Robert Brais, (rbrais@consultecon.com) Vice President of ConsultEcon, Inc. During his 35-year career he has been a business and operations consultant to non-profit institutions, national, state, and local governments and agencies, developers, financial institutions, corporations, and universities. Mr. Brais specializes in market studies
Robert Brais, (rbrais@consultecon.com) Vice President of ConsultEcon, Inc. During his 35-year career he has been a business and operations consultant to non-profit institutions, national, state, and local governments and agencies, developers, financial institutions, corporations, and universities. Mr. Brais specializes in market studies, operating plans, business plans, financial analyses, strategy formulation, and economic and fiscal impact assessment. His clients range from startups to major organizations. He assists organizations on concept development, preopening plans, facility expansion, and enhancement of ongoing operations. He has also served as a project and proposal reviewer for public agencies. His national and international projects are fully representative of ConsultEcon’s practice. Prior to joining ConsultEcon, Inc. in 1991, Mr. Brais had experience in consulting, real estate, and retail. Mr. Brais is a member of a number of professional organizations and has an M.B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Boston College.
In over 25 years of professional practice, Steve Dumez, (sdumez@eskewdumezripple.com), has led the design of complex projects in a wide range of building types. As Director of Design for Eskew Dumez Ripple, he oversees the design of all projects from concept to construction documents, working closely with a team of senior designers in ens
In over 25 years of professional practice, Steve Dumez, (sdumez@eskewdumezripple.com), has led the design of complex projects in a wide range of building types. As Director of Design for Eskew Dumez Ripple, he oversees the design of all projects from concept to construction documents, working closely with a team of senior designers in ensuring the consistent quality level that drives our design-first practice. His engaging design process concentrates on first developing a detailed design program for clients including building image and brand goals, program compliance, and ultimately physical design drivers. Under his design leadership, EskewDumezRipple has been the recipient of numerous prestigious awards for design excellence, including more than 25 national design awards and an additional 100+ awards at the local, state, and regional levels. Steve is a Past-President of AIA Louisiana and AIA New Orleans and serves as an active professional mentor within the region. He has also chaired AIA design awards programs at the local, state, and regional levels and has served on numerous design award juries across the country. He is actively engaged in many local civic organizations and has previously served on the board of the Contemporary Arts Center of New Orleans. His projects have been recently published in several books as well as numerous national architectural and design magazines such as Architect, Architectural Record, Contract, and Interior Design.
Herman Jackson (backbeatinc@yahoo.com) is a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Jackson is a master percussionist and a Professor of Music at Southern University. He received his education in the public school system of Baton Rouge. He continued his education at Southern University majoring in Jazz Studies under the direction of Mr. Alvin B
Herman Jackson (backbeatinc@yahoo.com) is a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Jackson is a master percussionist and a Professor of Music at Southern University. He received his education in the public school system of Baton Rouge. He continued his education at Southern University majoring in Jazz Studies under the direction of Mr. Alvin Batiste and graduated
with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music. Jackson has performed and/or recorded with BB King throughout the 80s until his last performance before his passing. Also, Al Green, Chuck Berry, Eartha Kitt, Clark Terry and many more. He is the recipient of the Delta Pearl Award, Lin Artistic Achievement Award, and the Greater Baton Rouge Arts Council Award of Excellence.
Jan Jorgensen, (jmj@tnomm.lmhe.live), has over 26 years teaching experience, focusing on the integration of the arts, especially music and dance, into curricula, grades 4-12. Jan has also helped develop educational platforms for the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles and has consulted on numerous Grammy Museum programs pertaining to music in t
Jan Jorgensen, (jmj@tnomm.lmhe.live), has over 26 years teaching experience, focusing on the integration of the arts, especially music and dance, into curricula, grades 4-12. Jan has also helped develop educational platforms for the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles and has consulted on numerous Grammy Museum programs pertaining to music in the classroom. As project manager, Jan oversees the many initiatives of The Louisiana Music Experience, in addition to her role as its educational liaison to the Louisiana scholastic and academic communities. She will also be responsible for the creation of a state-wide The Louisiana Music Experience Teacher Advisory Board.
Justin Landry, (jclandry@stirlingprop.com) joined Stirling Properties in October 2007. As Vice President of Finance and
Capital Markets, his primary focus is to oversee a $1 billion debt portfolio of over 80 loans. It’s Mr. Landry’s role to ensure the debt portfolio is capitalized in the most prudent way to allow for maximum cash flow and
Justin Landry, (jclandry@stirlingprop.com) joined Stirling Properties in October 2007. As Vice President of Finance and
Capital Markets, his primary focus is to oversee a $1 billion debt portfolio of over 80 loans. It’s Mr. Landry’s role to ensure the debt portfolio is capitalized in the most prudent way to allow for maximum cash flow and flexibility across the entire property portfolio. It’s also
his responsibility to oversee the economic feasibility of new development opportunities
and certain acquisition opportunities. Once the decision is reached to move forward with
a development or acquisition, it is his responsibility to raise the debt capital to source the project and oversee financial and due diligence duties through the close of transaction. Mr. Landry is also in charge of the oversight of all multi-family properties in the Stirling portfolio.
Since 2007, Mr. Landry has placed over $2.0 billion of interim and permanent financings. Additionally, over the course of his career, he has underwritten over $5.5 billion in actual and potential development and acquisition projects.
As asset manager of Stirling’s multifamily portfolio, Mr. Landry is responsible for the oversight of a 1,200-unit apartment portfolio of properties located throughout Louisiana. His role entails financial reporting, budgeting, financing and refinancing, implementation of strategic initiatives, contractual compliance, general client/investor interface, and capital renovations.
Outside of Stirling Properties, Mr. Landry previously served as an Instructor at Louisiana State University for Finance 7720 – Commercial Real Estate Investing from 2012-2018. He is an active member ICSC where he was recently selected as one of 59 individuals under the age of 40 to serve on their Next Generation Leadership Network. He is also a current member of its Scholarship Committee. Mr. Landry serves on various board committees for the St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the 2019 Class of Leadership St. Tammany. He is currently involved with Louisiana Association of Business and Industry’s (LABI) Emerging Leaders Council.
In 2019, he was the recipient of the prestigious ‘Money Makers’ award given by New Orleans CityBusiness for his financial achievements in Real Estate. In 2022, he was named one of the Northshore’s 40 Under 40 business leaders by EDGE of the Lake Magazine. Additionally, Mr. Landry previously served on the Board of Directors for Vinson Guard Service, Inc where he was largely responsible for the sale of the business in 2019 to one of the largest security companies in the U.S. He is also, along with his wife, Founder and Owner of an expanding fitness business, Evolve Studios, soon to have three locations in Louisiana.
In 2020, Mr. Landry was awarded the prestigious CRE® (Counselor of Real Estate) credential by The Counselors of Real Estate®, an international group of high profile real estate practitioners who provide expert advisory services to clients on complex real property and land-related matters. Membership in The Counselors of Real Estate is selective and extended by invitation only, attesting to Mr. Landry’s expertise and proven competence in his chosen area of real estate. Once invited to membership, Counselors must adhere to a strict Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Practice. Counselors are recognized in the marketplace as having consistently demonstrated the highest levels of knowledge, experience, integrity, and judgment. Fewer than 1100 real estate professionals currently hold the CRE credential. This is one of the highest credentials one can achieve in real estate.
Mr. Landry graduated in 2007 from Louisiana State University in Finance with a Concentration in Real Estate. During his time there, he was also a pole vaulter on the Track & Field Team where he received the Athletic Directors Cup for the achievement of academic excellence as a student athlete.
Rebecca Mackie (beckyhome@gmail.com) is a Louisiana native and lifelong resident of the New Orleans region. A Louisiana Certified Public Accountant, she joined The National World War II Museum in 2006 and over a 17 year career served in several leadership roles including Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Executive Vic
Rebecca Mackie (beckyhome@gmail.com) is a Louisiana native and lifelong resident of the New Orleans region. A Louisiana Certified Public Accountant, she joined The National World War II Museum in 2006 and over a 17 year career served in several leadership roles including Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Executive Vice President. Throughout the museum's 7 acre expansion, she served on the boards of every museum subsidiary, fulfilling a critical role in the strategic development and financing of $465 million in capital expansion projects. Under her guidance, the Museum secured substantial state and federal economic development incentives to fund a vision to expand from the D-Day Museum to the WWII Museum. In addition to managing finance and the nonprofit tax strategy for the museum and the Higgins Hotel & Conference Center, she oversaw operations - visitor experiences, international travel and conference sales, entertainment, retail, food & beverage, hotel operations, campus maintenance, security, information technology, and human resources. She has a proven track record for financial leadership in both the public and private sectors, serving as Chief Financial Officer for Kindred Hospital and Specialty Hospital, both located in New Orleans. Becky has been responsible for venture capital projects and has overseen audit, tax and federal reporting in healthcare, commercial real estate, and private foundations. She served on the Boards of Christ the King Parish School, Atrium Living Centers, and the University of New Orleans Foundation and on various task forces and committees for the Louisiana Hospital Association, the Metropolitan Hospital Council, and the Louisiana Society of CPAs. She proudly served as Chair of the University of New Orleans Alumni Association. Becky and her husband enjoy spending time in the Sportsman's Paradise boating and fishing with their 4 children and 7 grandchildren.
Nwaka Onwusa joined the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2019 and served as Chief Curator and Vice President of Curatorial Affairs. Before that, she worked in various roles at The GRAMMY Museum at L.A. Live, where she started working at the box office. By the time she left the GRAMMY Museum, she was the lead curator with more than 20 exhibits
Nwaka Onwusa joined the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2019 and served as Chief Curator and Vice President of Curatorial Affairs. Before that, she worked in various roles at The GRAMMY Museum at L.A. Live, where she started working at the box office. By the time she left the GRAMMY Museum, she was the lead curator with more than 20 exhibits to her credit, including “All Eyez on Me: The Writings of Tupac Shakur,” “Jenni Rivera, La Gran Señora,” and Nwaka has also curated satellite and traveling
exhibits experienced by audiences across the U.S. and in the UK. Her exhibit at the Rock Hall, “It’s Been Said All Along: Voices of Rage, Hope, and Empowerment,” received Best Exhibit of 2020 by the Ohio Museum Association. She was also featured in Rolling Stone Magazine's June 2021 Future of Music Issue for her bold take on amplifying diverse voices in arts & culture. Nwaka served as lead curator for the critically acclaimed exhibit, Wake Me When I’m Free: Tupac Shakur in 2022, where she worked closely with the Amaru Estate. And in 2022, Nwaka was identified by UC Riverside as a 40 under 40. Her passion for music now spans across all genres and around the globe.
“For Nwaka Onwusa, music does much more than evoke emotions. Music, she says, is an integral part of the human spirit. Lyrics and rhythms are woven into daily life, culture, politics, and history. As chief curator and vice president of curatorial affairs at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Onwusa works to capture
and exhibit this essence for more than 560,000 annual guests who visit the Cleveland-based museum.” -
Sandra Baltazar Martinez (UCR)
Big Chief Juan Pardo (indians38@gmail.com) has recorded and performed with many bands such as Galactic, 101 Runners, and Rhythm Conspiracy. He has graced the stage with names like Pattie Labell, Cryil Neville, Anders Osborne, Trombone Shorty, and Doctor John, to name a few. Chief Juan and the Comanche travel the world to bring the tribal
Big Chief Juan Pardo (indians38@gmail.com) has recorded and performed with many bands such as Galactic, 101 Runners, and Rhythm Conspiracy. He has graced the stage with names like Pattie Labell, Cryil Neville, Anders Osborne, Trombone Shorty, and Doctor John, to name a few. Chief Juan and the Comanche travel the world to bring the tribal and funk sound of New Orleans Culture to people everywhere. Big Chief Juan Pardo and the Golden Comanche Mardi Gras Indians is an electrifying display of a culture that dates back over two hundred years in New Orleans. Chief Juans soulful voice brings any audience to feel like they are in the jazz filled streets of New Orleans. This percussion-heavy tribal music infused by the funk styles of the Meters, Willie T, and the Neville Brothers can only be performed by those who are chosen. The Chief and his Golden Comanches have studied the traditions of those before them and now are the keepers of the flame. Juan not only performs the music of this tradition but also writes and produces music that has become staples among tribes in New Orleans.
Bob Santelli, (bs@lmhe.live), is the author of more than a dozen books on American music. Bob serves as the Executive Director of the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music. He is the founder of the Grammy Museums in Los Angeles, Mississippi, and New Jersey; the former CEO of Experience Music Project in Seattle; and one
Bob Santelli, (bs@lmhe.live), is the author of more than a dozen books on American music. Bob serves as the Executive Director of the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music. He is the founder of the Grammy Museums in Los Angeles, Mississippi, and New Jersey; the former CEO of Experience Music Project in Seattle; and one of the original curators of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland. Santelli is also a lecturer and producer of American Strings at Oregon State University and a GRAMMY Award-winning record producer.
LaVerne Toombs (lavernesaulny@aol.com) is an accomplished and well-respected communications innovator with a career that spans over two decades. Colleagues, government entities, elected officials, community stakeholders, and prominent organizations have recognized and esteemed her as a capable and dependable grant management and business
LaVerne Toombs (lavernesaulny@aol.com) is an accomplished and well-respected communications innovator with a career that spans over two decades. Colleagues, government entities, elected officials, community stakeholders, and prominent organizations have recognized and esteemed her as a capable and dependable grant management and business development expert. Originally from Northern Louisiana, she has dedicated her life to improving the state and parishes she calls home. She has long been a long-time advocate and champion for equality and civil rights for underserved communities by helping develop and promote inclusivity and awareness for minoritiesthroughout the Greater New Orleans area. With her magnanimous and infectious personality, LaVerne was recently designated an official TEDx speaker, inspiring broad audiences with her story of being adopted at 14.
LaVerne’s impressive career includes her titles as the regional manager for former United States Senator Mary Landrieu and the New Orleans Regional Black Chamber of Commerce executive director. She was also the interim Chief Administrative Officer for community outreach, alumaffairs, and public relations at Southern University at New Orleans. She was an adjunct instructor for the popular Grant Writing 101 course at Delgado Community College. LaVerne foundedRight 4 U, LLC, a management and development consulting firm that increases its clients’visibility and impact. She is an award-winning author of Quick and Easy Steps to Starting a Profitable Home-Based Business, featured in Essence magazine, and Tips for Successful Grant Writing. Both have received many accolades. She also serves on the board of various notable community organizations and has been recognized by several national, state, and local organizations for her passion as a change agent. In her spare time, she enjoys the company of her four adult children and six loving grandchildren, cycling, and reading good novels.
Reid Wick, (rw@lmhe.live), has served music communities across the South for many years. He is the Recording Academy’s New Orleans-based Membership & Industry Relations representative, where his responsibilities include membership, advocacy, creating professional development and networking programs across a five-state region. For the two
Reid Wick, (rw@lmhe.live), has served music communities across the South for many years. He is the Recording Academy’s New Orleans-based Membership & Industry Relations representative, where his responsibilities include membership, advocacy, creating professional development and networking programs across a five-state region. For the two years post-Hurricane Katrina, Wick administered the MusiCares’ Hurricane Relief Fund. Reid served Loyola University’s College of Music as marketing communications manager and instructor in Music Industry Studies. He has served on numerous boards and co-owned an indie record label, STR Digital Records, which produced over 25 critically-acclaimed releases. He currently serves on the board of directors of Folk Alliance International and on the steering committee of Greater New Orleans, Inc.’s New Orleans Music Economy (NOME) initiative. He received the 2018 Cutting Edge Music Conference Lifetime Achievement Award. Wick continues to perform regularly as guitarist with New Orleans favorite local party band, the Bucktown All-Stars.
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The Louisiana Music & Heritage Experience is a developing museum to tell the story of Louisiana music from Congo Square to today. Our aim is to preserve, educate and inspire.