Jun 22, 2026 - Business
GNO Inc. hunts for new CEO with Hecht role change
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New Orleans' top economic development organization is looking for a new CEO after its leader announced a role shift Thursday.
Why it matters: GNO Inc. leads economic development for 10 parishes within southeast Louisiana.
Zoom in: The organization's current CEO and President Michael Hecht will take on an emeritus position in 2027, according to a press release.
- In that position, Hecht will continue to advise GNO Inc. on "key projects," leaving day-to-day management to a new leader.
- Hecht also plans to start his own economic development consulting firm next year, "which I hope will help drive even more opportunity for our region," he said in an email.
Between the lines: Hecht, who has led GNO Inc. for 18 years, has lately been tapped for just about every high-profile task force requiring interagency project management.
- That includes answering a call from Gov. Jeff Landry to make sure the city was ready to host last year's Super Bowl LIX.
- And Mayor Helena Moreno brought Hecht in to advise on the creation of a new Infrastructure Coordination Committee for the city.
What's next: Hecht is still working on that committee, he tells Axios New Orleans.
- "I'll still get to do all of the long-term, bigger projects," he says, but with "less of the daily management and meetings. ... The net result, I hope, will be continued impact, but with flexibility!"
- Meanwhile, the GNO Inc. board of directors will begin a search for its new president and CEO soon, the press release says.