2022 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 48
BY SENATOR HARRIS
A RESOLUTION
To commend J. Stephen Perry for his contributions and service to the state of Louisiana, the
city of New Orleans, and the tourism industry.
WHEREAS, J. Stephen Perry is the president and chief executive officer of New
Orleans & Company; he holds a bachelor of arts degree in Russian and French history and
a master of arts degree in anthropology from Louisiana State University; he studied twice
in the former Soviet Union and completed the Senior Executives Program in State and Local
Government offered by the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University; and
WHEREAS, under J. Stephen Perry's leadership over the last twenty years, New
Orleans & Company, which was formerly known as the New Orleans Convention and
Visitors Bureau, has routinely ranked among the top five convention and visitors bureaus in
the country; his tenure as leader has seen the company receive multiple national awards for
excellence in sales, marketing, public relations, branding, customer service, and corporate
relations; and
WHEREAS, J. Stephen Perry's many successes come with significant
responsibilities; the brand management, marketing, and sales of New Orleans & Company
are vital to the sustenance and enhancement of nearly ninety thousand jobs in the city's
tourism industry and one thousand one hundred member businesses of New Orleans &
Company; moreover, the efforts of the company combined with tourism help to generate
significant revenues for both the city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, J. Stephen Perry helped lead the rebuilding of tourism in New Orleans
following the devastation left in the wakes of Hurricane Katrina, the BP Oil Spill, and
Hurricane Ida, and he is currently working to do the same as the state of Louisiana continues
to manage the spread of the pandemic; and
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WHEREAS, J. Stephen Perry is an exceptionally civic-minded individual who has
held seats on numerous advisory boards; he was appointed by both President George W.
Bush and President Barack Obama to the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, has
served on the Louisiana State University Board of Supervisors for more than a decade,
served as a longtime member on the board of the U.S. Travel Association, and continues to
serve on the boards of the New Orleans Museum of Art, Louisiana Travel Association, the
Louisiana Museum Foundation, and Audubon Nature Institute, among others; and
WHEREAS, J. Stephen Perry served as chief of staff to former Louisiana Governor
Murphy J. "Mike" Foster Jr. from the time of his election in November 1995 until August
2002; he served as the lead negotiator in the 2001 ten-year retention negotiations with the
New Orleans Saints; and he was the driving force behind the recruitment, attraction, and
relocation of the New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans NBA franchise, and the building of the PGA
Tour Tournament Players Club in Greater New Orleans, which hosts the Zurich Classic PGA
Tour event; and
WHEREAS, J. Stephen Perry has committed the last twenty years to bettering the
city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana; he has impacted both the city of New
Orleans and the state of Louisiana in countless ways and is most deserving of the highest
recognition for his incredible service.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby commend J. Stephen Perry for his contributions and service to the state of
Louisiana, the city of New Orleans, and the tourism industry; does hereby further recognize
his astonishing successes as an advisor on numerous local and state projects; does hereby
further recognize J. Stephen Perry as a truly exceptional Louisianan that the state is proud
to call one of its own; and does hereby extend sincerest wishes that he continue to enjoy
many more successes as he strives to better both the beautiful city of New Orleans and the
great state of Louisiana.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
J. Stephen Perry.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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