New GSI Executive Director Margaret Henderson, an influential voice for the Gulf

The Gulf of Mexico seafood community is gaining Margaret Henderson,
one of the strongest seafood legislative advocates on Capitol Hill, as
the new voice for the Gulf. 

The Gulf of Mexico seafood community is losing Ewell Smith, one of the principal leaders responsible for bringing the Gulf seafood brand back from the brink of disaster, but gaining Margaret Henderson, one of the strongest seafood legislative advocates on Capitol Hill, as the new voice for the Gulf as the Executive Director of the Gulf Seafood Institute.

Stepping down from his role with GSI, Smith said, “It has been an honor to consult with the leadership of GSI since its inception and work side-by side with some of the Gulf’s most influential leaders. We have made great strides in gaining a national profile during these initial months. The next phase of growth is critical for the industry, I recommended Margaret to lead GSI’s efforts going forward. Having worked with her on seafood advocacy issues for almost a decade, I know firsthand her passion and extensive knowledge of the industry; abilities that will continue to help our fishing communities across the Gulf.”

An Influential Voice in Washington

Henderson is the current owner of Miami’s Henderson Strategies, Inc., a government relations consulting firm specializing in federal outreach and issue advocacy. Since 2011, Henderson has worked with numerous Gulf-focused seafood groups including: the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, the Gulf Oyster Industry Council, the Louisiana Oyster Task Force and the Friends of the Fishermen Foundation.

Before venturing out on her own, she was the Vice President of Government Relations for the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), a seafood trade association advocating on behalf of over 300 seafood firms. During her time at NFI, she worked closely with former NFI Chairman Mike Voisin, a renowned Gulf seafood champion, to help ensure the Gulf seafood community received more than 100 million in federal emergency appropriations following the 2005 disastrous hurricane season.

“While I wish it were under different circumstances, I had the privilege of working hand-in-hand with some of the Gulf coast’s leading seafood champions to obtain the much needed relief for the seafood community following Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Gustav,” said Henderson. “We’ve come a long way since 2005, I’m honored to have the opportunity to continue my work with this great group of folks to this day.”

The Florida native has also served time on Capitol Hill working as the Legislative Director for Nevada Congressman Jim Gibbons.

“During Ewell’s tenure with our organization, he was instrumental in helping establish relationships with new partners as we strived to strengthen the Gulf,” said Jim Gossen, a GSI board member and chairman of Sysco Louisiana Seafood. “Margaret’s knowledge of Washington, as well as her legislative contacts, will ensure that GSI will remain a strong voice in the Gulf fisheries management arena.

On The Front Lines of Fisheries Policy

Henderson has been on the front lines of fisheries policy for nearly a decade and is known for being at the table when important bills are written, including the 2006 reauthorization of the Magnuson Stevens Act. As GSI’s key policy strategist, she has put her experience to good use by spearheading the organization’s efforts on the current reauthorization of this landmark legislation, resulting in great successes in both the Senate and House bills.

”Our delegation in Washington has been waiting a long time for a group like GSI to bring all facets of our diverse seafood community together under one umbrella,” she explained on why GSI’s role is so well received in the nations capitol. “With so many critical issues facing our industry right now, we’ve become the go-to group for policymakers looking for consensus from across the Gulf and from the entire supply chain. I’m excited to continue speaking for GSI on these issues and I’m ready for what the future holds.”

The doors on both sides of the aisle are always open for the new GSI president; politicians from both parties recognize her expertise in the Gulf and its seafood.

“Our domestic seafood industry benefits from Margaret’s breadth of experience with both Gulf Coast stakeholders and national policymakers,” said Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana. “The gulf seafood community has faced serious challenges in recent years with both natural and man-made disasters severely impacting the supply chain. Gulf coast fishermen and the restaurants that depend on them need an effective voice for their industry, and I look forward to working with Margaret to preserve and promote healthy and sustainable fisheries throughout the Gulf.”

The mission of the Gulf Seafood Institute is to protect the Gulf’s unique culture and environment while elevating the Gulf seafood brand with consumers, customers and policy leaders through advocacy, education and science. It represents every Gulf state as well as every aspect of the industry – both commercial and recreational – and is positioned to be a leading voice on key issues including sustainability, seafood safety, disaster mitigation and recovery, and data collection.

“Margaret has been responsible for GSI taking a leadership role for Gulf fisheries in upcoming legislation. Without her effort our organization would not have had the opportunity to testify on such important issues as Gulf Red Snapper and Magnuson Stevens,” said Harlon Pearce, GSI’s chairman and owner of Harlon’s LA Fish in New Orleans. “Within a very short time she has become a well-respected spokeswoman on the Hill for the Gulf of Mexico and GSI. Margaret is the definitely the right person for the job, and now is the time.”

LRA Greater New Orleans Chapter hosts 5th annual "Eat and Bowl" tournament

The Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA) Greater New Orleans Chapter’s fifth annual bowling tournament, “Eat and Bowl,” will be held Sunday, June 22, 2014 at Fulton Alley, 600 Fulton Street in New Orleans, 4:30-8:30 p.m.

Enjoy a “Sunday Funday,” bowling with friends, in addition to great food and drinks. The public is invited to watch the action, or participate themselves.

Teams of four can be purchased for $400, which includes an additional four entry tickets.  Individual tickets for spectators can be purchased for $30 per person and includes food and a cash bar. To register your teams and to purchase tickets, visit www.eventbrite.com and search “Eat and Bowl” in New Orleans.

The tournament is a “speed bowling” format; the team with the most pins knocked down in one hour will determine the winner. The top team will win a trophy and bragging rights for the next year.

The price of admission includes food from New Orleans restaurants such as Acme Oyster House, Mr. B’s Bistro, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Mr. Mudbug’s and the event’s host location, Fulton Alley.

The proceeds from “Eat and Bowl” benefit the LRA Greater New Orleans Chapter’s annual LRA Education Foundation (LRAEF) goal. The LRAEF, in turn, will use monies raised to further promote the restaurant industry as a career choice through its ProStart^® program, enhance the restaurant community through expanded educational and career opportunities and provide scholarships to individuals pursuing culinary arts and restaurant management degrees.

For more information, contact LRA Chapter Member Services Coordinator Jodi Williams, jwilliams@lra.org, (504) 636-6551.

Bill signing signals approval to revitalize New Orleans’ Convention Center corridor

Governor Bobby Jindal’s signature on House Bill 788 gives final approval to the Ernest N. Morial Exhibition Hall Authority to begin executing bold plans for the Convention Center District Development Project that will revitalize New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center Corridor from Poydras Street to the Market Street power plant along the city’s riverfront.

The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Walter Leger of New Orleans, is designed to allow the Authority, which operates the New Orleans Convention Center, to move forward with a comprehensive plan to revitalize an important part of the city through new development on a 47-acre tract owned by the Authority, and to make significant visual and functional improvements to the area around Convention Center Boulevard.

“This is an historic moment for the city and state,” said Authority Chair Melvin Rodrigue.  “This action by the Governor allows us to take aggressive steps to develop a long underutilized part of the city’s riverfront and to make the kind of improvements in our hospitality and entertainment offerings that will ensure the city will continue to stay competitive as a visitor destination of choice for millions of people. This Convention Center District Development Project will be a demand generator that will benefit the local hospitality industry and economy for years to come.”

According to Representative Leger, “Leveraging public dollars in a way that requires no new taxes, or the reallocation of existing tax dollars to attract major private investment will continue the renaissance of our City, region and state.”  Convention Center officials estimate that the project could entail up to $700 million in private investment, which in turn would produce thousands of new jobs and sales and occupancy tax revenues in the City’s booming hospitality industry. 

Bob Johnson, President and CEO of the Convention Center notes that new investment and a reimaging of the area is timely.  “With the exception of our $50 million construction of the Center’s Great Hall, and the recent re-opening of the Riverwalk there hasn’t been any large scale investment or development along the corridor since the 1984 World’s Fair.  The time is now to seize this landmark opportunity, and to give visitors and locals new options for enjoying and exploring our city.” Johnson also noted the “efforts of Authority’s commissioners over the past many years to continually keep the Convention Center viable among stiff competition through facility upgrades and expansions.”

“With the bill becoming law, we are now free to begin exploring options to identify the right master developer to lead us through this process and generate the outside investment that will make this project one of the largest infrastructure project for Louisiana in recent history,” Johnson said.

The Convention Center Authority, which led the efforts to expand the Center in 1991 and 1999, has been studying options for redeveloping and improving the area since mid-2012.  A variety of studies have been undertaken to assess possible changes in traffic patterns to reduce congestion and improve public safety, and analyze current and future retail, housing and hotel needs.  Central to the plans is the construction of a new “headquarters” hotel on the upriver side of the Convention Center, needed to accommodate the current demands from meetings and conventions and the projected increase in visitors to the city leading up to its 300th anniversary.

Other proposed aspects of the Convention Center District Development Project include a linear park along Convention Center Boulevard, outdoor entertainment, arts and cultural venues and new retail and housing options.  An added benefit of the project is its ability to provide a “relief valve” for the already stressed tourism infrastructure in the French Quarter and along Magazine Street and the Marigny/Frenchman Street areas.

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MCCNOdevproject  

Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MCCNODevProject 

NRA launches enhanced Conserve sustainability website

The National Restaurant Association has relaunched its Conserve website designed to educate restaurateurs about sustainability and showcase how applying greener business practices will save money and help protect the environment.

The rebooted website (Restaurant.org/Conserve) offers numerous videos, case studies, best practices and personal accounts of becoming more sustainable, reducing energy and water consumption, decreasing food waste, recycling, composting and operating business in environmentally and economically responsible ways.

“Practicing sustainability is no longer a trend, but an important aspect of the restaurant industry’s daily operations,” said Scott DeFife, Executive Vice President, Policy and Government Affairs, National Restaurant Association. “With this new and improved website, we are well on our way to helping restaurateurs increase their efficiency, reducing the amount of energy, water and waste they generate while saving money and being environmentally aware at the same time. By sharing the experiences, best practices and knowledge of industry leaders who are meeting their sustainability goals, we can assist those who are just beginning their own sustainable journeys.”

Well known restaurateurs, such as George McKerrow Jr. of Ted’s Montana Grill, Clarice Turner of Starbucks and Dan Simons of Founding Farmers restaurants, as well as celebrity chefs Rick Bayless, Amanda Freitag and Gale Gand, are just some of the experts sharing their sustainability experiences on the new website.

Conserve program director Jeff Clark said the redesign was driven by the goal of engaging operators, who would use the site as a guide moving forward, and refer to it often once they are immersed in their own sustainability plans.

“We know restaurant operators are extremely pressed for time and have an inordinate amount of responsibilities to juggle daily, so we needed to provide them with easily accessible, smart and solid information presented in an entertaining to help them achieve their goals,” said Clark. “We are pleased with this new and improved site, and think it will help operators and their employees understand not only how to practice sustainability, but more importantly, why they should do it at all.”

Laura Abshire, the NRA’s director of sustainability, said sustainability is one of the most talked about topics among restaurateurs and their customers, and is a discussion that continues to grow and become more relevant every day.

“Learning through the advice, tools and tips of others in environmentally sound and fiscally feasible ways will help our industry reduce its carbon footprint, make a big impact and see a great return on investment,” Abshire said. “That is a winning proposition on all fronts.”

Created in 2009, the NRA’s Conserve sustainability program is an education tool that shows restaurateurs how to reduce energy, water and waste, and save money and resources at the same time. More than 230 restaurant locations currently use the program.

Engage with the Conserve Program on social media. Follow us on Twitter @ConserveNow and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RestaurantsConserve. 

FDA releases draft advice encouraging pregnant women to eat more seafood

The Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA) is pleased to see new draft advice from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) encouraging pregnant women to increase the amount of seafood they eat.

The new advice is based on extensive peer-reviewed science that looks at fish as a whole food, considering the benefits as well as any theoretical risks. The results clearly state that fish during pregnancy has “a positive impact on growth and development as well as on general health.” The new advice recommends pregnant women eat at least 8 ounces, or two servings, of seafood per week.

“We’re glad to see this advice reflecting the science of what’s actually on the plate; fish as a whole food is good for you,” said LRA President & CEO Stan Harris. “It’s important that the final advice properly communicates the message that there is a minimum amount of seafood moms-to-be should be eating, or else they risk missing out on important health benefits.”

Seafood is central to Louisiana’s state culture; nearly one in 70 jobs in the state is seafood related. Residents and visitors are very familiar with the variety and quality of seafood Louisiana has to offer, and now it’s important to ensure the average patron of a Louisiana restaurant is also familiar with the vast nutritional benefits of seafood, specifically for pregnant women and young children.

“The seafood and restaurant industries will work with the FDA during the next phase of this effort in order to ensure that key nutrition messages are conveyed properly to pregnant women,” said Harris. “There are certain nuances in this first draft that could confuse pregnant women; the advice is a work in progress.”

The FDA maintains that pregnant women currently eat less than 2 ounces of seafood per week. To meet FDA’s new recommendations, they would need to eat at least 4 times as much seafood as they do now. Louisiana restaurants with seafood on the menu are a great way to start incorporating more seafood into the diet. 

Schedule released for 2014 Farm To Table International Symposium

The Farm To Table International Symposium (F2Ti) has released the schedule for the 2014 event, August 2 – 4 at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, in partnership with the SoFAB Institute and the LSU AgCenter. The symposium will bring together the leading practitioners in the growing farm-to-table movement to explore the cultivation, distribution, and consumption of food and drink sourced locally while presenting the opportunity to connect consumers and chefs and producers.

This year’s theme, “The Process,” examines the agricultural-culinary cycle at all levels and will feature its own organic fertility research project. Topics will include the best practices for urban farming, bringing products to market, sourcing locally, sustainability, and the latest on the imposing Food Safety Modernization Act. Chef Michel Nischan, CEO, Wholesome Wave, is this year’s Chairman.

Destined to become the single most important annual forum on farm-to-table topics, F2Ti occurs concurrently with the Louisiana Restaurant Association’s 61st Annual Foodservice & Hospitality EXPO; F2Ti attendees will have access to the almost 200,000 square feet of exhibits.

LRA members receive a 20 percent discount off registration fees for F2Ti. To register visit www.f2t-int.com and enter the code F2TLRA. Detailed schedule information can be viewed here.

Come for work, stay for play at the 61st Louisiana Foodservice & Hospitality EXPO

The perfect business trip awaits! The 61^st Louisiana Foodservice & Hospitality EXPO is August 2-4, 2014, will be here in the blink of an eye. Themed, “Opportunities Abound,” your EXPO weekend will be filled with numerous chances to increase your profitability, gain valuable knowledge and meet with your peers, old and new. Aisles and aisles of companies that supply the foodservice industry will be there waiting to dazzle you with the latest in technological advances, equipment, services, food products and beverage options.

It really doesn’t get much easier to gather industry intel than during the three days of the EXPO. If you had to research it on your own, it’d surely take months, even years, and who has time for that? That’s the reason the Louisiana Restaurant Association offers this benefit to the industry.

After you've gotten the most from your EXPO experience during the daytime, take a quick respite at the host hotel—the Hilton New Orleans Riverside, with the special EXPO rate of $99 per night—and get ready for New Orleans’ nightlife. Surely after a day at the EXPO, you’ll be starving for our world-famous cuisine in one of our countless restaurant dining rooms. The choices are limitless and we’ll be happy to make some recommendations or you can visit the LRA’s travel page courtesy of the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau here.

If you can stand the humidity, Saturday night don your white linen attire and head out to Julia Street for Whitney White Linen Night, where 20,000+ attend the outdoor festival celebrating the arts. 

If you're like us and prefer to keep your make up and attire intact, join us indoors with air conditioning, cuisine and cocktails for the Five Star Futures Gala, August 2 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside. We’ll honor this year’s remarkable Louisiana industry leaders and award $60,000 in scholarships to Louisiana’s deserving young culinarians. The event features a live and silent auction and a cork pull, and it all benefits the LRA Education Foundation.

To see the full EXPO line up, visit our website here. Register to attend the EXPO today here. 

Thank you to this year’s Platinum Sponsors!

Heartland Payment Systems, Louisiana Cookin’, Capital One, Republic National Distributing Company, UnitedHealthcare, Glazer’s of Louisiana, Louisiana Restaurant Association Self Insurer’s Fund and the LRA Education Foundation.

Gold Sponsor—Midlands, Generations Hall & Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses; and Silver Sponsors—Fisher & Phillips, LLP and Johnson, Johnson, Barrios & Yacoubian.