Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority Announces Board of Commissioner Appointments
Mayor LaToya Cantrell has appointed Geri Broussard Baloney and Ralph Mahana to the Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority, the governing board of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The Board consists of 13 commissioners appointed by the Governor, and three appointed by the Mayor, each serving a four-year term.
Baloney serves an at-large appointee of the Mayor. Mahana was appointed to represent New Orleans & Company.
“We are delighted to welcome Geri and Ralph as Commissioners for the Ernest N. Morial Exhibition Hall Authority,” said Jerry Reyes, President of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Exhibition Hall Authority. “Both of these individuals bring years of leadership experience and a history of excellence in the New Orleans business community that make them ideal choices to continue to deliver on the mission of the Exhibition Hall Authority.”
Baloney is a practicing attorney, and is the founder of the Broussard Baloney Law Firm, APC. She has more than 25 years of litigation and trial experience in the areas of class action, environmental, natural resource damages, and complex litigation. She currently serves as Special Assistant to Louisiana Attorney General, Jeff Landry, representing state universities, hospitals, and other agencies. Baloney also owns Baloney Funeral Home, LLC and La Belle Place Reception and Conference Center, LaPlace, LA.
In addition to serving on the Exhibition Hall Authority Board, Baloney serves on the board of directors of the New Orleans Regional Black Chamber of Commerce.
She is a graduate of Southern University of New Orleans and graduated with honors from Loyola University New Orleans School of Law.
Ralph Mahana, is a seasoned hospitality professional who rose through the ranks at the Windsor Court Hotel from night auditor/bellman as a student, to his current position as general manager—the youngest in the hotel’s 34-year history.
Under his leadership, the Windsor Court Hotel has received multiple honors, including being named Preferred Hotels & Resorts Hotel of the Year Overall.
An alumnus of Tulane University, Mahana completed the General Managers Program at Cornell SC Johnson College of Business in 2019, and was honored as GM of the Year in Where Magazine’s Silver Plume Awards.
Mahana also serves as a board member for GNO, Inc.’s NextGen Council, chair of the Community Involvement Committee for the Greater New Orleans Hotel & Lodging Association, and is an executive board member for Kingsley House.
