Companies boost morale post-Katrina - New Orleans City Business

To cure sometimes. To relieve often. To comfort always. 

This is the Motto of West Jefferson Medical Center, the one our hospital family lives by. 

Today, and proudly for the third year in a row upon this honor, we wish to publicly 

acknowledge the members of our hospital family for the quality care and comfort provided 

to our patients at West Jefferson Medical Center community hospital and health system year 

round. Thank you, employees, doctors, Board of Directors, volunteers, and business partners. 

Our community, our patients and their loved ones express gratitude and admiration for 

your compassion and skills in ordinary times. During and since Hurricane Katrina, it has 

been our pleasure to respond to the many individuals and groups who commend your 

extraordinary work especially during that immediate crisis and throughout these days, 

weeks and months following. Some of those compliments came locally and others nationally 

and internationally. We join them in saluting your professionalism, resolve and optimism in 

the face of the community’s worst natural disaster in our collective memory. You made a 

positive difference in the lives of the more than 50,000 persons for whom we have offered 

care or comfort since the storm. 

Our patients choose West Jefferson Medical Center for their healthcare needs with confidence 

secure in the knowledge that quality care will be delivered by a staff dedicated to giving 

their best. Your bright spirit, your abilities and your belief in our motto contribute greatly to 

West Jefferson Medical Center being one of the New Orleans Publishing Group’s Top 10 Best 

Places to Work in our region. Congratulations! We appreciate that New Orleans City 

Business also recognizes your commitment. 

Today, we thank you for naming West Jefferson Medical Center as the place you call home 

and the team you call family. 

Sincerely, 

A. Gary Muller, FACHE 

President and CEO 

Charlotte Roussel 

Chairman 

Board of Directors 

Carlos Rodriguez-Fierro, M.D. 

Chief of Staff 

1101 Medical Center Boulevard, Marrero, LA 70072 • (504) 347-5511 • www.wjmc.org 

A. Gary Muller, F.A.C.H.E. 

President/CEO 

Board of Directors: 

Charlotte Roussel 

Chairman 

Frank C. Di Vincenti, M.D. 

Vice-Chairman 

Louis H. Thomas 

Secretary-Treasurer 

Richard L. Bagnetto, M.D. 

Barry Bordelon 

James Cramond 

Timothy Kerner 

B. H. Miller, Jr. 

Julie Van Dervort 

Jim Ward

C o n t e n t s 

Introduction 4 

Ochsner Clinic Foundation 5 

Adams and Reese 8 

Kenner Regional Medical Center 11 

West Jefferson Medical Center 15 

Zehnder Communications 17 

East Jefferson General Hospital 20 

Albert-Garaudy and Associates 22 

Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group 24 

Omni Bank 26 

Deveney Communications 30 

Deutsch Kerrigan & Stiles 32 

Hibernia National Bank 32 

FARA 33 

Apogen Technologies 33 

St. Tammany Parish Hospital 33 

Keating Magee 33 

McGlinchey Stafford 34 

River Marine Management 34 

Landscape Images 35 

Free Gulliver 35 

List of Top 20 companies 36-37 

ON THE COVER: 

Ochsner nurses and 

doctors on the 

orthopedic staff 

Photo by: 

Tommy Santora 

Published by 

New Orleans Publishing Group 

111 Veterans Blvd, Ste. 1440 

Metairie, LA 70005 

President & Publisher - - - - - - - - - - - D. Mark Singletary 

Associate Publisher- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Lisa Blossman 

Editor - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Terry O’Connor 

Associate Editor - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Tommy Santora 

Director of Sales/Custom Publishing 

and Industry Reports - - - - - - - - - - - - Ann Bower Herren 

Art Director - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - AlexBorges 

Production Manager - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Julie Bernard 

Photography for 

Best Places to Work 2005 - - - - - - - - - - Tommy Santora 

You’ve come a long way since the gold star. 

Congratulations to all the best places to work. 

z-comm.com 

December 19, 2005 3

4 2005 Best Places to Work 

Companies boost morale post-Katrina 

By Tommy Santora, Associate Editor 

WHEN THE CITYBUSINESS editorial staff returned to the drawing 

board post-Katrina to decide how to relaunch our special projects, the 

annual Best Places to Work rating needed updating. 

What constituted an employee-friendly, Best Place to Work before Katrina 

could have become a completely different workplace post-Katrina. 

In years past, CityBusiness ranked the Top 20 Best Places to Work on 

total employee satisfaction, tallying a company’s score out of 100 points, 

based on 10 questions asked to random employees and weighing their 

responses on a 1 to 10 scale. 

While our “morale index” has been an effective means in the past, we 

added a new twist to rank this year’s class: To what degree did employers 

step up during and after Katrina to help their employees? 

The final rankings compiled by the CityBusiness editorial staff analyzed 

applications companies sent in and combined the traditional “morale index” 

with the employee services companies provided during and after Katrina. 

We asked each company to send us Hurricane Katrina stories. We were 

utterly impressed by the many stories of employers reaching out to workers 

in a time they needed help the most. 

They were stories of companies sheltering employees, their families, children 

and pets during Katrina, followed by providing housing for their 

employees after Katrina through Federal Emergency Management Agency 

trailers, purchased and rented houses and condominiums, and paying living 

expenses for elongated hotel stays. 

All top companies continued to pay displaced employees who struggled 

to return to work immediately after the storm and were in great need of 

financial support. Hurricane disaster relief funds were also instituted and 

several top employers raised $1 million. Additional compensation was given 

in the form of cash grants days after Katrina and bonuses to employees who 

returned to work quickly. 

Some companies supplied clothing and housing, as well as free garage 

sales with merchandise spread out for the taking for employees in need. 

The common theme for all of our Top 20 companies was finding ways 

to rebuild businesses post-Katrina, by taking care of their most important 

asset — their employees. “Treat them like family” was no cliché during the 

most trying times this city has ever seen and the biggest hurdle this city has 

ever endured. 

Congratulations to the Top 20 Best Places to Work companies in 2005.•

1 

By Jaime Guillet, Contributing Writer 

Ochsner Clinic 

Foundation 

After the destructiveness of Hurricane 

Katrina, Ochsner Clinic Foundation 

has emerged as a shining beacon for its 

employees. 

Within hours of the storm, Ochsner 

instated a host of relief programs for its 

employees including a call center at its Baton 

Rouge clinic for employees to call and report 

their status and home condition. Employees 

were matched up with various resources 

such as Adopt A Family, hurricane-relief 

funds and critical housing programs. 

In the Adopt A Family program, external 

companies adopted more than 60 displaced 

Ochsner employees’ families with 40 boxes 

of supplies delivered to the hospital through 

the initiative. Peggy Williams, a regular 

donator to local charities in Santa Rosa, 

Calif., contacted Ochsner and coordinated a 

donation drive for employees, sending 

truckloads of clothing, food, hygiene items, 

diapers, blankets and sheets to the hospital. 

Ochsner transformed its deli into OchMart, 

where employees could select any of the 

donated items they needed. 

Ochsner nurses and doctors from the ninth floor, orthopedics staff pose in a patient’s room. 

See OCHSNER continued on page 6 

Ochsner social worker Jennifer Gullo consults with Dr. Renee Meadows. 

December 19, 2005 5


OCHSNER CLINIC FOUNDATION 

KATRINA HIGHLIGHTS 

• $2-million hurricane-relief fund. 

• Child care, pet care, complimentary meals. 

• Housing onsite at Brent House hotel; 500 

employees are being housed in three hotels 

across New Orleans. 

• Onsite fitness center open 24 hours a day. 

• Shuttle service to and from Baton Rouge. 

• OchMart — truckloads of clothing, food, 

hygiene items, diapers, blankets and other 

housing supplies set up for free distribution 

inside hospital. 

• Out Reach newsletter — daily newsletter to 

communicate company information. 

• Adopt a Family — external companies 

adopted more than 60 displaced families. 

Source: CityBusiness staff research 

Ochsner doctors perform daily consulting roundtables to update each other on patient progress reports. 

The Ochsner pharmacy team made green Hurricane Katrina shirts for their employees to honor them for their 

work during and after the storm. 

OCHSNER from page 5 

An Ochsner hurricane relief fund 

amounted to $2 million, with more than 800 

applications received from employees greatly 

impacted by Katrina. The Ochsner Red 

Cross staff completed another 800 applications 

that resulted in $1 million more funds 

to employees. 

Housing assistance for employees came 

in the form of three hotels across the city, 

including the onsite Brent House Hotel. 

Currently, 500 employees are still living in 

hotels and working in the hospital. The hospital 

also collected more than 200 Federal 

Emergency Management Agency trailer 

applications to expedite the process for 

employees’ private use. 

“Ochsner worked with FEMA to get us 

all housing,” said registered nurse Aurita 

Ponsaa. “If it wasn’t for the housing, 

(Ochsner) wouldn’t be operational. I think 

they are just always there for us, just like a 

family.” 

Meryll Sartin, a three-year human 

resources staffer at Ochsner, lived in eastern 

New Orleans and lost her home and possessions. 

Sartin and her family inhabited the 

Ochsner campus during and after the storm. 

She now resides in the downtown Sheraton 

Hotel, along with 270 other Ochsner 

employees. 

“All of the programs helped me,” Sartin 

said. “It was good to know when I came 

back to work that I had a place to stay. The 

hurricane relief fund really assisted me 

because I lost everything. It really helped me 

and my family.” 

For employees who stayed in Baton 

Rouge immediately after Katrina, Ochsner 

provided free shuttle service to and from 

work seven days a week. For those who 

did not want to commute, a redeployment 

office was set up in Baton Rouge to deploy

employees to various departments with 

open positions. 

Inside the hospital as employees worked 

and lived in extreme conditions during the 

storm and its aftermath, Ochsner supplied 

three meals a day for the entire staff and provided 

child and pet care. The child care program, 

known as Ochsner Camp, remained 

open for three months following Katrina, 

while the pet care center remained open for 

seven weeks following the storm. Pets were 

fed by Ochsner. 

An onsite fitness center opened 24 hours 

for employees to relieve stress, and the 

human resources department also held a 

movie night for children and adults living at 

Ochsner. An “Out Reach” newsletter also 

became a daily tradition as important information 

concerning payroll and employee 

status was relayed to the staff. 

Before and even after Katrina, many 

Ochsner employees raved about the open 

communication between management and 

staff. The hospital has monthly town-hall 

meetings, informal walk-arounds and breakfasts 

or dinners. There are also periodic 

nurse-recruiting parties, opportunities for 

continued training and on the lighter side, 

annual hoedowns for employees. 

“The workplace culture (Ochsner) created 

is (about) specific people strategies 

and employee development from the top 

down,” said Joan Mollohan, vice president 

of human resources. “We have very generous 

retirement and health plans. But I don’t 

think the money and benefits are really 

what makes Ochsner great. It’s about the 

actual workplace they’ve created. 

“I’ve never worked in an organization 

that people strategies were the company’s 

biggest focus.”• 

An Ochsner hurricane relief fund amounted to $2 million to assist employees impacted severely 

by Hurricane Katrina. 

Peggy Williams, a regular donator to local charities in Santa Rosa, Calif., contacted Ochsner and coordinated a 

donation drive for employees, shipping truckloads of housing supplies. 

December 19, 2005 7 

Ochsner employee Sandy Daunie strolls a co-worker’s daughter, 

Isabella Lipscomb, through OchMart. 

Ochsner pharmacist tech Sonja Miller fills a prescription 

for a patient.


2Adams 

& Reese 

By Fritz Esker, Contributing Writer 

Adams & Reese, a multidisciplinary law 

firm, has barely missed a beat since 

Hurricane Katrina. 

Two weeks after Katrina made landfall, 

Adams & Reese employees were back at 

work in a building the partners secured 

across the street from the firm’s Baton 

Rouge offices. 

For some employees who lost everything, 

such as legal assistants Gwyn Cassou 

and Dale Zibilich, who, respectively, lived 

in Chalmette and Slidell, the mere fact that 

they still had jobs was a huge relief. 

Zibilich, who took up temporary residence 

in Norco after Katrina, commuted 

with two employees to the Baton Rouge 

offices, taking two hours to get there in the 

mornings and two hours to return in the 

evenings. “None of us minded because it was 

the only normalcy we had,” said Zibilich. 

While employees were grateful for still 

having jobs and receiving a paycheck for 

the missed two weeks because of Katrina, 

the partners at Adams & Reese did not 

stop there. The law firm set up a charitable, 

tax-free disaster-relief fund totaling 

$200,000 and partners offered to match 

additional funds as needed. Cassou and 

Zibilich received the maximum amount 

available, $2,500. 

In addition to these donations, part- 

ADAMS & REESE 


• Set up a $200,000 disaster-relief fund for 

New Orleans employees; partners offered 

to match additional funds as needed. 

• Two Nashville, Tenn., partners drove to 

Baton Rouge with a truck full of housing 

supplies. 

• Offered relocation assistance to other 

branches of the firm. 


From left, Charles Cerise, Adams and Reese New Orleans office partner in charge, consults with Gwyn Cassou, legal secretary; Teresa Lauga, events 

manager; Linda Soileau, human resources director; and Morris Green Sr., facilities manager.

Adams and Reese set up a $200,000 hurricane disaster relief fund to assist employees and the firm’s partners 

also promised to match more funds if needed. 

ners at the firm’s Nashville, Tenn., and 

Baton Rouge offices collected donations 

of clothing and home supplies for affected 

employees. Two partners in the firm’s 

Nashville office drove overnight to Baton 

Rouge with a U-Haul truck full of supplies. 

Once those items arrived, Adams & 

Reese held a “free garage sale” for its New 

Orleans employees. 

“It had everything you could imagine 

you needed in your house,” said Cassou. 

Fellow legal assistant Zibilich was moved 

to tears at the time and became emotional 

even recounting the event. “It was just so 

wonderful,” Zibilich said. 

A pizza party was held at the Baton 

Rouge office to welcome workers back. 

Seminars were held for employees on the 

most efficient ways to deal with insurance 

companies and government organizations 

such as the Federal Emergency Management 

Agency. 

Adams & Reese moved back into its 

offices Nov. 5 at One Shell Square in downtown 

New Orleans. Charlie Cerise, partnerin-charge 

of the New Orleans office, estimated 

50 to 60 employees helped load files 

from the Baton Rouge office back onto 

trucks to be taken to New Orleans. Cerise 

states said an experience like Katrina 

“either brings people together or tears them 

apart ... It brought us closer together.” 

Even before Katrina, Adams & Reese 

employees said the firm was a popular 

place to work. 

“The atmosphere is a little looser than 

you would think for a law firm. People 

know who they’re working with, about 

their families, and care about each other,” 

Cerise said. 

Adams & Reese employees also reach 

out to charity in the HUGS program, 

which donates times and money to more 

than 50 charities in the Greater New 

Orleans area. 

Zibilich, who has worked as a legal assistant 

for 30 years and with Adams & Reese 

for seven, says of her current workplace, 

“On a scale of 1 to 10, it’s about a 12.” 

In 2004, Adams & Reese became the 

first Louisiana law firm to be featured in 

The American Lawyer’s “AmLaw 200” for 

annual revenue. The firm is also a past 

winner of “Business-Education Partner of 

the Year” from the University of New 

Orleans Business Alliance and WDSU.• 

December 19, 2005 9 

From left: Mark Surprenant, New Orleans office senior partner in charge, discusses a case with Stefini Salles, 

litigation partner; Deborah Rouen, partner and executive committee member; and Mark Beebe, partner and 

litigation practice group leader.


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3 

The Kenner Regional Medical Center operating room staff steps away from the surgical table. 


Kenner Regional 

Medical Center 

With no running water, air conditioning or 

electricity and room temperatures topping 

110 degrees in extreme cases, Kenner 

Regional Medical Center temporarily 

closed and evacuated approximately 1,000 

employees, family members, patients and 

even pets three days following Hurricane 

Katrina. Patients were airlifted out of the 

hospital or transported by pickup trucks, 

SUVs and military vehicles to Tenet 

Healthcare hospitals along the Gulf Coast. 

The corporation also stepped up behind 

the scenes, catering to more than 500 Kenner 

employees who were leaving the hospital 

after working during the peak of the storm or 

were displaced nationwide. 

Tenet, which owns and operates 73 acute 

care hospitals in 13 states, paid all employees 

10 weeks of disaster relief pay, with the first 

two checks equaling full salary and the last 

three totaling 50 percent of regular pay. 

Tenet also established a disaster relief 

fund, asking for donations and pledges to 

Kenner employees. It raised $1 million. Tenet 

matched $2 for every $1,raising the total relief 

funds to $3 million. Employees applied for 

grants from that fund, ranging from $500 to 

See KENNER REGIONAL continued on page 12 

December 19, 2005 11 

Kenner Regional Medical Center admit representative Kristy Moore, right, assists Becky Richards in the outpatient 

diagnostic center.


KENNER REGIONAL 

MEDICAL CENTER 


• $3-million disaster relief fund for all impacted 

employees in which Tenet matched $2 for 

every $1 raised 

• 10 weeks of disaster relief pay; first two 

checks consisted of full weekly pay; last three 

checks equaled 50 percent of normal pay 

• Relocation assistance to other Tenet hospitals 


The Kenner Regional Medical Center Engineering 

Department team was critical to running the 

hospital during and after Hurricane Katrina. 

Registered nurse Erica Bellocq and Kenneth Custard, supervisor of endoscopy, treat patient Agnes White. 

KENNER REGIONAL from page 11 

$3,000, based on need. 

“Tenet committed to New Orleans early. 

They were one of the first corporations to 

immediately state their intentions of returning 

here,” said Jack Khashou, Kenner Regional 

Medical Center’s director of business development. 

“They wanted to show the city and 

its employees they were committed for the 

long haul and make it work. It was nice to see 

corporate make such an important decision 

fast and cater to their employees’ needs.” 

Kenner Regional first reopened its emergency 

department Sept. 24. Employees who 

could not return to work in Kenner were 

offered relocation assistance to other Tenet 

hospitals. Khashou estimates the hospital has 

about 50 percent of its original employees 

back with 15 to 20 employees living in the 

hospital rooms because they had extensive 

damage to their homes. 

Vivian Reed, a laboratory phlebotomist at 

Kenner Regional, lost her home near the 

Industrial Canal and lived in the hospital for 

a period of time before moving in with a family 

member. 

“We had sheets, towels, uniforms, pretty 

much everything we needed at our disposal,” 

Reed said. “It was like an extended family, 

getting to know employees you really weren’t 

used to talking at length to, and everybody 

was asking each other if they could help each 

other out in any kind of way.” 

Reed said the hospital staff brought 

portable air-conditioning units to each 

department and provided food and water 

throughout the day for employees. 

Debbie LeBlanc, a registered nurse for 

eight years at Kenner Regional, said the ability 

for the hospital to reopen as fast as they 

did “restored some normalcy to our lives.” 

LeBlanc said her husband did not receive 

continued pay through his job after Katrina, 

so the nonstop payroll helped the LeBlancs 

pay bills. 

“I don’t know what we would have done 

if it weren’t for that. Most bills were deferred, 

but you still have to pay them,” she said. 

Debbie Alongia, a registered nurse in the 

infection control and employee health department, 

worked at the hospital during Katrina. 

Alongia said the camaraderie among employees 

was heightened to a degree she has never 

seen in her 20 years at Kenner Regional. 

“We worked very hard and were proud of 

what we did during the storm,” she said. “We 

put our best foot forward. There was not any 

job that was too low for any of us to do and we 

did whatever was needed to be done to get us 

through everything.” 

The acts of employer kindness from 

Katrina were not surprising to many Kenner 

Regional employees, who said the hospital 

has always been an employee-friendly place 

to work because of its small hospital atmosphere 

and an administration that is often visible 

catering to each department’s needs. 

Standard Kenner Regional employee 

benefits include Tenet stock at a discounted 

price; lump-sum accumulation of sick leave; 

vacation days that never expire; full-time 

benefits beginning for employees who average 

32 hours weekly; a free fitness center; and 

a student loan repayment program. 

In 2004, Kenner Regional was ranked 

No. 2 in patient satisfaction among Tenet 

hospitals nationwide.•

CAME SO FAR. GOT A LONG WAY TO GO. 

— GUITAR GABRIEL — 

This year, our collective spirit has been confronted by a national tragedy. The nation asks how 

our wondrous city will respond to the challenge. Here at Apogen Technologies, 

we accept the challenge of helping others and building the future. 

Still got a long way to go New Orleans. Together, with our company values 

as our foundation — Employee Focus, Customer Focus, Integrity, Teamwork, 

and Innovation... we will get there. 

AIMING HIGHER 

www.apogen.com 

Rights to Guitar Gabriel’s lyrics were secured through a donation to the New Orleans Musicians Fund. For more information, go to www.musicmaker.org


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4 

Registered nurse Christina Rabb looks over a patient’s chart in West Jefferson Medical Center’s stroke unit. 


West Jefferson 


West Jefferson Medical Center has the 

distinction of being one the few New 

Orleans-area businesses that never closed 

during Hurricane Katrina. 

The hospital paid employees disaster pay 

and allowed one paid day off for each 24 

hours worked during the storm, while 

employees who could not stay were granted 

90-day leaves of absence. 

The hospital set up a child care center 

and pet kennel for up to 60 pets to meet 

employee needs during the storm. 

Registered Nurse Charline Talamo, who 

has worked at West Jeff for more than 30 

years, was particularly grateful for this setup. 

She had a 7-year-old daughter the hospital 

looked after while she performed her duties 

during the storm. The facilities helped keep 

the children calm and happy during a tense, 

difficult time, said Talamo. 

“All the little children really didn’t 

know what was the end result of Katrina,” 

Talamo said. 

Talamo, whose home in Harvey received 

significant wind damage from Katrina, was 

allowed to stay at the hospital and receive free 

meals for two weeks. Then the hospital 

lodged her and other West Jeff employees at 

a nursing home across the street so they 

could walk to work. 

Because many West Jeff employees lost a 

large amount of possessions during the 

storm, the hospital collected donations for 

their employees. West Jeff has collected more 

than $400,000 and set up a 6,300-squarefoot 

employee distribution center where 

employees are allowed to shop for free once a 

week to pick up essential items. 

For someone like Talamo, whose bedrooms 

and kitchen were destroyed in the 

storm, the service has been invaluable and 

has allowed her to obtain important items 

such as a microwave, bed sheets and other 

household supplies. 

“We intend to continue this for several 

months because donations keep coming in,” 

said Gary Muller, West Jeff president and 

CEO. He expects the amount of donations to 

top $1 million. 

In addition to the employee distribution 

center, West Jeff has helped employees apply 

for assistance from the Federal Emergency 

See WEST JEFF continued on page 16 

WEST JEFFERSON 

MEDICAL CENTER 


• 24-hour-per-day disaster pay and one paid-day 

off for every 24 hours worked to employees who 

worked at the hospital through Katrina. 

• Employee hurricane relief fund topped $400,000. 

• Opened 6,300-square-foot hurricane relief store 

for employees to obtain home supplies for free. 


December 19, 2005 15 

Dr. Richard Paddock, right, discusses the mechanics of West Jefferson Medical Center’s daVinci surgical system, 

a surgical robot that assists doctors with 3D surgery images. From left: Dr. Frank DiVincenti, Regina Allen, 

certified surgical technician, and Dr. Daryl McKinney.


West Jefferson Medical Center paid employees who 

stayed at the hospital during and after Katrina 24hour 

a day disaster pay and gave them one paid day 

off for every 24-hours worked. 

WEST JEFF from page 15 

Management Agency and for food stamps. 

The hospital also set up an American Red 

Cross relief station on its grounds where 

employees could apply for Red Cross assistance. 

Such stations were very hard to come 

by in the New Orleans area in the initial 

weeks after Katrina. 

Even before Katrina, West Jeff did as 

much as possible to make its employees’ 

existences there as pleasant as possible. 

“The people here have a very positive 

culture and the leadership supports it by 

having things that make people want to come 

to work,” said Muller. 

Every quarter, West Jeff has celebrations 

in its cafeteria with free music, food and a different 

theme. Parties also are held to celebrate 

employees’ birthdays. 

West Jeff values the input of its employees. 

Every week, five different hospital executives 

go to a different department to give 

employees a hospital status report and solicit 

the department’s opinion on various matters 

regarding the hospital. 

“Communication is the key to employee 

satisfaction,” Muller said. “Employees have 

an opportunity to express themselves.” 

West Jeff has an employee suggestion hotline 

where workers can call and voice concerns, 

suggestions, and opinions regarding 

the hospital. 

Perhaps the greatest testament to the positive 

atmosphere of West Jeff is Talamo, who 

has stayed with the hospital for over 30 

years. When asked why it is such a good 

place to work, she said, “It’s like a family.”•

5 Zehnder 

Communications 


When Hurricane Katrina battered New 

Orleans, Jeff Zehnder, president of 10year-old 

Zehnder Communications, was 

plagued by one concern: Were his employees 

and their families safe? 

“Finding everybody after the storm was a 

big problem,” said Zehnder. “We were trying 

to find everyone and make sure they and 

their families were safe. Secondly, we wanted 

to get the business up and running so they 

would have a job to come back to.” 

Zehnder staff members say they recognized 

the firm’s concerns and efforts in the 

storm’s aftermath to be copiously aligned 

with the Zehnder philosophy. 

“It’s one thing to communicate next steps 

and a plan to your staff,” said Amy Mahfouz, 

public relations director at Zehnder. “It’s yet 

another to communicate that plan with compassion 

and true understanding.” 

Shea Duet, art director and information 

technology manager, helped return Zehnder 

to its feet in Baton Rouge weeks following 

the storm. 

“With the storm and everything that was 

happening, Jeff was honest and continually 

sent daily updates about the status of the 

agency, employment and where we would be 

See ZEHNDER continued on page 18 

December 19, 2005 17 

Zehnder employees Mike Rainey, standing, and 

William Gilbert work on a project for a client. 

Jeff Zehnder, president and CEO of Zehnder Communications, left, and Mike Rainey helped establish temporary 

office space for the company in Baton Rouge weeks following Katrina.


Zehnder Communications employees take a break from work and play the Ms. Pac Man/Galaga video game machine. From left: Melissa Izor, Joann Habisreitinger, Marica 

Mackenroth and Amy Mahfouz. 

ZEHNDER from page 16 

setting up our offices,” said Duet. 

Zehnder paid each employee $1,000 

regardless of their situation. He said he 

intended to secure his employees’ jobs 

through the “worst-case scenario.” 

After the storm, Zehnder staffers were 

spread in various cities across the country. 

This enabled satellite offices to spring up in 

Nashville and Baton Rouge, with a potential 

office in Dallas. Zehnder said he considers 

the expansion to be the silver lining of 

Katrina and will give his company the chance 

to diversify geographically. 

The experience solidified Mahfouz’s 

motivation for being part of the Zehnder staff. 

“The agency’s philosophy has never been 

more true for me than during those initial 

weeks: ‘Make a Difference, Do Great Work, 

Earn a Profit, Have Fun’,” said Mahfouz. 

“Jeff committed to this philosophy with 

regard to his team, after Katrina, more than 

he has ever committed to it in the years since 

he started the agency.” 

Zehnder said his workplace-philosophy 

was shaped from reviewing previous 

employers and scrutinizing principles he 

ZEHNDER 

COMMUNICATIONS 


• Every employee received $1,000, regardless 

of situation 

• Continued payroll through two periods 

• Open-door policy for employees to return 


Zehnder employee Larry Hamburger talks to a Zehnder 

client. 

liked, disliked and policies that resulted in 

production. 

Internal Zehnder luxuries include a Ms. 

Pac-Man/Galaga video game machine available 

for play in the middle of the office, 

improptu hackey-sack matches among staff, 

quarterly retreats and, at one time, a citywide 

scavenger hunt in limousines. 

“My philosophy on running a company is 

to create a place where people enjoy coming 

to, but still creates the opportunity for a very 

productive environment,” said Zehnder. “To 

be the best, I hire the smartest and best people 

and then get out of the way.”•

December 19, 2005 19 

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6 

East Jefferson 

General Hospital 


Cheryl Carter, director of East Jefferson General Hospital’s 

emergency room, summed up working and living at the hospital 

for a week during and after Hurricane Katrina. 

“It makes you realize how bad you miss clean underwear,” 

she said. 

“But in all seriousness, it changed the dynamics of how people 

worked together and brought people closer, just doing the small 

things to get through everything,” said Carter. 

Carter was one of about 800 employees who stayed and 

worked at East Jefferson during the brunt of the storm, and hos- 

Dr. Dan Fertel, radiologist, discusses a mammogram with employees Caprice Gioia, left, and Darlene Landry. 

EAST JEFERSON 

GENERAL HOSPITAL 


• 24-hour per day disaster relief pay to 

employees who worked at hospital during 

and immediately after Katrina. 

• $200,000-hurricane relief fund available for 

greatly impacted employees. 

• 72 FEMA trailers; 70 rooms at downtown 

Sheraton; rooms at Inn on Bourbon and a 

furnished double-wide trailer available for 

employees on hospital property. 

Source: CityBusiness staff research

pital administration returned the favor for their hard 

work and dedication. 

Employees who worked at the hospital received 

24-hour per day disaster pay, and East Jefferson’s 

humanitarian relief fund raised $200,000 to benefit 

severely impacted employees. 

The hospital also housed employees’ families, 

children and pets. Housing came in the form of 72 

Federal Emergency Management Agency trailers, 70 

hotel rooms at the downtown Sheraton, rooms at the 

Inn on Bourbon, a furnished double-wide trailer on 

hospital property and resources available to expedite 

the FEMA trailer process for private property. 

East Jefferson General Hospital raised $200,000 through its humanitarian fund for employees severely impacted by the storm. 

December 19, 2005 21 

East Jefferson General Hospital president and CEO Dr. Mark Peters 

estimated about 800 hospital staff worked during and immediately 

after Hurricane Katrina. 

“It was all well deserved with the effort put forth 

by our team members,” said East Jefferson CEO and 

President Dr. Mark Peters. “It’s not a fair request to 

ask these people to work and not take care of their 

personal needs and families at the same time.” 

Carter had severe damage to two homes from 

Katrina and stayed at the hospital for a period of time 

before living with a co-worker and then renting an 

apartment from another co-worker. 

She said East Jefferson performed numerous tasks 

in the aftermath of the storm to accommodate 

employees. Boxes of housing supplies were available 

to employees, and food was always present, coming 

from places like Jason’s Deli and Domino’s. 

“We’re always pleased when they go a step farther, 

but it’s what their philosophy is all about for their 

employees,” Carter said. “We would have been more 

surprised if they didn’t step up. It’s the reputation of 

East Jefferson.” 

Monica Campbell, unit secretary in the emergency 

room, said routine morning announcements from 

hospital administration was one of the more comforting 

tasks they did. 

“We got up and looked forward to them because 

communication was so tough through everything; 

nobody knew what was going on,” Campbell said. 

East Jefferson employees said they were not surprised 

by the hospital’s generous responses through 

Katrina. Several programs were already in place to 

recognize employee performance like team member 

and volunteer of the month and physician or leader of 

the quarter. 

The hospital also puts on wellness challenges that 

can reward employees up to $100 to main exercise 

activity and remain in good health. 

“People should feel good about what they’re doing 

in every aspect of working here,” Peters said. “Our 

commitment is to the best quality care and patient 

safety; our team members see that as our number-one 

priority and they like being in that kind of professional 

and caring environment.”•

7By Tommy Santora, Associate Editor 

Albert-Garaudy 

and Associates 


Glenn Garaudy made the task of relocating 

100 Metairie employees to Houston during 

Hurricane Katrina sound simple. 

Albert-Garaudy and Associates, a multi-disciplined 

consulting engineering company serving 

the petroleum, chemical and refining industries, 

has offices in Metairie and Houston. So when 

Katrina struck, Garaudy and his partner, Garth 

Albert, contacted their Metairie employees and 

asked them to reconvene in Houston, where the 

company already had a working branch office. 

“Once we got to Houston, we looked at each 

individual case to see what we could do for our 

employees,” Garaudy said. 

Garaudy said the company immediately 

rented a block of apartments for its staff, for 

about $300,000 and set up a new floor of office 

space in the Houston building to accommodate 

From left: David Garaudy, electrical and instrumentation specialist, consults with Bradley Bruff, mechanical engineering manager and Jim 

Myers, project manager.

From left: Walter Stenhouse and Joseph Klimas, mechanical engineers, 

look over plans with Neal Christoph, project manager, and AGA client 

Wayne Lolan, engineering manager for Louisiana Offshore Oil Port. 

ALBERT-GARAUDY 

AND ASSOCIATES 


• Continued payroll 

• Relocation of 100 Metairie employees to its 

Houston office; rented a block of apartments 

in Houston at an approximate cost of 

$300,000 

• Houston employees collected pots, pans, 

clothing and other housing supplies to 

donate to Metairie staff 


the Metairie staff. Houston employees collected clothes, pots, 

pans and other housing supplies to donate to incoming 

Metairie employees. Garaudy and Albert returned with their 

Houston IT staff to Metairie, escorted by Causeway Police, 

to retrieve company servers. They brought the servers to 

Houston, reinstalled the company data and got everything 

back up and running in a week’s time. 

Garaudy said employee payroll continued uninterrupted. 

Some employees were given raises to equate to what employees 

in Houston regularly received. 

“We had some emotional ups and downs but people were just 

thrilled they had a job to fall back on,” he said. “They were safe 

and they were healthy.Management always associates its own personal 

lives with our employees. We say, ‘What would I want done 

to us? How would we want a business to react to us?’” 

Through the relocation process, AGA lost one Metairie 

employee from the original staff. 

AGA reopened its Metairie office in October. Garaudy estimates 

about 50 employees have moved back. Plans are in place 

to move the other 50 back as projects dictate. Apartments in 

Houston still are on monthly leases, and Garaudy estimates by 

the time all Metairie employees return, expenses for AGA will 

come close to $500,000. 

“It’s worth it to take care of our employees,” Garaudy said. 

The option of keeping AGA in Houston was never entertained, 

said Garaudy. 

“It’s an emotional thing. My partner and I were both born 

and raised here and have deep roots here,” he said. “And more 

importantly, clients in Houston and even in New Orleans are 

always complimentary of the quality of work that comes out of 

this Metairie office. It was important to us to keep this office and 

the employees here.” 

Garaudy said AGA performs routine employee surveys 

to gauge what’s important to the staff. Their No. 1 response 

was personal relationships with management, followed by 

qualifications of staff and experience and qualifications of 

management staff. 

“They value that we’re always communicating with them 

and we have management who they can learn from and keep 

them challenged in their work,” he said. 

Garaudy said AGA offers continued training for employees, 

3-D design technology programs and memberships in professional 

trade organizations to keep employees afloat on the latest 

industry trends and developments. 

AGA was listed in the Top 10 of the ZweigWhite Hot Firm 

list and among the top 100 engineering firms in the nation by 

Consulting-Specifying Engineer, an industry journal.• The Albert-Garaudy and Associates Structural Engineering Department has returned to the Metairie office on Causeway Boulevard. 

December 19, 2005 23


8 

Ralph Brennan 

Restaurant Group 


The Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group, long an 

important fixture of New Orleans dining, remains 

a vital part of that scene even after Katrina. 

The first state-sanctioned health permit issued 

after the storm to a New Orleans restaurant was 

issued to the Red Fish Grill, which makes up the 

Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group, along with Bacco 

and Ralph’s on the Park 

The Red Fish Grill reopened Sept. 30 on 

Bourbon Street. Bacco reopened Oct.1 and Ralph’s 

on the Park reopened Nov. 9 on City Park Avenue in 

a section of town that received considerable damage 

from the storm. 

According to Charlee Williamson, executive vice 

president of the Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group, 

her company viewed these openings as a first crucial 

step to rebuilding New Orleans. 

“It put people back to work and began to restore 

some semblance of normalcy to the French Quarter,” 

The Red Fish Grill reopened Sept. 30 at its Bourbon Street location. Owner Ralph Brennan sits in the forefront. 

Bacco executive chef Chris Montero cooks up chicken rigatoni. 

she said. “While many businesses were forced to 

make cutbacks in their work force, we’re very proud 

that we didn’t lay anybody off because of the storm.” 

The Brennan Group tried to make the chaos of 

post-Katrina life as easy as possible on its employees. 

Brennan restaurants management teams were paid 

throughout the evacuation period and hourly 

employees received a stipend. 

Employees of Brennan’s The Jazz Kitchen at 

Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., helped establish a nonprofit 

called California Cares,which will bestow grants 

to affected Brennan’s employees and their families. 

In addition to these perks, Brennan’s employees 

were granted a leave of absence until Jan. 31, 2006, 

with a benefits schedule and tenure uninterrupted. 

Roy Barre, general manager of Bacco and a resident 

of eastern New Orleans, had 10 feet of water in 

his home and “lost everything.” After the storm, 

Barre and other Brennan’s general managers were 

sent cell phones with out-of-state area codes, which 

were vital in establishing communication. 

Once Barre returned to New Orleans, Brennan 

arranged for him and several other employees to 

receive lodging at the W Hotel in the French Quarter. 

An employee chat room also was set up on the 

Internet for employees to check in and inform each 

other of their whereabouts. Regarding the Brennan 

Group’s treatment of its employees after the storm,

RALPH BRENNAN 

RESTAURANT GROUP 


• Continued payroll; hourly employees 

received stipends 

• Brennan’s California restaurant, Jazz 

Kitchen, established “California Cares,” 

which bestowed grants to New Orleans 

employees and families 

• Paid for employees to stay at the W hotel 


Williamson said, “On Aug. 29, 2006, we want to look back and be 

proud of the way we treated our people and learn from the experience 

so we can be even better prepared next time.” 

Aside from its willingness to accommodate its employees and 

put them back to work after Katrina, the Ralph Brennan Group 

provides several benefits to its workers, including 

development/management classes, a 401k plan, health club memberships, 

two annual parties and free meals during shifts. 

The meals before the start of the shift are called “family meals,” 

where the restaurant’s employees gather and dine together before 

the day or evening shift. 

Brennan’s also provides opportunities for growth, as two of 

its general managers started as bartenders and another started as 

a food runner. 

What is most important to the Ralph Brennan Restaurant 

Group is the way it treats its employees. 

“The way they take care of their employees is what makes 

them want to come back,” Barre said.• 

Left: Bacco bartender Shane Dudley mixes a martini. 

Below: Bacco waitress Holly Reaux serves from left, Julie 

Jacob, Sharon Salisbury and Julie Blais. 

“Is Kenner Regional Medical Center among 

New Orleans' Best Places to Work?" 

YES 

December 19, 2005 25 

Kenner Regional Medical Center, part of NOLA Health Network, has been named by New Orleans CityBusiness as one of the city’s Best Places 

to Work. We are proud of this latest accolade. For years, we’ve been renowned as a place where not only our patients are satisfied, but our 

employees, as well. We provide every employee with the resources and freedom to pursue their career to its fullest. 

We currently have the following positions open for Nursing & Allied Health Professionals: 

• RN/ICU: 12 hr night 

• RN/ER: 10a-10p 

• RN/MED SURG: 12 hr day or night 

• CNA: 12 hr day or night 

To apply, please visit: www.kennerregional.com or call (504) 464-8012. 

EOE 

• Physical Therapist (inpatient): FT 

• Housekeeper: day or evening 

• Floor Tech: day 

Part of NOLA Regional Health Network 

We Hear You.


9Omni 

Bank 

By Patrick Strange, Contributing Writer 

When Rose Ellison left her home in eastern New 

Orleans in anticipation of Hurricane Katrina, she 

thought she packed more than enough provisions for 

what she believed to be a brief evacuation. 

Little did the six-year Omni Bank employee know just 

how much she would need in the coming weeks or just 

how swiftly her employer would rush to her aid. 

Evacuating to Baton Rouge and unable to return 

home, Ellison, who works as a bookkeeping manager 

for Omni, suddenly was without housing, clothing and 

necessities such as cookware and medication. However, 

Omni Bank located her and other displaced employees 

to address their immediate needs. 

“Omni found an apartment my husband and me in 

Baton Rouge,” said Ellison. “They told me if I needed 

anything just to let them know and they would provide 

it for me.” 

After finding apartments and hotel rooms for approximately 

120 employees who needed housing, Omni 

Bank then set out to clothe those who basically had nothing 

more than the shirts on their backs. With companywide 

cooperation, the bank staged a clothing drive in 

The Omni Bank Metairie branch reopened post-Hurricane Katrina in a trailer stationed on the Ridgelake property. 

Omni Bank Metairie branch teller Madelyn 

Wainwright counts cash for a customer.

which employees and their families donated 

everything from socks to bed sheets. 

“People brought all types of things — bedding, 

clothing, housing supplies — and the 

employees who did not have anything got the 

first preference of whatever they needed or 

wanted,” Ellison said. “I was able to get a lot of 

things that I did not have, like linens, spreads 

and not to mention clothing. I truly have to say 

that I am very thankful to everyone at Omni.” 

Roberta Fink, a mortgage loan representative 

who has worked at the bank for 17 

years, also experienced major losses as a 

result of Katrina. While her home in 

Lakeview sustained severe flooding and 

many of her personal effects were destroyed, 

Fink is grateful for the stability Omni Bank 

provided her and her family. 

OMNI BANK 


• Kept payroll in place for two periods. 

• Bonus checks to employees who returned to 

work. 

• Hotels and apartments were found for 120 

employees; 11 trailers were set up in 

Omni’s Kenner branch parking lot, known 

as “Omniville.” 


Omni kept payroll in place for two periods 

and gave bonus checks — ranging from 

$750 to $2,000 to employees who returned 

to work. The American Community 

Bankers Association also donated $10,000 

to Omni employees who lost their homes. 

“Omni Bank has been the one constant 

thing during the hurricane,” Fink said. 

“They have been wonderful. They have 

been the one thing that has been somewhat 

certain for me.” 

Like Ellison, Fink received needed materials 

from fellow employees and Omni even 

helped her locate a room at Hotel Le Cirque 

once she returned to New Orleans. 

For Kenner employees, Omni set up 11 

trailers in back of the bank’s property in the 

parking lot, labeling the site as “Omniville.” 

Fink and her family plan to move from their 

hotel room into one of the trailers in the 

coming weeks. 

“We try to treat each and every employee 

as we would like to be treated,” said Omni 

Bank President and CEO Jim Hudson. “We 

thought it was important to get our employees 

back to work and try to take any burden 

off of them.” 

The importance of returning to work is 

also a consistent theme for many Omni 

employees. Ellison and Fink were able to 

resume their work duties only weeks following 

Katrina and both feel comfort in knowing 

that Omni was there when they needed 

it the most. 

“I don’t think anyone here ever worried 

about their job,” Fink said. “I was working 

in LaPlace about two weeks after the storm 

... and it was good to get something back to 

normal.” 

Post-hurricane incentives, staff relocation 

and the sheer goodwill of its employees have 

paid great returns for Omni Bank. It is 

December 19, 2005 27 

Omni Bank acquired 11 Federal Emergency Management Agency trailers to set up for employees at the Kenner 

branch on West Esplanade Avenue. From left: Brandy Moss, teller, and Roberta Fink, mortgage loan representative. 

already operating 11 of its 13 original locations 

and has started construction on a new 

branch in the French Quarter. The bank has 

rehired 17 of the 20 employees lost during 

Katrina. 

“Our existence depends on having highquality 

people,” Hudson said. “When we 

hire, we really do hire for life.”•


OMNI BANK 

A trusted tradition in Louisiana banking. 

Thanks to the team 

that keeps us on the ball & 

makes OMNI BANK one of 

the top 20 places to work. 

Jim Hudson 

Kerry Grieff•Susan Sandusky•Maritza Bartholomew 

Roberta Fink•Debbie Landry•Charlotte Vigier•Michelle Hudson 

Annette Glahn•Fred Lay•Ivette Gauthreaux•Jayne Ainsworth•Jennifer Creger 

Angie Naquin•Brenda Lemoine•Sharol David•Anne Shaffer•Ken Levine•Gasper Morici 

Deb Ream•Pauline Richard•Colleen Muhoberac•Andy Ankesheiln•Eve Gremillion•Sidney Payne 

Valerie Lobue•Brice Howard•Kellee Pomet•Annette Bishop-Brown•Joe Cassesi•Joyce Sambola 

Pat Starnes•Summer Woodburn•George Dupuy•Erin Robert•Phil Callahan•Dolly Punch•Judy Howle 

Alix McCabe•Rae Ponze•Frank Martinez•Suzette Michelet•Mae Donovan•Stephanie Schwab•Rosetta Dufrene 

Rose Ellison•Elizabeth Stevens•Todd Murphy•Margaret Lawson•Danielle Martin•Sara Bugbee•Cheryl Barranco 

Keith Merritt•Charlene Bruce•Michelle Akin•Terry Guillot•Deidre Bates•Yvonne Billiot•Donna Payadue•Helen Trahan 

Kevin De La Hunt•Mark Maheu•Mark Graziani•Dana Gaulden•Jeannie Rotolo•Billy Stevens•Lori Kurtz•David Pritchett 

Cherie Oestriecher•Rhett Gonzales•Melissa Pepperman•Frank Monzon•Patrick Ainsworth•Stephen Winstine•Brian Behlar 

Mike Lopez•Renee Hogh•Gary Guidry•Annette Gray•Danielle Hullfish•Stephanie O'Brien•Kim Fehrenbach•Tom Tappan 

Wanda Luccioni•Cruz Lizarraga•Robert Griffin•Wayne Theall•Rick Sanchez•Lynn Hoak•Kianta Ceasar•Beth Arnold 

Charlene Lemon•Virginia Boudreaux•Liza Berkley•Michelle Slayton•Jack Finn•Elmire Lascala•Erin Ducote•Natasha Adams 

LaToya Charles•Lisa Troulliet•Desiree Baird•Meri White•Stacy Linden•Jennifer Otolara•Michael LaRocca•Larry Boudreaux 

Pablo Rener•Sue Berlier•Tom Smith•Nicholas Cavalier•Carla Ringuette•Brigitte Riche•Angela Bua•Natalie Guthrie•Patricia Templet 

Diane Wahl•Vicky Tamplain•Gelisha Powell•Renee Michael•Bob Stone•Cynthia Hall•John Ammerman•Amelie Landry 

Joshua Whitener•Sarah Castillo•Linda Miller•Shawn Hubert•Tiffany Chabert•Barbara Ducorte•Aleana Roussell•Crystal Castro 

Nohelia De Laneuville•Sharon Blache•Rhonda Wolkart•Gayle Farrens•Christi Gabriel•Adam Haines•Elizabeth Alfortish 

Angie Calamari•Yolanda White•April York•Jason Sentilles•Sonja Page•Madelyn Wainwright•Gary Doss•Rebeca Juarez 

Elise Kiser•Renee King•Billy Schmidt•Bradley Jongbloed•Maurer van Voorthuysen•Stacey Perret•Melissa Klibert 

Veronica Paz•Amy Carrington•Denise Reed•Amy Little•Cathie Britt-Whitney•Stephanie O'Callaghan•Mary Catania 

Lynn Martin•Robert Lott•Louis Freshley•Rebecca Prine•Raquel Juarez•Nancy Rowland•Kyla Sholar 

Brittany Blauvelt•Joan Granata•Laura Marshall•Allen David•Rhonda McManus•Kimberly Woodburn 

Patricia Hill•Tricia Smith•Jason Dussel•Amy Stevens•Jennifer Simon•Hope Bell•Julie Maratea 

Erica Land•Brian Arceneaux•Patty Waddel•Jan Sanders•Mike Chessher•Stacey Furr 

Tanya Paloade •Jolie Sekinger•Erica Story•Dianne Berger•Alicia Plaideau•Erin Jeanes 

Michelle Champagne•Rhonda Boudreaux•Renee Roussell•Shonte James 

Cathy Denson•Carolyn Metzger•Marlene Rolfsen•Emma Romero 

Angie Cooper•Stephanie Frisella•Jennifer Williams 

Grace Rogers 

(504) 833-2900 www.omnibk.com 

New Orleans • Metairie • Kenner • Elmwood • Harvey 

Gretna • LaPlace • Mandeville 

Member FDIC

OCHSNER EMPLOYEES, 

HERE’S TO YOU! 

Ochsner has been named one of New Orleans’ top employers by CityBusiness 

for 2005. Congratulations to each and every one of you! 

Throughout this extraordinary year—both before and after Hurricane Katrina—you 

have shown uncommon commitment, courage and character in delivering on our 

mission of putting patients first everyday. It has only been with your help that Ochsner 

has been able to continue to care for the New Orleans, North Shore and Baton Rouge 

communities without interruption. What better testament to all you have done than 

the recognition that together we have made Ochsner one of the top places to work in 

New Orleans? 

As we continue to face the challenges of rebuilding the New Orleans region, we are 

steadfast in our dedication to you—our employees—who make it possible for Ochsner 

to be a vital part of the New Orleans and Louisiana healthcare community. 

With enormous thanks, 

Patrick J. Quinlan, MD Warner L. Thomas 

Chief Executive Officer President and COO 

www.ochsner.org 

December 19, 2005 29


10 


Deveney 

Communications 

John Deveney, owner of Deveney Communications, 

acknowledges his firm’s atypical “utopian ideals” probably 

would not succeed in a larger organization. 

“My goal was to create a company that people would want 

to work at for the rest of their life,” said Deveney, of his fiveperson 

public relations firm. “Our type of human-resource 

policies wouldn’t work if we had 150 employees.” 

Deveney’s boutique public relations firm has been guided 

by uncommon ideals such as unlimited sick days, no hierarchy 

or titles, a percent-of-profit employee bonus system and a 

cubicle-free environment. Deveney also provides an annual 

planning retreat, an excursion to a vacation-like destination in 

which the staff discusses successes for that year, goals for the 

coming term and additions to policy that make Deveney an 

enjoyable place to work overall. 

“The more that business can support life, rather than vice 

versa — that’s the best place to work,” said Deveney. 

Following Hurricane Katrina, Deveney executed its strategic 

plan and emergency protocol, which allowed the firm to never 

Deveney Communications employee Kara Kortman said the team was able to work remotely through their laptops after Hurricane Katrina. 

The Deveney Communications staff consists of bottom, 

from left: Lindsay Glatz and Kara Kortman. 

Top: owner John Deveney, Chris Costello and Jeffrey Ory. 

DEVENEY COMMUNICATIONS 


• Daily conference calls among staff members, 

who used wireless-access computers and 

never missed a day of work 

• Set up first media center downtown, dining 

on meals-ready-to-eat, bathing with baby 

wipes and working 12 hours a day, seven 

days a week 

• Continued payroll 

Source: CityBusiness staff research

miss a day of work and its clients to never miss 

a day of communication support, despite 

staffers being scattered around the country. 

Deveney said his priority was to “protect 

each team member’s safety and financial stability.” 

Payroll was uninterrupted and “a mobile 

work environment” with team members hav- 

Owner John Deveney, left, and Jeffrey Ory look over client information. 

ing wireless Internet access and conducting 

daily conference calls was enacted. 

“It is amazing that despite the disaster our 

work was never interrupted,” said Lindsay 

Glatz, a one-year Deveney staffer. “While we 

all evacuated to different locations across the 

United States, we were all in constant com- 

2005 

women 

year 

of 

the 

Awards Luncheon 

Friday, January 13th | The Sheraton Hotel | NOON 

It has been a tough year. Now, more than ever, is the time 

to honor those women in our community that have 

always strived to make this a better city. 

For more information on advertising or ticket, please call 

Ann Bower Herren at 504-293-9296 or email her at ann.herren@nopg.com 

A portion of our net proceeds will benefit the first 

annual UNO scholarship 

and endowment fund, created to help the 

next generation of women in business. 

Sponsored by: 

�� 

munication with each other reaching out to 

our local clients and continuing work for 

clients (while we) were outside of Louisiana.” 

Deveney returned to New Orleans Sept. 18 

and established the first media center in downtown 

New Orleans.The team was bathing with 

baby wipes, dining on meals-ready-to-eat and 

working 12 hours a day, seven days a week. 

Deveney assisted the New Orleans 

Metropolitan Convention and Visitors 

Bureau in its work with more than 2,000 

media outlets in New Orleans. 

“We worked daily with major media out- 

December 19, 2005 31 

The Deveney Communications team meets with representatives from the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention 

and Visitors Bureau. 

lets like CNN, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, 

New York Post, and countless others to provide 

essential support for the city,” Glatz said. 

“We served as ambassadors for the city.” 

Deveney said his practice of treating his 

employees like he treats his clients keeps the 

firm happy and productive, which helps 

clients and the city of New Orleans flourish. 

“Everyone on our team works extremely 

hard to go the extra mile for clients,” Glatz 

said. “(We) have a lot of fun while we work. 

Starting my career at Deveney was one of the 

best decisions I ever made.”• 

We work together. 

We play together. 

When challenges arise, 

we pull together. 

No matter what, 

we’re in it together. 

We are proud of our DKS 

family and extremely 

pleased to be voted one of 

the Best Places to Work 

2005. 

Deutsch, Kerrigan & Stiles, L.L.P. 

755 Magazine Street 

New Orleans, LA 70130 

504-581-5141 

www.dkslaw.com


11 

Deutsch, Kerrigan 

& Stiles 

THOMAS SANDERS, an administrative 

assistant with the New Orleans law 

firm Deutsch, Kerrigan & Stiles, was getting 

too comfortable in his rented 

Lafayette house. 

“It was spacious; we had five bedrooms and only three of 

us living there. I really got comfortable there to tell you the 

truth and miss the accommodations.” 

But Sanders said he is happy to be home. 

Following Hurricane Katrina, Deutsch, Kerrigan & 

Stiles maintained payroll for its employees. The firm 

established temporary offices in Baton Rouge, Monroe, 

Houston and Hattiesburg, Miss., and a makeshift headquarters 

in Lafayette. 

The firm purchased and rented several homes in 

Lafayette to house evacuated employees and set up offices in 

cities where other employees had evacuated. 

Monica Kindscher, a legal secretary for 23 years with the 

firm, evacuated with her family to Houston. She rode a bus 

an hour and a half each way, five days a week to be the legal 

secretary for 10 New Orleans attorneys at Beirne Manard & 

Parsons, a firm from which Deutsch, Kerrigan & Stiles was 

renting office space. 

Deutsch, Kerrigan & Stiles officially reopened its downtown 

New Orleans office just one month after Katrina. 

Don Champagne, the firm’s director of administration, 

said the first thing they did upon their return was buy 

employees lunch and hang out for two hours to catch up on 

everything. 

“We’re all close here and it was so important for everybody 

to take time out of work and reunite,” Champagne said. 

Deutsch, Kerrigan & Stiles employees are volunteering 

their time on the weekends to clean out, gut and renovate 

other employees’ homes severely impacted by Katrina. The 

firm also set up a grants foundation through the Tarrytown, 

N.Y.-based Network of Trial Law Firms to help employees 

receive financial assistance. 

The firm’s employee-friendly events include quarterly 

socials, summer snowball parties, Lenten fish fries, anniversary 

recognition programs and most recently, the annual 

tree-trimming party. 

“It’s all the little things that say let’s show you how much we 

appreciate you that makes us appreciate the firm,” said Kelle 

Cortez, who works in the information technology department. 

12 

Hibernia National Bank 

BEFORE HURRICANE KATRINA, 

Hibernia National Bank was preparing 

for the biggest step in the company’s history 

— a merger with Capital One. 

Katrina delayed the blockbuster 

merger for three months. Hibernia 

regrouped on the homefront, dealing with the relocation 

and assistance for 3,100 evacuated employees. 

Hibernia maintained payroll for its employees and sent 

each a $1,000 grant. A total of $3,000 for each employee was 

then provided for housing assistance in September, followed 

by $1,500 in October to employees still needing financial 

help. Employees received $525 a week for living expenses in 

September, followed by $175 a week in October for those 

The Deutsch, Kerrigan & Stiles staff holds its annual Christmas tree trimming party. 

Hibernia personal banker Katherine Shelton assists customers Erik Arnold and his wife, Kathryn Gsell. 

still evacuated. 

“We wanted to make them feel as comfortable as possible,” 

said Hibernia CEO Herb Boydstun. “They had so 

many things to worry about and we figured if we could just 

provide a little financial support, then it was a few things less 

they had to worry about.” 

Hibernia also had 600 employees evacuate from the Lake 

Charles area during Rita. They also received payments for

housing and living expenses. 

Boydstun said Hibernia employees evacuated to mainly 

four cities, Houston, Dallas, Baton Rouge and Shreveport. 

Some worked in Hibernia branches in those cities, while 

others have returned to New Orleans as Hibernia 

reopened the majority of its branches and corporate downtown 

office. 

Hibernia started free bus service from New Orleans to 

Baton Rouge and from the North Shore to Baton Rouge to 

accommodate some employees. 

Hibernia has provided Federal Emergency Management 

Agency and Small Business Administration assistance to 

employees in question-and-answer sessions about different 

available programs. Employees also have been able to receive 

on-site tetanus and Hepatitis A shots. 

13 

FARA (F.A. Richard 

& Associates, Inc.) 

CAMILLA DAVIS, vice president of 

Mandeville-based FARA, became a real 

estate investor overnight in the aftermath 

of Hurricane Katrina. 

Days after the storm, Davis returned to the Covington 

area, found 17 condominiums for sale, ran the purchase by 

FARA president and CEO Todd Richard and bought all the 

condominiums to house displaced FARA employees. 

“It was mainly designed for our employees in the benefit 

services department at Lakeway III in Metairie, and they 

have really been put to good use by people who needed 

them,” Richard said. 

FARA, a third-party insurance services provider of risk 

management solutions and administration, maintained payroll 

and asked employees to return to work after Katrina to 

offices in Jackson, Miss., Baton Rouge and Nashville, Tenn., 

as FARA worked to reopen its Mandeville and Metairie 

offices. Richard said the organization never ceased operations 

as it established a data center and call of command for 

employees in the Baton Rouge office. 

Employees who returned to work within the first two weeks 

after Katrina were given additional compensation,said Richard. 

“We can’t pay them enough for returning to work as 

quickly as they did,” he said. “Our clients were blown away 

by the service level.” 

FARA is paying living expenses until Christmas break for 

employees’ families who evacuated and enrolled their children 

in out-of-state schools. 

Richard estimates FARA has spent more than $2 million 

in housing efforts since Katrina. 

14 

Apogen Technologies 

AFTER APOGEN Technologies instituted 

a Gulf Coast Employee Relief 

Fund, raising $615,000, the national 

security and federal technology firm 

uniquely put funding distribution in 

the hands of New Orleans employees. 

Apogen’s 156 employees were 

allowed to choose from partial or full share grants from the 

fund. Since 33 opted not to receive grants, full shares 

amounted to $6,200 for the remaining staff members who 

needed them. 

Apogen also worked with the Washington, D.C.-based 

Community Foundation for National Capital Region to 

make the grants tax-free. 

“We got a lot of positive feedback from letting employees 

self-select,” said Dave Mize, senior vice president of Apogen 

Technologies, headquartered in McLean, Va., with nine offices 

nationwide. “It meant a lot to them that we trusted them to 

make a decision with the money that was raised for them.” 

Apogen Technologies maintained payroll during and 

after Katrina and did not lay off any New Orleans workers. 

Employees are scattered at five temporary offices, two in 

Mandeville and Baton Rouge and one in Luling, while the 

New Orleans office is renovated after rainwater and mold 

damage. Mize said the site on Lakeshore Drive should be 

ready by late March or early April. 

Mike Goff, president of Apogen Services, said the hurricane 

response was just an extension from the already 

employee-friendly environment. 

“Our relationships here go beyond work and we followed 

that mechanism through all of this,”Goff said.“We had a chance 

to step up and walk the walk after talking the talk all these years.” 

Apogen offers nationwide company relocation assistance 

and regularly recognizes employees through an Awards and 

Recognition program, in which managers recognize individuals 

or teams with financial contributions, and a Milestone 

awards program for time with the company. 

15 

St. Tammany 

Parish Hospital 

PRESIDENT AND CEO Patti Ellish 

transformed St. Tammany Parish 

Hospital into more than just a hospital 

during and immediately after 


“We were a bank, Laundromat, grocery, clothing center, 

home away from home — any service we had to provide we 

December 19, 2005 33 

just adjusted to do it each and every day because we had to 

take care of our employees,” Ellish said. 

St. Tammany Parish Hospital paid employees who stayed 

disaster pay and paid evacuated employees “engaged to 

work” pay, or minimum wage. The hospital raised $350,000 

in donations for a hurricane relief fund, distributed in grants 

ranging from $250 to $3,000 based on need. 

The hospital cashed employees’ checks, bought seven 

washers and dryers for employees and their immediate families 

to do laundry in the hospital and worked with the Federal 

Emergency Management Agency to get gasoline to employees 

so they could commute to the hospital. 

A church in Texas and hospital in Alabama donated 

trucks full of housing supplies to STPH employees. 

“We took care of our employees, and in turn, they provided 

tremendous care to our patients during the brunt of everything,” 

Ellish said. 

Regular employee-driven programs at St. Tammany 

Parish Hospital include “Ambassador of the Quarter,” town 

hall meetings, gift cards to employees who go the extra mile 

and birthday lunches where employees are invited to lunch 

with senior management to talk about their jobs. 

“Employees are the heart of the hospital,” Ellish said. 

16 

Keating Magee 

AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA, 

New Orleans marketing firm Keating 

Magee found a rallying point for its 

employees in the form of what they do 

best — marketing. 

The firm relaunched its “New 

Orleans Proud to Call it Home” campaign, an idea developed 

a decade ago in a partnership with the Young 

Leadership Council to support the city’s economic development. 

The post-Katrina campaign will tour nine cities along 

See 17-20 continued on page 34 

Keating Magee staff includes bottom from left: Melissa Guidry and Katherine Staiano. Middle: Reneiri Turcois, Betsie Gambel, Holly McCollum, Justin 

Bonura and Carrie Fox. Back row: Angela Daviston, Karen Rupp, Janet Fabre Smith and Libby Wunsch.


17-20 continued from page 33 

the Gulf Coast, targeting evacuees to convince them to come 

back home and rebuild. 

“Our vice president of public relations, Betsie Gambel, 

was really responsible for engineering this new effort,” said 

Jennifer Magee, CEO of Keating Magee. “It has the core 

value of giving back to the community and helping rebuild 

New Orleans’ image after everything that happened.” 

Keating Magee, in its 25th year of business, maintained 

payroll for its employees and allowed them to work from 

home remotely, staying in contact with weekly conference 

calls. Employees are scattered in four offices in Greenville, 

Miss., Houston, Baton Rouge and New Orleans. 

“It was amazing to me that our employees, no matter what 

they were going through, were contacting clients and always 

thinking about the group,” Magee said. “They deserved 

everything we did.” 

Several staffers said one of the best parts about working at 

Keating Magee is the scenery. The New Orleans office is 

located on the fifth floor in the Jackson Brewery Millhouse, 

with balconies overlooking the Mississippi River. 

“Both our clients and staff feel it’s the best office space in 

town,” Magee said. “It lends itself to creativity; we go out on 

the balcony and brainstorm and just hang out with each 

other overlooking the city.” 

17 

Cody Jackson, top, and Jason 

Vicknair, River Marine Management 

employees, anchor a loaded barge. 

McGlinchey Stafford 

AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA, 

McGlinchey Stafford managing partner 

Rudy Aguilar secured Baton 

Rouge office space for his New Orleans 

law firm employees and rented 80 

River Marine Management employees David Rousau, left, and Milton Brown tie wire fixing to connect two barges. 

apartments to accommodate them with housing needs. 

The firm also raised $50,000 in a disaster-relief fund for 

severely impacted employees and maintained payroll for all 

staffers. 

Through an effort organized 

and coordinated by the 12-yearold 

son of a member in the firm’s 

Cleveland office, donations of 

more than 300 boxes of clothing, 

food and other useful items were 

made to the displaced New 

Orleans staff. 

“We cherish what all of our 

employees bring to work and we 

just did things for them as if you 

would do it for anybody in your 

family,” Aguilar said. “It was a 

matter of everybody coming 

together to help each other out. 

Though McGlinchey Stafford 

reopened its New Orleans office 

in November, several employees 

remain in Baton Rouge because 

they can’t return to their homes. 

Some are still stationed in 

Jackson, Miss., Dallas and 

Houston. 

Aguilar said the firm paid 

mileage allowance, enabling 

employees to commute from 

their homes to Baton Rouge 

if they were in that position. 

As every December rolls 

around, McGlinchey Stafford 

holds a “Secret Santa” drive for 

underprivileged kids through the Baton Rouge Bar 

Association. Aguilar said this year there is a different addition 

as employees are conducting a “Secret Santa” drive 

for children of staffers who had substantial losses. 

“It’s just a way of giving back and getting people to realize 

that McGlinchey is not just a place to work but a place to 

help people out, including the families of our own employees,” 

Aguilar said. 

18 

River Marine 

Management 

WHILE BARGE LINE SERVICE 

may involve strenuous and tedious 

work, River Marine Management president 

and CEO Shawn O’Daniels call 

his business “just one laid-back family 

who knows how to have fun.” 

Located in Garyville with an office in the World Trade 

Center building, River Marine Management employs 34 

workers. 

After Hurricane Katrina, the company maintained payroll 

for 60 days, got 11 FEMA trailers for employees and assured 

employees who could not return immediately they had jobs 

when they returned. 

O’Daniels cashed checks for employees and forwarded 

checks to workers out of state. 

O’Daniels said business resumed a month after Katrina 

and was fully operational to pre-Katrina status 50 days after 

the storm. 

“The atmosphere is as if the hurricane never hit; it’s 

business as usual and the same family feeling as before,” 

he said.

River Marine Management employees have routine cookouts, 

lunches and company parties, and all new employees 

receive free uniforms. 

19 

Landscape Images 

THE HUSBAND-WIFE TEAM 

Marianne and Alan Mumford have 

leveled the playing field at Landscape 

Images — literally. 

The Jefferson-based landscape 

architect firm introduced an openbook 

management program five years ago, allowing employees 

to see where every dollar and cent goes throughout the 

company. Employees can earn a profit-sharing bonus based 

on the company’s performance at the end of every quarter. 

“It’s become a philosophy here, not just a bonus system,” 

said Alan Mumford. “Down through everybody, we all are on 

the same page and working for the better of the business 

because we all have personal stakes.” 

Landscape Images also provides employees with two regularly 

stocked Swann’s ice cream freezers so they can cool off 

either before, during or after shifts. 

Mumford said Landscape Images reopened one week 

after Hurricane Katrina. He and a couple of employees slept 

overnight on Airline Highway days after the storm waiting for 

Jefferson Parish to reopen so they could fix the nursery. 

Mumford said they did direct deposit for employees and 

also offered vacation time to employees who could not return 

when they reopened. 

Landscape Images employees, from left: Vincent Gable, Bruce Tillman and Mike Oldag load plants onto the truck. 

Landscape Images employee Joe Farry reaches into the freezer for a Swann’s ice cream. 

20 

Free Gulliver 

FREE GULLIVER OWNER Tripp 

Friedler says the most important piece 

of capital any business has is human 

capital and he lives by that motto with 

the way he treats his employees. 

The small New Orleans investment, 

life planning and financial consulting firm kept pay- 

December 19, 2005 35 

roll in place, allowed employees to 

work from home and helped one 

employee relocate after she lost 

everything in Lakeview from 


Employee Denise Guttenberg 

moved to an Uptown apartment, 

and the firm helped her furnish the 

place with a bed, clothes, housing 

supplies and cable television. 

“Our job is to consult with businesses 

about increasing productivity 

and in doing that, taking care of 

employees. It would be hypocritical 

not to eat my own cooking,” 

said Friedler. “We take teamwork 

seriously.” 

Free Gulliver gives employees 

four weeks of paid vacation a year 

from moment of employment and 

promotes continuing education. In 

the last three years, two employees have gone back to school 

and received their master’s degrees. 

Friedler also holds a unique interviewing process for 

incoming candidates. They interview first with the last person 

hired on the Free Gulliver team and then the rest of the 

employees before lastly meeting with Friedler. 

“We make sure we integrate the right people into our 

team.” 

— Stories compiled by Tommy Santora


New Orleans’ Best Places to Work 

(Ranked according to employees’ answers to survey questions (morale index) and employer efforts from Hurricane Katrina) 

Name 

Address 

Nature of business 

Ochsner Clinic Foundation 

1414 Jefferson Hwy. 

New Orleans 70121 

Health care 

Adams and Reese 

701 Poydras St., Suite 

4500 


Law firm 

Kenner Regional 


180 W. Esplanade Ave. 

Kenner 70065 

Health care 

West Jefferson Medical 

Center 

1101 Medical Center Blvd. 

Marrero 70072 

Health care 

Zehnder Communications 

650 Poydras St., 2450 


Advertising agency 

East Jefferson 

General Hospital 

4200 Houma Blvd. 

Metairie 70006 

Health care 

Albert-Garaudy 

and Associates 

3500 North Causeway 

Blvd. 


Consulting 

engineering 

Ralph Brennan 

Restaurant Group 

550 Bienville St. 


Restaurant 

Omni Bank 

2900 Ridgelake Dr. 


Banking 

Deveney Communications 

2406 Chartres St. 


Public relations 

Phone 

Fax 

842-2714 

842-3716 

581-3234 

566-0210 

464-8700 

464-8062 

347-5511 

349-2057 

558-7778 

558-7779 

454-4000 

889-7114 

846-6400 

838-8955 

539-5515 

539-5538 

833-2900 

263-5310 

949-3999 

949-3974 

Morale 

index 

(based on 

employee 

answers 

to survey 

questions 

Avg. 

starting 

salary 

Median 

salary 

92 $11.50/ 

hour 

$18.35/ 

hour 

90.7 $35,000 

per year 

$44,000 

per year 

95.3 $38,480 

per year 

$37,169 

per year 

87 $35,000 

per year 

$33,134 

per year 

95.3 $37,500 

per year 

$48,00 

per year 

87.95 $22,887 

per year 

$32,780 

per year 

95.5 $20,000 

per year 

$70,000 

per year 

93 $32,000 

per year 

$38,000 

per year 

83 $27,437 

per year 

$30,070 

per year 

95.1 $31,000 

per year 

$59,800 

per year 

Employment 

length for 

benefit 

eligibility 

1 st of the 

month after 

one month 

Number 

of 

workers 

one month 240 

(New 

Orleans) 

Daycare options 

Paid maternity 

Health care benefits 

Continuing education 

Relocation assistance 

401(k) (% match) 

Telecommuting 

Dental 

Vision 

Flexible hours 

Prescription 

Job sharing 

Subsidized meals 

Employee recognition program 

Fitness program 

Katrina 

highlights 

7,238 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Housing 

assistance; 

pet, child 

care; 

complimentar 

y meals; free 

garage sale; 

$2 million 

relief fund 

• • • • • • • • • • • • • Free garage 

sale; $200,000 

in disaster 

relief fund 

one month 615 • • • • • • • • • • • • $3 million 

Tenet relief 

fund; 10 

weeks 

disaster relief 

pay; 

relocation 

immediate 1,975 • • • • • • • • • • • • • 24-hour per 

day disaster 

pay; hurricane 

relief 

shopping 

store; relief 

fund totaled 

help 

$400,000 

two months 20 • • • • • • • • Employees 

received 

$1,000; 

continued 

One monththree 

months 

payroll 

3,121 • • • • • • • • • • • 24-hour per 

day disaster 

pay; housing 

assistance; 

pet, child 

30 days 150 • • • • • • • • • • • Continued 

payroll; rented 

apartments in 

Houston; 

housing 

supplies 

donated 

three months 

– one year 

581 • • • • • • • Housing 

assistance at 

the W hotel; 

continued 

care 

payroll 

30 days 225 • • • • • • • • • • Bonus checks 

for returned 

employees; 

housing 

Medical – 

immediately; 

salary 

increase – one 

year 

assistance 

5 • • • • • • • Continued 

payroll; 

mobile work 

environment

New Orleans’ Best Places to Work 

(Ranked according to employees’ answers to survey questions (morale index) and employer efforts from Hurricane Katrina) 

Name 

Address 

Nature of business 

Deutsch, Kerrigan & 

Stiles 

755 Magazine St. 


Law firm 

Hibernia National Bank 

313 Carondelet St. 


Banking 

FARA 

1625 W. Causeway 

Approach 

Mandeville 70471 

Insurance services 

Apogen Technologies 

2219 Lakeshore Dr. 300 

New Orleans 70122; 

4561 Dunham Pl., Suite 

A 

Baton Rouge 70186 

Technology 

solutions 

St. Tammany 

Parish Hospital 

1202 S. Tyler St. 

Covington 70433 

Health care 

Keating Magee 

600 Decatur St. 5 th floor 

New Ortleans 70130 

Marketing 

McGlinchey Stafford 

643 Magazine St. 


Law firm 

River Marine 

Management 

P.O. Box 657 

Garyville 70051 

Maintenance/repair 

Landscape Images 

655 Central Ave. 

Jefferson 70121 

Horticulture 

Free Gulliver 

809 Octavia St. 

New Orleans, La 70130 

Financial 

Planning/Consulting 

Phone 

Fax 

593-0625 

566-4076 

533-2814 

533-2856 

985-624- 

8383 

(Temp.) 

225-295- 

5981 

985-898- 

4015 

985-898- 

4000 

299-8000 

525-6647 

586-1200 

596-2800 

985-535- 

9497 

985-535- 

9496 

734-8380 

734-8493 

899-0300 

680-6702 

Morale 

index 

Avg. 

starting 

salary 

Median 

salary 

92.66 $43,627 

per year 

$57,154 

per year 

85.4 $24,833 

per year 

$36,595 

per year 

91 $34,321 

per year 

$40,830 

per year 

89.5 $60,000 

per year 

$70,600 

per year 

79.2 $21/hour 

$46,654 

per year 

90 $25,000 

per year 

$44,000 

per year 

80.42 $35,000 

per year 

$39,000 

per year 

93.3 $48,000 

per year 

$55,000 

per year 

90.1 $18,720 

per year 

$35,000 

per year 

91.87 $24,000 

per year 

58,000 

per year 

Employment 

length for 

benefit 

eligibility 

Number 

of 

workers 

Daycare options 

Paid maternity 

Health care benefits 

Continuing education 

Relocation assistance 

401(k) (% match) 

Telecommuting 

Dental 

Vision 

Flexible hours 

Prescription 

Job sharing 

December 19, 2005 37 

Subsidized meals 

Employee recognition program 

Fitness program 

Katrina 

highlights 

One month 126 • • • • • • • • • • • • Continued 

payroll; 

housing 

assistance; 

relocation 

immediately 6,243 • • • • • • • • • • • • Living 

expenses 

and grants 

paid; bus 

help 

service 

three months 494 • • • • • • • • • • • • Purchased 

condos for 

employees; 

paid for 

evacuee 

rental 

immediately 156 

(New 

Orleans) 

0-30 days 

depending 

on benefit 

expenses 

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • Relief fund 

totaled 

$615,000; 

continued 

payroll 

1,511 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Cashed 

employee 

checks; 

monetary 

grants 

totaled 

$350,000; set 

up resources 

for 

pharmacy, 

grocery, 

equipment 

immediately 27 • • • • • • • • • Continued 

payroll; 

relaunched 

‘Proud to Call 

it Home’ 

One month – 

one year, 

depending on 

benefit 

needs 

campaign 

185 • • • • • • • • • • • • Kept payroll 

in place; 

offered 

relocation; 

household 

items and 

money 

donated from 

other firm 

branches 

90 days 36 • • • • • • • • • • Kept payroll 

in place; 

offered 

trailers; 

cashed 

employee 

checks 

90 days 29 • • • • • Missed one 

week of work; 

offered 

vacation 

time, 

Vacation – 

immediately; 

health – 

one month; 

401K – 

one year 

housing 

6 • • • • • Kept payroll 

in place; 

allowed 

employees to 

work from 

home; 

offered 

relocation 

*To be considered for this list in the future, contact us at 834-9292, or by mail at 111 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Suite 1440, Metairie, LA 70005.


RIVER MARINE MANAGEMENT 

WORLD TRADE CENTER 

2 CANAL STREET, SUITE 2200 

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA 70130 

(985)-535-9497 

Thank you CityBusiness for recognizing us as one of the 

20 Best Places to Work in New Orleans. 

BRADLEY ALFARO BUDDY BOUDREAUX WILLIAM BROWN 

NORMAN BYCHURCH NATHON CHANDLER RAYMOND EVANS 

JIM MASCAIR BEN NOLAN LARRY RUDESILL 

ALVIN STORTZ ROBERT STRECKFUS ERIC VAUGHAN 

DANIEL VARNADO GERALD EAST DAVID ROUSAU 

CODY JACKSON ANTHONY MASCAIR MILTON BROWN 

KACEY BOWEN DEXTEN WEBER JAMES WAGAR 

MIKE MAYRONNE JOSH FALGOUST STEVE MCGUERTY 

JASON VICKNAIR KENNETH BEEMER CHRISTOPHER SMITH 

DAVID CASANOVA KENNY DAVIS KEVIN R. ODANIELS 

SHAWN M. ODANIELS 

PRESIDENT & CEO

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Companies boost morale post-Katrina - New Orleans City Business

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