Women in New Orleans City Government

City Archives
New Orleans Public Library

Women in New Orleans City Government
A list of women who hold or have held leadership positions in the New Orleans municipal government

Women Department Heads

1950s (Mayor deLesseps S. Morrison): Lillie H. Nairne--Dept. of Welfare
1960s (Mayor Victor H. Schiro): Mildred Fossier--Dept. of Welfare
1970s (Mayor Moon Landrieu): Dr. Doris H. Thompson--Health Dept.
1980s (Mayor Ernest N. Morial): Helen S. Stanwood--Health Dept. (acting); Madlyn B. Richard--NORD; Evelyn F. Pugh--Dept. of Safety & Permits; Cheryl Q.W. Cramer--NORD; Coralee Basile--Chief Administrative Officer; Betty Jo Everett--Dept. of Streets
1980s & 1990s (Mayor Sidney J. Barthelemy): Dolores Aaron--NORD; Irma Muse Dixon--Dept. of Property Management; Cynthia M. Connick--Dept. of Safety & Permits; Kathy Torregano--Dept. of Law
1994- (Mayor Marc H. Morial): Marina Kahn--Finance Dept.; Sheila J. Webb--Health Department (Interim); Avis Russell--Dept. of Law; Angele Wilson--NORD; Harriet Burnett--Dept. of Safety & Permits; Nannette V. Jolivette--Dept. of Sanitation; Betty J. Everett--Dept. of Streets; Lillian Zayas-Pope--Dept. of Utilities

Women Directors of City Boards and Commissions

1970s (Landrieu): Mildred Fossier--Parkway & Park Commission; Lynda Friedman--Vieux Carre Commission; Joan Glennon--Board of City Trusts
1980s (Morial, E.N.): Florence Schornstein--Parkway & Park Commission
1980s & 1990s (Barthelemy): Kristina Ford--City Planning Commission

Women Directors of Non-Charter Agencies (excluding the Mayor s Office)

1950s (Morrison): Inez Crane--Upper Pontalba Building Commission
1970s (Landrieu): Patsy Sipos--Upper Pontalba Building Commission; Saundra K. Levy--Historic Districts/Landmarks Commission
1980s (Morial): Harriet Burnett--Upper Pontalba Building Commission; Emilie Chandler--French Market Corporation [may have been named by Landrieu in the last weeks of his administration]; Jessie Smallwood--Housing Authority of New Orleans

Women Heads of Divisions, Etc. within the Mayor s Office

1950s (Morrison): Betty Finnin--City Decorator
1970s (Landrieu & Morial, E. N.): Nell Weekly--Office of Consumer Affairs; Margery Stich--Volunteers in Government of Responsibility (VIGOR); Dr. Beverly C. Favre--Women's Office
1980s (Morial, E. N.): Sandra Gunner--Office of Manpower & Economic Development; Helen S. Stanwood--Executive Assistant for Human Resources; Cheron M. Brylski--Office of Public Information; Alison Richards--Criminal Justice Coordinating Council; Louadrian Reed--VIGOR; Women s Office; Brenda Vorhoff--Office of Economic Development; Cristina J. Hill--VIGOR
1980s & 1990s (Barthelemy): Jinx Broussard--Office of Public Information; Susan Johnson--Office of Employment Training & Development; Shelia Danzey--Housing & Urban Affairs; Janice L. Bartley--Housing & Urban Affairs; Almarie Ford--Human Resources; Cathy Castro--International Relations Office; Lisa Bush--VIGOR
1994- (Morial, M.H.): Mary M. Mayo--Human Resources; Beverly Ragas--VIGOR

Revised 3/15/2004