Board of Trustees Officers
2025–2026
Suzanne T. Mestayer, Board Chair
Managing Principal
ThirtyNorth Investments
New Orleans, Louisiana
James E. Maurin, Chair-Elect
Founder and Past Chairman
Stirling
Covington, Louisiana
John M. Hairston, Secretary
President & CEO
Hancock Whitney Corporation
Gulfport, Mississippi / New Orleans, Louisiana
Pete November, Treasurer
CEO
Ochsner Health
New Orleans, Louisiana
Ted Weggeland, Immediate Past Chair
Founder
Raincross Corporate Group
Riverside, California
Stephen J. Watson, President & CEO
The National WWII Museum, Inc.
New Orleans, Louisiana
Board of Trustees 2025–2026
R. Ryan Adkerson
Vice President and Financial Advisor
CAPTRUST
New Orleans, Louisiana
Jacquelin Sewell Atkinson
Co-CEO
Sewell Automotive Companies
Dallas, Texas
Justin T. Augustine III
Regional Vice President
Transdev Services, Inc.
New Orleans, Louisiana
Lawrence E. Bathgate II
Senior Managing Partner
Bathgate, Wegener & Wolf, P.C.
Lakewood, New Jersey
Brandon B. Berger
Owner & CEO
Wild Air Ventures LLC
Boston, Massachusetts
Donald T. “Boysie” Bollinger
Chairman & CEO
Bollinger Enterprises, LLC
New Orleans, Louisiana
Jessica Brandt
CEO
Ray Brandt Auto Group
Metairie, Louisiana
Laura Stephens Brookshire
Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications
Stephens Inc.
Little Rock, Arkansas / Dallas, Texas
Michael S. Bylen
President
Bylen Golf Company, LLC
Rochester Hills, Michigan
The Hon. Louis E. Caldera
Former Secretary of the Army
Bethesda, Maryland
Kevin G. Clifford
Retired Chairman and CEO
American Funds Group
Las Vegas, Nevada / New Orleans, Louisiana
James A. Courter
Vice Chairman: Genie Energy, Ltd
Of Counsel: Lavery, Selvaggi, Abromitis & Cohen
Sanibel, Florida
Arnold W. Donald
Former Vice Chair and President and CEO
Carnival Corporation & PLC
St. Louis, Missouri
John D. Georges
CEO
Georges Enterprises
New Orleans, Louisiana
James N. Gianopulos
Founder/CEO
Muses Media Enterprises
Los Angeles, California
William A. Goldring
Chairman
Sazerac Co.
New Orleans, Louisiana
Charles W. “Chip” Goodyear
President
Goodyear Investment Company
New Orleans, Louisiana
Thomas A. Gruber
Senior VP & CMO (Retired)
McDonald's/Blockbuster/AutoNation USA
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fleur C. Harlan
Trustee
The Manhattan Institute
New York, New York
Adrea D. Heebe
Retired Attorney
New Orleans, Louisiana
J. Tyler Herbert
Founding Partner
Gravel Road Partners
Washington, D.C.
Jeffery D. Hildebrand
Executive Chairman and Founder
Hilcorp Energy Company
Houston, Texas
C. Paul Hilliard
Chairman Emeritus
Badger Oil Corporation
Lafayette, Louisiana
LTG Charles W. Hooper, USA (Ret.)
Senior Counselor
The Cohen Group
Washington, D.C.
John E. Koerner III
President
Koerner Capital, LLC
New Orleans, Louisiana
Gregory W. Kowalski
President & CEO
The RK Group
San Antonio, Texas
H. Merritt Lane III
Chairman of the Board, President and CEO
Canal Barge Company, Inc.
New Orleans, Louisiana
Peter J. Merlone
Founder, Co-Owner, and Managing Partner
Merlone Geier Partners and Merlone Geier Management
Ketchum, Idaho / New Orleans, Louisiana
David Nierenberg
Founder & President
Nierenberg Investment Management Co.
Camas, Washington
William M. Osborne III
Chairman
New World Symphony
Coral Gables, Florida
Stephen G. Oswald
Chairman, President & CEO
Ducommun Incorporated
Santa Ana, California
Robert J. Patrick
Managing Partner
Patrick Family Foundation
New Orleans, Louisiana
Sonia A. Pérez
President (Retired)
AT&T Southeast States
Mission, Texas
Robert L. Priddy
Chairman
RMC Capital
New Orleans, Louisiana
Todd Ricketts
Board of Directors
Chicago Cubs
Chicago, Illinois
Deanna Rodriguez
President & CEO
Entergy New Orleans, LLC
New Orleans, Louisiana
Caren L. Rubin
Executive Director
Mosaic Law Congregation
Sacramento, California
Philip G. Satre
Chairman
Wynn Resorts Ltd.
Reno, Nevada
Glenn J. Solomon
CEO & Founder
Simbol Commercial
Dallas, Texas
Jason De Sena Trennert
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Strategas Research Partners
New York, New York
Massey Villarreal
President/CEO
PTG
Houston, Texas
St. Denis J. “Sandy” Villere II
Portfolio Manager
Villere & Co.
New Orleans, Louisiana
Governor Christine Todd Whitman
President
The Whitman Strategy Group
Oldwick, New Jersey
Governor Pete Wilson
Wilson Walsh George Ross Consulting, LLC
Ellis George LLP
Los Angeles, California
Founding President & CEO Emeritus
Gordon H. "Nick" Mueller, PhD
Founding President & CEO Emeritus
The National WWII Museum, Inc.
New Orleans, Louisiana