Greater New Orleans Small Business Sustainability Summit 2008

The third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina prompts me to reflect on the Greater New Orleans Small Business Sustainability Summit of 2008 in which I had participated earlier this year. New Orleans small businesses are dealing with issues that are all too familiar to us in Lower Manhattan: how do you reinvent your business to survive, and even thrive, in a completely new environment? How do you cope with the issues of disaster fatigue? How do you manage your frustration as you approach an anniversary date and reflect on how little progress has been made? The Summit provided a great forum for us to learn from one another.

Small businesses coming together at the Edgewater Baptist Church

On the one hand, it was remarkable to see how much we had in common. The recovery effort in New Orleans was impeded by the inability of the federal and state governments to agree to a common framework, and the constantly changing rules – a situation with which we in Lower Manhattan are all too familiar. Carmen Sunda, the Director of the New Orleans Small Business Development Center, took me on a tour of some of the affected areas. I have attached a few of my pictures. Even three years after Hurricane Katrina struck, the FEMA trailers and demolition signs are everywhere. And yet, I could see the resilience and commitment of those who participated in the small business neighborhood summit.

Notice the house markings

Demolition signs were everywhere