Federal Agency Led by Women in Top Two Posts
A First for the National Finance Center
Category: People
Debra Spriggins Retirement
New Orleans East resident and first Black woman in NOPD Motorcycle Division receives proclamation from New Orleans City Council on her retirement after almost 31 years
From East New Orleans to the West Wing of the White House
Congressman Cedric Richmond to take prominent job in the Biden Administration
In a press conference Richmond held at the New Orleans Lakefront Airport, Cedric Richmond, a son of New Orleans East reminisced about his younger days at Goretti playground as he discussed his plans to resign his position in Congress to take a position as Director of Public Engagement in the Administration of President-Elect Joe Biden .
Congressman Richmond’s path to the White House began in the Louisiana Legislature.
LeighAnna Margurite Awarded Miss Earth Title
LeighAnna Margurite, daughter of Veronica Darby, competed in the Miss Earth® USA pageant on August 8, 2020. LeighAnna, who was previously awarded the title of Miss Louisiana Earth, won the title of Miss Earth® USA Fire 2020 in the official preliminary competition to Miss Earth® USA.
LeighAnna dedicated numerous hours in the community sharing tips on how small changes in what we do to the earth can have huge impacts on saving our planet. She is planning a cleanup as part of World Cleanup Day on September 19, 2020, sponsored by Miss Earth® USA. To participate, follow LeighAnna on Instagram @MissEarthUSAFire.
Congratulations, LeighAnna!
Lakischia Smith: How Free Haircuts to HealthCare Heroes Began
I am a Registered Nurse and the Owner of WHO DAT BarberShop, Inc. It has always been a goal of mine to intermingle the two different areas of my life and the Pandemic gave me the perfect situation.
After working with COVID-19 patients on my job, I knew all too well the health risking conditions that healthcare workers were enduring to continue to provide for their families. I also saw healthcare workers going weeks and months without getting a haircut or proper grooming. We all had the same desire to look and feel good again amid the quarantine.
So I stepped up to the Local Heroes Challenge by partnering with Personal Touch Mobile Detailing to feed more than 140 frontline workers. We gave meals to Acadian Ambulance and Ochsner Extended Care Hospital. The event was a success, but I still felt like I wanted to do more. By this time, my business had reopened after being closed for exactly two months with no income. WHO DAT BarberShop quickly reopened but I noticed business was slower due to all the continued restrictions secondary to the social distancing regulations.
I decided to give Free Haircuts to HealthCare Heroes because that is what I love to do — help others. I knew Our HealthCare Heroes deserved it and I wanted to help them to look and feel good again during these crazy times. But I felt bad about asking my Barbers, Ro, Devin and Kim, to cut hair for free, knowing they had lost all income for two months and were recovering financially themselves. So I added the Fundraiser to help me pay for the Haircut Services, matching it dollar for dollar.
Lakischia is the mother of four sons whom she encourages and teaches Entrepreneurship. In addition to having a career and being an entrepreneur, she enjoys reading and mentoring others.
