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For Immediate Release
October 15, 2010
Contact: Dana Eness
504-561-7484 | dana@urbanconservancy.org

Businesses, Councilmember Recognized for Going “Above and Beyond”

New Orleans, LA - The Urban Conservancy, a nonprofit organization promoting localism and appropriate land use, will honor seven local businesses and one elected official with “Above & Beyond” awards at its annual “You Are Here” fall fundraiser event, Thursday, Oct. 21.

“These awards honor businesses and individuals who persevere in the face of adversity and are critical social and economic anchors within their communities and their industries,” said Dana Eness, executive director of The Urban Conservancy.

Award winners were selected from a pool of nominees submitted by the general public. Nominations came from Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard and St. Tammany parishes for businesses and individuals that excel in responding to their communities’ needs through civic engagement, superior customer service, and best practices such as sourcing and hiring locally.

The 2010 Placemaker award winners recognized for contributing to their communities’vibrancy and vitality are:

• Sunrise Trading Co., Inc. (Stephen J. Murphy) - Jefferson Parish
• Zeus’ Place (Michelle Ingram) - Orleans Parish
• D & C Seafood Inc. (Duong “Sugar” Tran and Chan Tran) - Plaquemines Parish
• Shine Productions (Barry Lemoine and Rose Marie Sand) - St. Bernard Parish
• Lakeside Camera Photoworks (David Guidry) - St. Tammany Parish

Category-specific awards will recognize continuity, resiliency and leadership. P & J Oyster Company, Inc. will receive the 2010 Continuity award. “No institution has played a larger role in the advancement of south Louisiana’s oyster industry than the 136-year-old P & J Oyster Company, the oldest business of its kind in the United States,” wrote New Orleanian David Aman in his nomination letter.

Rocky & Carlo’s Restaurant and Bar, a Chalmette institution since 1965, will be honored with the Resiliency award. Councilmember Susan G. Guidry will receive the Leadership award. “I am thrilled to receive this Leadership Award from The Urban Conservancy for my work on the Lafitte Greenway and Revitalization Corridor Project,” Councilwoman Guidry said. “I identified it as my priority project because it will yield long range recreational, cultural, and economic benefits, as a linking corridor from the French Quarter to Bayou St John and all of the neighborhoods between.”

“We encourage the public to join us on October 21 to salute these businesses and individuals who do so much to contribute to our quality of life in the New Orleans area,” said David Baker, project coordinator for The Urban Conservancy’s economic development initiative, Stay Local!. For ticket and event information, contact David Baker at dbthad@staylocal.org or 561-7474 or visit youareherenola.com.

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The Urban Conservancy is a New Orleans-based nonprofit dedicated to research, education, and advocacy promoting the wise stewardship of the urban built environment and local economies. For more information, go to www.urbanconservancy.org and www.staylocal.org.