Recovery Authority to Lead Rebuilding Effort in La.

Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco announced the creation of the Louisiana Recovery Authority as the guiding agency to lead the state’s rebuilding efforts. The authority will focus on key state issues such as housing, jobs, transportation, health care and education.

“The effort to restore our state requires a daring, yet realistic plan. A plan based on input from people in all walks of life. A plan created from the ground up. A plan driven by local needs. A plan inspired by innovation,” said Gov. Blanco. “We cannot simply re-create what the storms destroyed. We must make the new Louisiana smarter, safer and stronger.”

Governor Blanco tapped her point-person on recovery, Chief of Staff Andy Kopplin to head the agency.

Gov. Blanco also appointed a 24-member Board of Directors to oversee the authority and to direct short and long term recovery plans. As advisors to the governor, the board will seek public input and will set benchmarks to gauge progress.

Gov. Blanco appointed long-time president of Xavier University and respected New Orleans leader Dr. Norman Francis to chair the board. For vice-chairman, Gov. Blanco selected journalist and author Walter Isaacson, president and CEO of the Aspen Institute and former chairman of CNN.

“I have charged these two distinguished leaders to harness the energy of the entire board and put forth strong, aggressive initiatives,” Blanco said. “The Louisiana Recovery Authority will help me bring the entire state together in the effort to rebuild Louisiana. It will be a unified voice with the single focus on rebuilding. It will show the nation that we can work across all of the old boundaries that once kept us apart.”