Grady Hurley, a partner at Jones Walker, has been elected as the president of the Maritime Law Association of the United States, making him the fourth president from New Orleans in the organization’s 125-year history. Hurley, who is also the co-leader of the maritime litigation, arbitration, and dispute resolution team, earned his law degree and master of laws in maritime law from Tulane Law School. He has previously served as the president of the Tulane Alumni Association and the New Orleans Bar Association.
In other news, Jennifer Caldwell, an assistant professor at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, has been selected as one of four early-stage investigators to receive pilot funding of $50,000 from the Forge AHEAD Center at the University of Alabama Birmingham. Caldwell’s upcoming project, Linking Genetics and Improving Nutrition in Scotlandville (Linking GAINS), aims to educate Black individuals on their genetic makeup and its impact on their health outcomes. The project will provide nutrition and cooking classes tailored to the limited resources of food deserts like those in Scotlandville and north Baton Rouge, as well as genetic testing for chronic conditions.
Additionally, the East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority was honored with an award of excellence from the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials for their $25 million Cypress Pinchback senior community development. The housing agency was recognized for its design, innovations, and sensitivity to the needs of aging residents. This is the second award of excellence for the agency in two years, following their recognition for the Tech Tools for Children in Housing Communities initiative.
Lastly, the Louisiana Economic Development and the U.S. Small Business Administration recently recognized business owners and supporters at the 2024 Louisiana Small Business Awards ceremony. The honorees included individuals and organizations such as Cristy Cali, Mayra E. Pineda, Xavier Barreda, LaDonte Lotts, Jack L. Gunter, Trudy R. Poret, Susan Thibodeaux, Dirk Guidry, LaDarby Williams, Anastacia Francis, Mickal P. Adler, John K. Roberts III, Jonathan Reynolds, Cody Gil, Courtney Tramiel, Christina C-Do, Cherrie Guidry, Wayne Rabalais, Stephen C. Van Sickle II, and Walker Alford. These awards recognized excellence and innovation in various categories within the small business community in Louisiana.