AU REACHING OUT TO CITY GOVERNMENT AFFECTED BY HURRICANE KATRINA
Auburn University Outreach’s Center for Governmental Services is leading an initiative to provide professional services for evaluating and rebuilding New Orleans.
“We are delighted to offer our assistance towards the redevelopment of New Orleans,” said Royrickers Cook, assistant vice president for University Outreach. “Through this outreach initiative, Auburn University faculty are applying their academic expertise to a devastated area and assisting with improving quality of life.”
Don-Terry Veal, CGS director, assembled a team from AU to provide redevelopment support and assistance to the Algiers Economic Development Foundation in Louisiana. Over the past year, Algiers became a central point to serve the rest of New Orleans and has been noted for its efforts in thinking differently about rebuilding and redeveloping the city.
“We wanted to do something that was manageable and practical,” Veal said. “We are applying our area of expertise in an area that needs it most.”
Other members include Bill Sauser, associate dean for Business and Engineering Continuing Education, John Gaber, associate professor in the School of Architecture and Linda Ruth, assistant professor in Building Science.
“Dr. Veal has assembled a group of highly skilled AU faculty and he is providing solid leadership to this initiative,” Cook said.
A variety of initiatives are being developed with education being the driving force in the redevelopment of New Orleans. The projects will promote the area’s recovery from Hurricane Katrina as well as economic development in the regions.
Focus group meetings, strategic planning and assessment, comprehensive evaluations of physical structures such as select public schools, and analyses of educational programming and capital assets are just some of the projects the group will undertake.
“Projects such as this, where education is a driver for economic development, can serve to benefit not only the New Orleans area, but also AU and the State of Alabama,” Veal said.
AU has partnered with several entities on the redevelopment project. They are New Orleans local elected officials, Algiers Development District, Algiers Economic Development Foundation, Concordia design team, City Planning, Eean McNaughton Architects, Algiers Charter Schools, New Orleans Public Schools, The Neighborhood Council of Presidents and the New Orleans Education Foundation.
