Cathy Juarez Alfonso stepped into the role community engagement manager for The Port of New Orleans in March 2019. Prior to joining the port, Cathy served as the CEO for the St. Bernard Chamber of Commerce. During her tenure as CEO, she was responsible for reversing the organization’s financial deficit through the implementation of community-centered efforts, implementing new programming and increasing awareness by serving as the spokesperson for the organization. Prior to her time at the Chamber, Alfonso worked in the education and tourism sectors in marketing and communications. With Port NOLA, Alfonso plans to use her skill set and experience to develop and implement a community engagement plan that will help strengthen existing relationships, build new partnerships and increase the Port’s presence in the workforce development arena. Alfonso is a graduate of LSU, with a B.A. in mass communications with a concentration in public relations and a minor in Spanish. She resides in St. Bernard Parish with her husband, and is a travel enthusiast and self-proclaimed movie buff.
Cathy Alfonso is a member of the New Orleans Workforce Leadership Academy, Class of 2019, one of several Workforce Leadership Academies in localities across North America.
The Workforce Leadership Academies are part of the Economic Opportunity Fellows Network, a network of leadership and fellowship programs run by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program. Within this Network, EOP connects national and local leaders from across sectors — nonprofit, government, business, philanthropy, academia, and more — to advance policies and practices with the potential to help low- and moderate-income Americans thrive in today’s economy. Learn more at as.pn/eofn.
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