Groups target New Orleans ‘expatriates'

NEW ORLEANS – The Idea Village and The Young Leadership Council have partnered to create NOLAnow, a networking program designed to encourage former New Orleanians to move back to New Orleans to live and work.

Through various communication tools, including collaboration with local universities to reach alumni who have moved out of the city, NOLAnow will create a database of out-of-towners who are interested in getting reacquainted with the city.

Former New Orleanians are encouraged to visit www.nolanow.org and register for the NOLAnow quarterly newsletter, which will give updates on the growing business environment, community activities, unique lifestyle attributes, and testimonies from New Orleans “expatriates” who have successfully moved back to the city.

"There are so many positive changes taking place in the City of New Orleans and the time is now to build a dialogue with New Orleans expatriates,” said Tim Williamson, Idea Village executive director. "Without a doubt, the greatest asset of New Orleans is the people who are from here - native or adopted. NOLAnow is a network of New Orleans expatriates who have moved away, but never fully left the city, and who we hope one day will come back home.”

"The goal of NOLAnow is to bring together people interested in the fate and potential of New Orleans – especially those who harbor the dream of someday returning to live and work in the place they are uniquely blessed to call home,” said Gerald Duhon, Young Leadership Council executive director.

The Idea Village (www.ideavillage.org) is a regional economic development organization whose mission is to build the entrepreneurial community in New Orleans. The Young Leadership Council (www.youngleadershipcouncil.org) is a volunteer driven, non-profit, non-partisan civic organization created to develop leadership through community projects.