Businesses and nonprofit organizations across south Louisiana recently announced the following honors and recognitions.
New Orleans
The Advertising Club of New Orleans honored the following local ad professionals at its gala, marking the first phase of the American Advertising Awards. Glenda McKinley, founder of GMc + Co. Strategic Communications, received the Silver Medal Award. Also awarded were: Elizabeth Schoen, of Brand Society, Agency Account Service Person of the Year; Sophie Nolan, of Digital Remedy, Agency Executive of the Year; Amber Vogts, of FatHappy, Creative Director of the Year; Kelsey Raybon, of Immaginal, Creative Services Person of the Year; Stephanie Funti, of Zehnder Communications, Operations/Administrative Person of the Year; Oya Bukulmezer, of Immaginal, Most Promising Person of the Year; Gabby Chulick, of Brand Society, Social Media Person of the Year; Meghan Hall, of Loyola University New Orleans, Student of the Year; Avery Anderson, of Zehnder Communications, Writer of the Year; and Kaelyn Johnson, of Immaginal, Project Management/Production Coordinator of the Year. Petermayer won Best of Show Overall and Best Copywriting for its campaign for Quantum Fiber. Monday + Partners won Best Cinematography for its project for LA.IO. FatHappy won Best Sound Design for its ads for PetLibro and Mosaic Award for its work for Covenant House. Deep Fried Advertising won Best Storytelling for its JEDCO jingle.
Elaine Williams
Smart Meetings magazine named Elaine Williams, the chief commercial officer of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, as an Innovator for Smart Women in Meetings. Williams, who has worked for the Convention Center since 2007, also serves on the board of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events and the Southeast Louisiana Board for Volunteers of America.
Kimberly Gramm
The Idea Village awarded the inaugural Scott Gale Memorial Award to Kimberly Gramm, the David and Marion Mussafer Chief Innovation and Entrepreneurship Officer at Tulane University Innovation Institute. The award recognizes Gramm’s work building the Gulf South’s innovation ecosystem and strengthening the infrastructure that supports founders and drives the growth of the region.
Baton Rouge
The Louisiana Wildlife Federation announced 11 winners of its 60th annual Conservation Achievement Awards who will be honored at an April 11 banquet. Louisiana Native Plant Society, of Boyce, is Conservationist of the Year; Undersecretary for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Bryan McClinton, of Baton Rouge, is Professional Conservationist of the Year; Keep Tiger Town Beautiful founder Jennifer Richardson, of Baton Rouge, is Volunteer Conservationist of the Year; Life City, of New Orleans, is Conservation Business of the Year; Erik Johnson, of Lafayette, is Conservation Educator of the Year; state Rep. Kim Landry Coates, of Ponchatoula, is Conservation Elected Official of the Year; Joe Macaluso, of Baton Rouge, is Conservation Communicator of the Year; Audubon Aquarium Rescue, of New Orleans, is Conservation Organization of the Year; Eleanore Lowe, of New Orleans, is Conservation Youth of the Year; St. Joseph’s Academy Coastal Roots Program, of Baton Rouge, is Conservation Youth Organization of the Year; William “Joe” McPherson, of Woodworth, was honored with a Lifetime Achievement award for his decades of legislative leadership, public service and advocacy on behalf of conservation and outdoor recreation.
Associated Builders and Contractors awarded seven Louisiana firms with 2025 National Health and Safety Merit Awards at the organization’s 36th annual Excellence in Construction Awards. Brown & Root Industrial Services, of Baton Rouge, was a pinnacle winner in the Heavy and Civil Engineering Contractors category. MAPP, of Baton Rouge, and RNGD, of Metairie, were both merit winners in the General Contractors category. Performance Contractors, of Baton Rouge, was a merit winner in the Heavy and Civil Engineering Contractors category. All Star Electric, of LaPlace, was a merit winner in the Specialty Contractors category. MMR Constructors, of Baton Rouge, was a merit winner in the Specialty Contractors category. And Woodward Design+Build, of New Orleans, was a merit winner in the General Contractors category.
More than a dozen Louisiana companies and projects were also winners of ABC Excellence in Construction awards.
Performance Contractors won in the industrial up to $10 million category for the Vopak Propylene Glycol Export Upgrade in Plaquemine, in the industrial $100 million to $250 million category for the Chevron Geismar Expansion and Improvements Project in Geismar, in the industrial $10 million to $25 million category for the Dow Steam Header Compliance Project in Hahnville and in the megaproject over $250 million category for the Venture Global Plaquemines LNG Fabrication, Assembly and Site Installation Project in Port Sulphur.
MMR Constructors won in the category of electrical: industrial up to $5 million for the Dow Eagleray Project — Boiler Electrical and Instrumentation in Plaquemine; and in the category of electrical: industrial $5 million to $20 million for the Valero East Plant Turnaround in St. Charles.
Triad Electric & Controls won in the category of electrical: industrial up to $5 million for the Dow SC2 Flare Gas Recovery Project in Taft.
Durr Heavy Construction won in the category of sitework/landscape/hardscape for the Darrow Blue Energy Ammonia Storage Area Grading in Sorrento.
Brown & Root Industrial Services won in the category of specialty construction: industrial more than $10 million for the Indorama Westlake 2025 Turnaround.
DonahueFavret Contractors won in the commercial up to $10 million category for the WVUE Fox 8 Studio Buildout in New Orleans and in the health care $25 million to $100 million category for the Slidell Memorial Hospital 3-Story Addition and Renovation.
Broadmoor won in the historical restoration/renovations $15 million to $100 million category for the Tulane School of Architecture.
Gibbs Construction won in the institutional up to $15 million category for the Harry Tompson Center in New Orleans.
Group Contractors won in the industrial up to $10 million category for the Shell Norco GO1 Substation Replacement and in the specialty construction for industrial $3 million to $10 million for the S&B/Energy Transfer Propane BOG Project in Nederland, Texas.
Lemoine won in the public works/environmental category for the Laurel Ridge Levee Extension in St. Amant.
AnderCorp won in the renovation $100 million to $250 million category for Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana in Bossier City.
Sealevel Construction won in the infrastructure: heavy up to $100 million for the TC Energy ELXP project in Golden Meadow.
Cajun Industries won in the category of specialty construction: industrial more than $10 million for the Marine Jetty Access Bridge in Port Sulphur and in the special projects up to $20 million category for the CSX 2 Mile Gulf Coast Hardening project in New Orleans.
Turner Industries Group won in the industrial $25 million to $50 million category for BlueCAT in Port Allen and in the industrial $10 million to $25 million category for ExxonMobil’s Magnolia Project in Huntsville, Texas.
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