SENIOR ADVISOR FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AIMEE QUIRK ANNOUNCES DEPARTURE FROM CITY HALL
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 12/04/2014
SENIOR ADVISOR FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AIMEE QUIRK ANNOUNCES DEPARTURE FROM CITY HALL
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Today, Senior Advisor for Economic Development to the Mayor Aimee Quirk announced that, after over four years of service to the City, she will leave her post to pursue opportunities in the private sector, effective December 31, 2014.
“Aimee has led our economic development team during a time of incredible economic growth and development in our City," Mayor Landrieu said. “As a result of her leadership, we have attracted thousands of new jobs, are experiencing a retail boom, and are generating significant new tax revenue to support city needs. I want to thank Aimee for her hard work and dedication to the City of New Orleans."
Since May 2010, the City has secured projects that are creating more than 9100 new permanent, direct jobs, more than $1.2 billion in new capital investment, and millions of dollars in new tax revenues. These include new, completed retail projects such as Costco’s first store in Louisiana, two new Walmart stores, Mid-City Market, the Outlet Collection at Riverwalk, Circle Food Store, the Refresh Project including Whole Foods Market, and the soon-to-open South Market District and Magnolia Marketplace, as well as new corporate investment such as GE Capital’s information technology center of excellence and the return of International Shipholding Corporation’s headquarters. Projects like these contributed to a 9.5% growth in sales taxes collected in 2013 and a projected growth rate of 7% in 2014, yielding an estimated $23 million in new general fund revenues for the City in that time period.
Ms. Quirk was instrumental in reorganizing and strengthening the City's economic development functions through creation of both the New Orleans Business Alliance, a partnership between the City and business focused on economic development and job growth, as well as the Office of Supplier Diversity, a critical initiative to deliver on the Mayor's commitment to connect disadvantaged businesses to opportunities to participate in our growth. She coordinates the work of those initiatives with the Office of Workforce Development, which works to connect local residents to job opportunities. Ms. Quirk also manages the City's incentive offerings and worked with the Business Alliance to establish guidelines by which to evaluate requests for public financing. As the Mayor’s primary liaison to the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY), Ms. Quirk has worked closely with the MSY team as the airport made significant operational and capital improvements and pursued new air service, landing eight new airlines and nonstop flights to more than 14 new domestic and international destinations.
Ms. Quirk said, “It has been a profound honor and privilege to serve the citizens of this great city and to have been part of this incredibly talented and dedicated team.”
Upon Ms. Quirk’s departure, Chief of Staff Brooke Smith will oversee the Office of Economic Development until a permanent replacement is named.
