AARP Louisiana names New Orleans City Councilmember Susan Guidry 2014 Local Leader of the Year

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE​​​
March 5, 2015​

Contact: Jewel Constance
225-614-7671

jconstance@aarp.org

BATON ROUGE, La. – AARP Louisiana has announced that New Orleans City Councilmember Susan Guidry is the recipient of the 2014 Local Leader of the Year award for championing issues that enhance the lives of older residents in the city.

AARP selected Councilmember Guidry of District “A” in New Orleans because of her leadership and tenacity to rebuild the Carrollton-Hollygrove Senior Center, after it was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina. The new state-of-the-art Senior Center will replace the Carrollton-Hollygrove Multi-Purpose Center, which had historical significance for the older residents in the neighborhood. Councilmember Guidry worked closely with New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu on the project to ensure its financing and completion. The new Senior Center is projected to open in mid-2015.

Councilmember Guidry has tackled many other issues that have improved the lives of older adults in her community, including working with residents to address crime in their neighborhood and most recently successfully securing a delay for a proposed freight rail line expansion.

“AARP and its volunteers have worked alongside Councilmember Guidry for many years and we appreciate all that she does to strengthen communities,” said Denise Bottcher, Interim State Director, AARP Louisiana. “This award recognizes her tireless dedication and commitment to improve the lives of older adults.”

“AARP has long valued policy makers who champion issues that are important to the 50+ population and who serve as the voice of their communities they represent,” said Andrew Muhl, Advocacy Director, AARP Louisiana. “Councilmember Guidry invests long hours to thoroughly understand the issues and the impact they have on residents, particularly older adults. She is a strong advocate of civic engagement and consistently welcomes all stakeholders to the table.”

 

 

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of nearly 38 million, that helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities and fights for the issues that matter most to families such as healthcare, employment and income security, retirement planning, affordable utilities and protection from financial abuse. We advocate for individuals in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name as well as help our members obtain discounts on a wide range of products, travel, and services. A trusted source for lifestyle tips, news and educational information, AARP produces AARP The Magazine, the world's largest circulation magazine; AARP Bulletin; www.aarp.org; AARP TV & Radio; AARP Books; and AARP en Español, a Spanish-language website addressing the interests and needs of Hispanics. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates. The AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. AARP has staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Learn more at www.aarp.org.
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