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Dr. Cosey is the Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives and Community Services for Kingsley House, she works closely with internal and external partners on strategies that provides a path for families to economic prosperity. Arnel W. Cosey, Ph.D. has 30 years of experience in higher education, 20 of those years have been in administration at the state’s largest community college.
 

In her role she was responsible for the development and implementation of the strategic enrollment management plan. To support the diverse needs of a student population facing considerable academic and socio-economic challenges, she developed several partnerships at the local and national levels with corporations and organizations such as Education Design Lab, the GE Foundation, Chevron, Entergy, and The Fab Foundation at MIT. She also has extensive experience in key operational areas, such as organizational planning, budget management, campus expansion, capital outlay, deferred maintenance, and program planning and implementation.  

 

A proud New Orleans native, Dr. Cosey is committed to her local community demonstrated through her membership on local boards and in several service organizations. She has been the recipient of several professional and community awards such as the Louisiana Community and Technical College System Outstanding Staff of the Year, the Chancellor’s Innovation and Excellence Award, CityBusiness Women of the Year, Class, and CityBusiness One to Watch (education).

Norman E. Barnum IV is a finance executive with over 30 years in community and economic development leadership experience in cities in the Northeast and Gulf South. Barnum currently serves as Chief Financial Officer at the New Orleans Business Alliance (NOLABA), an economic development organization that partners with City government to attract and support businesses, develop talent and workforce, and strengthen sense of place.
 
Internally, Barnum develops the overall financial strategy and implementation of data systems at NOLABA. He manages the finance team, treasury, shareholder relations, accounting, tax, external audit, and risk management. Barnum also leads the development and implementation of strategic initiatives that increase the organization’s self- sustainability and minimize dependence on public funding. To do so, he serves as a liaison between leaders in the public and private sectors and community members to generate outcomes that drive prosperity for all citizens of New Orleans.

Prior to joining NOLABA, Barnum held previous CFO roles with WYBE Public Television and the Ogontz Avenue Revitalization Corporation in Philadelphia, PA. He also served in several senior financial roles at the Delaware River Port Authority in Camden, NJ. Throughout his nearly 30-year career in nonprofit finance, Barnum has established a reputation for building self-sustaining revenue streams and aligning financial and business metrics to support organizational growth. Barnum has developed multiple real estate projects and raised in excess of $90 million in financing. For his achievements, he was nominated by the Philadelphia Business Journal for 2009 CFO of the Year in the Nonprofit Category. Barnum holds a B.S. in Accounting from Xavier University in New Orleans, LA and an MBA in Finance and Management from Eastern College in St. Davids, PA.
An LSU graduate, he launched his career in 1998 as the first Event Coordinator at the LSU Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Prior to 1998, the PMAC, in its 25 years of existence, had not had an Event Coordinator. During his tenure at the PMAC, Philipson coordinated the Inaugural Ball for Gov. Mike Foster, LSU Basketball Games, NCAA Women's Basketball Regional Tournaments and LSU Gymnastics. 

In 2005 Philipson was named the Director of Event Services at the SMG Managed Baton Rouge River Center. There, he oversaw the Event Services department as well as coordinating events including the Miss Teen USA Beauty Pageant, Hollydays and the Baton Rouge Business Report Biz Tech Expo. 

 

In 2006, Philipson once again returned to the Superdome and New Orleans Arena as Director of Engineering & Operations. In this position, he supervised the Operations, Engineering, Housekeeping, Production, and Technical Services Departments. These departments are responsible for the set-up, tear down, cleanliness, and technical aspects of every event in the facilities. He was also responsible for the safety program, emergency/severe weather planning. FF & E procurement, pest control, preventive maintenance programs, annual inspections, and union negotiations relations. 

 

In 2011, Philipson was named the Regional Director of Operations for SMG, covering the southern region. In this capacity, he oversaw and served as a resource for the Directors of Operations in 30 facilities, Further, he determined the course of the corporate operations initiatives in conjunction with the three other Regional Directors and the Vice President of Operations for SMG.

 

In July of 2013, Philipson was named Director of Facilities for SMG New Orleans. In this role he worked with the various state owned properties under the jurisdiction of the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District as well as on various ŞMG development projects around the country. 

 

In July of 2015, Philipson was hired at Tulane University as the Vice President of Facilities, Campus Development and Services. As Vice President, Randy Philipson oversees the University Planning Office in its mission to support and implement the University's Strategic and Master Plans and its goals for institutional development through the physical environment and building resources of the University. The University Planning Office coordinates and directs campus planning activities for major university construction and campus improvement projects and assists departments and divisions with space and physical facilities planning. This includes oversight of Capital Projects, Real Estate, University Services (Auxiliaries), and Facilities Services. 

Anne Sarpy Phillips was born and raised in New Orleans.  She graduated from Newman High School and the University of Georgia, B.A with a major in History and a minor in Spanish.  She received her JD from Loyola New Orleans University School of Law. Admitted to the bar in Georgia and Louisiana, she has practiced in Atlanta and New Orleans in the areas of corporate, securities, real estate, and public utility law as well as matters of commercial litigation.
Her passion for education and the children of New Orleans began when she worked as a teacher and administrator for Summerbridge (now Breakthrough New Orleans) in high school and in college.  Since then she has worked extensively for her children’s schools as well as Samuel J. Green Charter School and Lafayette Academy Charter School.

 

Annie is committed to the New Orleans community and has been active in numerous civic, educational and philanthropic organizations including the Louisiana Children’s Museum, the Preservation Resource Center, the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Audubon Nature Institute, the Herman-Grima and Gallier Historic Houses and the Junior League of New Orleans. 

 

Annie and her husband Nat, also a lifelong New Orleanian, have three children. 

Luann is a creative, innovative, and energetic donor-centered Advancement Professional in higher education with more than 25 years of service to Tulane University. She is a member of Advancement’s Senior Leadership Team, Senior Philanthropic Advisor, and Administrator of the Tulane Educational Fund as member of Tulane’s Administrative Council. As Vice President for Advancement, she serves as a Philanthropic Advisor for principal gifts and leads various teams focused on moving the organization forward with a comprehensive approach to engagement and philanthropy through constituent experience, career exploration and support, professional training and development, Athletics fundraising and revenue and marketing initiatives falling beyond traditional nonprofit philanthropy. Key partnership roles include Capital Projects, Tulane Center for Sport, Tulane Center for Brain Health, Latin American Studies, and the university’s affiliate organizations. Dozier previously served as Vice President for Development where she provided leadership for the Promise & Distinction and Tulane Empowers campaigns and for the development division overall including all fundraising teams, constituent relations, donor relations and stewardship, board and council development and relations and operational services including research, proposal development and writing, and gift accounting, among others. As Director Leadership Giving, she developed and organized the first unit focused on the university’s most impactful constituents to identify and align their primary philanthropic desires to drive strategic priorities and transformative opportunities and dramatically accelerate the growth of the core and foundational areas that define Tulane. As such she developed national volunteer advisory cabinets engaging regional ambassadors to identify and engage constituents, inform advancement strategy and to serve as peer connectors in support of fundraising. She began her tenure at Tulane in 1997 serving as Associate Director of Major Gifts and staffing the Dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

 

Areas of expertise in both fundraising and advancement include philanthropic advising, strategic planning, campaign planning and execution, board and council development, training and professional development, student career exploration, program and proposal development, event experience design and production. Clifton Strengths include individualization, futuristic, maximizer, strategic, and achiever.

 

Dozier is a member of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), and the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). She serves on the Board of A Studio in the Woods, is a sustaining member of the Junior League of New Orleans, and past Advisory Council member of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation. Dozier earned the Bachelor of Science degree from Georgia Southwestern University.

Yvette M. Jones is the President and Owner of The Jones Group of New Orleans, a consulting firm that provides a range of philanthropic and strategic consulting services to non-profit organizations.  Drawing upon her successful 36-year career in higher education administration, Ms. Jones’ areas of expertise include strategic planning, board governance, talent building, and all aspects of fundraising and campaign planning and management.   

Ms. Jones served at Tulane University in a variety of senior administrative roles from 1979 until 2016.  While at Tulane, she served as Executive Vice President for University Relations and Development, Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President for External Affairs, Senior Vice President for Planning and Administration, Vice President for Finance and Operations, and many other roles.  

 

Ms. Jones is actively involved in the New Orleans community.  She serves on the Boards of Metairie Park Country Day School,  Eden House and Kingsley House.  She also serves as chair of the Dean’s Council at the A.B. Freeman School of Business and as co-chair of the Campaign Committee for the Cowen Institute for Public Education Initiatives at Tulane University.  Ms. Jones earned the Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Business Administration degrees from Tulane University.

Merritt Lane, III has served as the Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of Canal Barge Company, Inc. since 1994 and as a director of that company since 1988. He is actively involved in industry affairs, having served as Chairman of the Board of the American Waterways Operators, as Chairman of the Waterways Council, Inc., and currently serving as a board member of the National Waterways Foundation and the U.S. Coast Guard Foundation.

He also serves on the Board of Pontchartrain Materials Company, a privately-owned company based in New Orleans, and Illinois Marine Towing, a wholly–owned subsidiary of Canal Barge Company based in Lemont, Illinois.  He formerly served on the Board of Directors of Hibernia Homestead Bancorp, Inc., as well as the board of International Shipholding Corporation, both publicly-traded companies.

 

Mr. Lane is active in leadership positions with numerous civic, educational and philanthropic organizations, having served as Board Chair of Isidore Newman School, The Idea Village (a New Orleans area non-profit entrepreneurial development organization), and the Baptist Community Ministries Foundation (one of the largest private foundations in Louisiana). He currently serves on the boards of The Nature Conservancy of Louisiana, the National World War II Museum, and Bricolage Academy; on the Executive Committee of the Bureau of Governmental Research and the Business Council of New Orleans & the River Region; and is a Board Member Emeritus of the Tulane University School of Public Health Dean’s Council.

 

He graduated from the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce in 1983, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in Finance.  He currently serves on the McIntire School of Commerce Advisory Board, and is an active alumnus of the school. Mr. Lane and his wife Eleanor (Elly) are both natives of New Orleans and have three daughters 

Tiffany Harvill has worn many hats across several industries and geographies including Entrepreneur, Chief Operating Officer, District Manager, Finance Director, Commercial Lender, Strategy Consultant and Public Accountant. These experiences led Tiffany to her current role as a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones Investments. In this role Tiffany delivers personalized investment solutions to assist clients in achieving their financial goals.  

Tiffany is also actively involved in her local community serving as Chair of Liberty’s Kitchen Board of Directors, Advisory Board Member for WWNO/NPR Radio, Membership Chair Women's Professional Council and Board Member of the Faubourg Avart Neighborhood Association. You will also find Tiffany enjoying time with family, traveling and experimenting in the kitchen. A native of Detroit, Michigan, Tiffany is a Certified Public Accountant with a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from Michigan State University and a Masters of Business Administration from Columbia University.    
Libby Bain is the Executive Director of Teacher Pipelines. Previously, she served as the Director of Talent at KIPP New Orleans Schools for eight years. She was responsible for leading KIPP’s recruitment efforts and working on their broader talent strategy. During that time, she oversaw a 140% increase in hiring for the network while helping to start their teacher evaluation program and launch a teacher residency. Prior to her role at KIPP, Libby spent four years working on recruitment, staffing, and new teacher training.
Libby was a founding coach with The 18th Ward and spends time coaching girls sports throughout the year. Libby was originally a high-school special education teacher in St. Louis, Missouri. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Virginia.

 

Brittney Speed Waiters is a proud New Orleans native with a deep commitment to fostering positive outcomes for the city’s youth and families. As the Operations Coordinator for the City of New Orleans’ Office of Youth and Families, she plays a pivotal role in the development and execution of initiatives that aim to improve the lives of the city’s most vulnerable populations. In this capacity, Brittney collaborates with local organizations, government agencies, and community stakeholders to implement programs that address critical issues such as education, health, and economic opportunity, ensuring that New Orleans’ youth are provided with the tools and resources they need to thrive.

 

Her work focuses on creating pathways for youth engagement by connecting them to meaningful opportunities in education, workforce development, and extracurricular activities. Brittney’s approach is rooted in a belief that youth development is essential to building stronger communities, and she is dedicated to cultivating environments where young people can grow into confident and capable leaders.

 

With an extensive background in real estate, Brittney brings a unique perspective to her work in public service. Her experience in property management and community relations has equipped her with the skills to navigate complex bureaucratic and social systems, while also developing a keen understanding of how stable housing and community infrastructure can influence family dynamics and youth outcomes. This expertise allows her to advocate effectively for comprehensive solutions that address both the immediate and long-term needs of families across New Orleans.

 

In addition to her role with the Office of Youth and Families, Brittney is an active member of the Bricolage Community Association, where she serves as the Board Representative. In this role, she works closely with educators, parents, and community leaders to support Bricolage Academy’s mission of creating innovative and inclusive educational environments. Her leadership and dedication to the school and its surrounding community reflect her lifelong commitment to ensuring that all children in New Orleans have the opportunity to reach their full potential.