2025 Speakers

Richard Albert is the President and Principal of Albert Architecture. Founded in 2000, the company is a full-service professional architectural firm that has completed projects in the New Orleans metro area and across the Gulf South. Albert, with over 20 years of proven architectural experience, leads a team of 9 professionals, with degrees from University of Louisiana, Tulane University, Columbia, Virginia Tech, and the University of Wales.

Principal in Crescent Title and the law firm of Bergeron, Douglass, Frosch and Mack, Bob Bergeron is in his 20th year of managing residential and commercial real estate transactions. Bob is recognized throughout the area as an expert on Louisiana real estate law. He lectures frequently to investors and home buyers on the legal aspects of buying and selling property. He also is certified to provide state-mandated continuing education courses to REALTORS® and teaches hundreds of real estate agents annually. Throughout the metropolitan New Orleans area, Bob is considered a leading authority in the field of 1031 Tax Deferred Exchanges. Presently, Bob manages and conducts approximately 1500 real estate transactions a year, which includes commercial and residential closings. Bob graduated from Loyola University in 1984 where he earned a B.B.A. He earned his Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School, where he obtained membership on the Moot Court Board. In addition to his practice of law, Bob is a retired major in the Louisiana Army National Guard. Bob is admitted to practice before all courts, both federal and state, in Louisiana. Additionally, he is a member of the American Bar Association, New Orleans Bar Association, Louisiana Association of Independent Title Attorneys and the Louisiana Land Title Association. He also is a trustee of the endowment fund for St. Georges School. Under Crescent Title LLC, Bob is an affiliate with both the Louisiana Mortgage Association and the New Orleans Metropolitan Association of REALTORS®.

Kirsten Early, CCIM has been an integral part of SRSA Commercial Real Estate since 1998, bringing over two decades of expertise in executing real estate strategies for retailers and landlords. With a focus on retail tenant representation, tenant site selection, land assemblage, property disposition, and participation in shopping center redevelopment, Early has established herself as a leader in the industry. As the Director of Retail for SRSA, Early currently leads a dedicated team of retail professionals overseeing landlord and tenant representation. She designs and implements leasing programs for national and regional retail companies. Notable among her accomplishments are several awards, as well as industry recognition as an expert speaker on panels and conferences. A graduate of Loyola University of New Orleans with a Bachelor of Science and Business Administration (BSBA), Early earned her Certified Commercial Investment Member designation (CCIM) in 2002 and is a licensed real estate agent in Louisiana. Her extensive client list includes prominent retail tenants such as Floor & Decor, Total Wine, Chick-Fil-A, BJ's Wholesale Club, Dave & Buster's, Bath & Body Works, Petco, and many more.

Bryce French is a Senior Vice President in the CBRE New Orleans office. Bryce is proficient in industrial, office, investment, and development transactions. Within industrial real estate, Bryce has specialized expertise in Ports and Terminal assets and is an expert in Maritime Industrial Real Estate completing many noteworthy transactions on the lower Mississippi River, the Intracoastal Waterway, and other commercial waterways. Bryce serves on the CBRE Manufacturing and Special Properties Group and the CBRE Ports and Integrated Logistics Practice.

Cres Gardner is a seasoned commercial real estate advisor with more than 25 years of experience representing both institutional and private-sector clients. As Vice President and Manager of Beau Box’s New Orleans office, Cres specializes in Class A office leasing, tenant representation, medical leasing, and investment advisory services. His approach blends strategic insight with deep local knowledge, making him a trusted partner in complex transactions across the Gulf South. He currently leads the firm’s relationship with LCMC Health, advising on acquisitions, dispositions, and strategic planning for the growing healthcare system. Cres also oversees a long-standing, 1.8 million-square-foot leasing assignment with Hertz Investment Group—a client relationship that spans more than two decades. Cres previously spent 12 years at Transwestern and holds the prestigious SIOR and CCIM designations. He is a past president of the Louisiana CCIM Chapter and the Commercial Investment Division (CID) of the New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors, and served on the National Board of Directors for CCIM. He was named “Office Broker of the Year” by NOMAR CID in both 2019 and 2020.

Lauren Gibbs is the second-generation owner and CEO of Gibbs Construction. A daughter of company founder Lawrence C. Gibbs, she took the helm in July 2019. Lauren came to Gibbs in 2011 after starting her career in Nashville, where she earned both a bachelor’s in civil engineering and a Master of Engineering/Construction Management from Vanderbilt University and worked in project management for American Constructors. She also has an MBA from the University of New Orleans. At Gibbs, Lauren has served as an estimator, project coordinator, project engineer, project manager, and executive in charge, and was named a vice president in October 2017. Lauren is gifted with innate organizational skills which are complimented by her ability to quickly and clearly perceive the basic components of complex topics. She is a leader and collaborator with the insight and experience to elevate the team. Energetic, enthusiastic, bold and aggressive, Lauren sees the big picture while also handling minute details very well. She is tenacious, digging into details, and diving deeper than most. She goes above and beyond the call of duty, both from the technical aspect and the task completion aspect, driving toward the resolution of issues and problems and pushing for completion. Her very affable style of authentic, genuine communication is a boon to Gibbs Construction, its projects and its people, adding to the teambuilding necessary among the players.

Michael Hecht is President & CEO of Greater New Orleans, Inc., the economic development agency for southeast Louisiana. GNO, Inc.’s mission is to create a region with a thriving economy and an excellent quality of life, for everyone. Under Hecht's leadership, GNO, Inc. has been named the “Top Economic Development Organization in the United States” by the International Economic Development Council. Prior to GNO, Inc., Hecht led Louisiana’s Hurricane Katrina Small Business Recovery Program and worked for Mayor Bloomberg running NYC’s post-9/11 small business program. Hecht holds an MBA from Stanford University and an undergraduate degree from Yale University. With family roots in Louisiana back to the 1830s, he lives in New Orleans with his wife and two sons.

Ileana Ledet serves as the Chief Economic Competitiveness Officer at Louisiana Economic Development, where she leads efforts to ensure sustainable growth for generations to come. She has significant experience in economic development, public policy, and public affairs at the state and federal levels. Prior to joining LED, Ledet worked on Entergy Louisiana’s Economic Development team. Ledet previously served as the Economic Development Representative in Louisiana with the U.S. Economic Development Administration, working with rural and urban communities across the state. Prior to that, she was the Senior Vice President of Policy at Greater New Orleans, Inc., leading efforts to advance state and federal policies to create a thriving regional economy. Ledet also served as Deputy Commissioner of Public Affairs at the Louisiana Department of Insurance, and managed communications and stakeholder engagement at the Louisiana Department of Education. Before joining state government, Ledet worked as a television producer in the Phoenix and New Orleans media markets. Ledet is fluent in Spanish and graduated from The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs. She has served on several boards, including the Bureau of Governmental Research and the River Region Chamber of Commerce. She is a Distinguished Fellow of the Nancy M. Marsiglia Institute of Justice and served as the Vice-Chair of the Jefferson Ready Start Network. She and her husband are natives of New Orleans and have two children.

Percy Manson joined Hope Credit Union as a Senior Vice President of Community Economic Development for the State of Louisiana. He brings over 30 years of experience in lending with financial institutions. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Finance from Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, LA. He also holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of New Orleans, and a certification of completion from LSU Graduate School of Banking. In addition to his banking career, Manson serves as political consultant who has helped to elect several individuals on a state and local level. He is passionate about the community and the need to improve the economic development of the underserved. He currently serves as a commissioner for the New Orleans Housing Authority (HANO); as vice chair of International High School of New Orleans; and a board member of the Peace Center of New Orleans. Manson is the Immediate Past President of the Sigma Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Michael Merideth, CEO of Verius Property Group (VPG), received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Tuskegee University graduating with honors and the highest GPA in his class. In 2010, along with Andre Lewis, Michael co-founded the real estate development company VPG based out of New Orleans, LA where his primary role has been strategic planning, asset management, and investor relations. Since the company’s inception, Michael has helped expand the company to over $35,000,000 in current assets, secured $9,000,000 in private capital, and propelled the company to the 8th fastest growing real estate company in America.

Newell D. Normand is a former sheriff of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. He previously served in various command positions within the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office before being elected in 2007. Prior to joining the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, he started his law enforcement career in the Orleans Parish Criminal Sheriff's Office serving high risk warrants and court capias. Normand has a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of New Orleans and a law degree from Tulane University. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy. He hosts the popular Newell Normand Show on WWL.

Thomas Ogg is currently a Senior Vice President with Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Company. He joined GCB in 2005 as a Vice President in Commercial Lending and was later promoted to a Market Manager. Before GCB, Thomas was a Personal Banker, then Branch Manager with JP Morgan Chase in New Orleans, LA. Thomas attended Isidore Newman High School in New Orleans, LA. He graduated college from The University of Georgia as Magna Cum Laude with a degree in International Business. Thomas is also a graduate of The Graduate School of Banking at LSU. Thomas just recently joined the Trinity Episcopal School Board of Trustees and runs the youth Flag Football league for the Carrollton Boosters non-profit sports organization.

Andrew Remson, founder of America’s Mortgage Resource, has more than 25 years of diversified financial sales background and investment history in the local real estate market. His experience helps make the buying process simple and hassle-free. He is committed to the highest levels of customer service, professionalism, and individual attention to each client. America’s Mortgage Resource joined First Horizon Bank’s New Orleans mortgage team in March 2025. Remson graduated with honors from both Spring Hill College with a BS in Business Administration and Loyola University of New Orleans with an MBA. Active in the community, he has served on the boards of My House, A Center for Learning and Loyola’s Business School Alumni Association; is currently active in New Orleans Artist Against Homelessness and Hunger; and served as a Mentor for the Youth Challenge Program.

The sale, lease and redevelopment of investment and commercial real estate is the passion and avocation of Paul Richard. He has been associated with NAI Rampart’s Commercial Division since 1988 and is currently active in the acquisition and disposition of multi-family, retail, and investment real estate in the Greater New Orleans area. His practice includes tax credit, non-profit, Charter School, and economic development related brokerage. His current interest is in the marketing and development of real estate in the Downtown, Bio-Medical and Spirit of Charity Innovation District.

Stephanie Riegel is a local journalist with more than 25 years’ experience covering business, politics and food in both the Baton Rouge and New Orleans markets. A native of New Orleans and journalism graduate from LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication, Riegel began her career in the New Orleans print market after finishing her master’s degree in history at Tulane University. She quickly moved into broadcast, spending more than 12 years at top-rated WWL-TV, where she covered crime, corruption, politics, the legalization of gambling and the trials of former Gov. Edwin Edwards. She relocated to Baton Rouge after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and stayed. Riegel has worked for several years as a freelance writer and communications consultant. In 2010, she took over as food editor at The Advocate. For the past four years, she has served as editor of the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report.

Saban Sellers is a member of Stirling’s Investments Division, serving as an Investment Advisor for Multifamily sales. While serving as an Investment Advisor, Saban is extensively involved in all facets of the multifamily investment advisory process, including underwriting, market analysis, and transaction management. His diverse skill set and specialization of both acquisition and disposition of multifamily assets are key to successful brokerage transactions for their clients. To date, Saban has been involved in over $540 million in transaction volume totaling over 5,700 units. Prior to Multifamily Investment Advising, Mr. Sellers focused on retail sales and leasing in both tenant and landlord representation throughout Louisiana. Mr. Sellers is a graduate of Louisiana State University’s E.J. Ourso College of Business with a Bachelor of Science in Finance and is a member of the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC).

Michael G. Sherman is the founder of Sherman Strategies, LLC. Mr. Sherman previously served as Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s Executive Counsel and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs. As Executive Counsel, Mr. Sherman was the legal advisor in the Mayor’s office. As Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, Mr. Sherman was responsible for developing and implementing the city’s strategy to interact with governmental bodies. This included producing and analyzing legislation, proposals, and initiatives to achieve the city’s policy goals, as well as serving as the focal point of coordination for the city with state and federal governments in addition to the legislative branch of New Orleans city government and the 162 boards and commissions in the city. Mr. Sherman is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Political Science at Tulane University, teaching courses on American government and the political system of New Orleans. In addition to his teaching, Mr. Sherman is a frequent analyst on Fox 8 WVUE, where he covers local and national politics. Prior to his service in city government, Mr. Sherman was an attorney in private practice based in New Orleans, Louisiana and licensed to practice in four jurisdictions – Louisiana, New York, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia. His practice focused on representing clients before governmental bodies with an emphasis on land use. He previously served as Vice-President of a Florida-based real estate development company, where he managed the company’s Gulf Coast operations. Prior to that, Mr. Sherman served as an attorney with a multinational law firm based in Washington, DC. His practice focused on legislative and regulatory affairs. In 2004, Mr. Sherman was elected as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner of the District of Columbia. In 2001, Mr. Sherman was selected as a Mayoral Fellow in City Government, where he worked closely with city government leaders of New Orleans, Louisiana. He received his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center and his undergraduate degree from Tulane University.

Bret Swango joined Colliers International in 2015 as a Financial and Business Intelligence Analyst within the Corporate Solutions Group. He brings five years of operational strategy and corporate finance experience. Bret has a strong quantitative background, but his greatest contributions have been in roles where he was given a business issue and was asked to use data to solve it. Bret’s specializes in turning that data into actionable information. His broad industry experience and consultative background have profoundly developed his thought leadership and communication skills. These, along with his focus on root cause problem solving, have helped him to effectively influence business decisions and subsequently make him a valuable asset to the organization.

Dr. Wagner is an economic researcher and advisor with interests ranging from regional economics to state and local public finance issues, with a particular focus on state rainy day funds, municipal borrowing costs, and public pension plans. Wagner has authored or coauthored more than 40 professional articles and reports on a variety of state and local policy issues and has delivered more than 200 public and non-academic presentations over his career. He is a respondent in the Survey of Professional Forecasters, the oldest quarterly survey of national economic forecasters in the United States. Prior to joining the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Dr. Wagner was Vice-President & Senior Regional Officer at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland (2016-18) and Regional Economic Advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia (2015-16) where he conducted research on emerging regional economic issues. He was Professor of Economics at Old Dominion University (2011-15) and University of Arkansas-Little Rock (2008-11), Associate Professor of Economics at University of Arkansas-Little Rock (2006-08), Associate Professor of Government at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (2005-06), and Assistant Professor of Economics at Duquesne University (2001-05) and University of Arkansas-Little Rock (2000-01). Wagner earned a Ph.D. and master’s degree in economics from West Virginia University and his bachelor’s degree in Economics and Political Science from Youngstown State University."

Guy Williams co-founded Gulf Coast Bank & Trust in 1990. He has served as President and Chief Executive Officer for the past 30 years. Mr. Williams is the current chairman of GNO, Inc. He has also provided leadership in the banking industry as well, serving as president of the Louisiana Bankers Association and on the Board of Directors of the American Banking Association. He currently serves as a board member for the Jefferson Business Council, Greater New Orleans, Inc., Baptist Community Ministries. and City Park of New Orleans; He is also a founding and continuing board member of Community Sailing New Orleans, and Baptist Community Health Services. A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Williams received a bachelor’s degree from Emory and a master’s degree in finance from Georgia State University. His educational involvement includes serving as a member of the visiting committee at Loyola University, serving as a Foundation Board member at Nunez Community College, and as member of the business school advisory board at the University of New Orleans. He is actively involved in his church serving as a Deacon and a Bible Study Leader. In his free time, he enjoys flying, sailboat racing, motorcycle riding and spending time with his wife Dale and his two adult children Gregory Williams and Bonnie Williams Anasetti.

Richard Ziegler who is a Senior Lender in the NOLA market for Bonvenu Bank.