Board of Directors

Marcus Brown

Marcus Brown

Marcus V. Brown was elected senior vice president and general counsel of Entergy Corporation on January 27, 2012. In this role, Brown is responsible for all legal, ethics and compliance matters affecting Entergy Corporation and its subsidiaries, including providing counsel to the chairman and chief executive officer, Board of Directors and senior management. Prior to his appointment, Brown served as vice president and deputy general counsel. He was responsible for Commercial and General Litigation, Affiliate Rules Compliance, Bankruptcy, Casualty Litigation, Consumer Law, Right of Way and Records Management. He was also a member of Entergy legal department’s Management Committee.

Key among his accomplishments, following hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Ike, Brown  led the company’s effort to recover more than $500 million in insurance proceeds that was critical to rebuilding the damaged electric and gas infrastructure of Entergy’s utility system. He was also an instrumental member on the Entergy team  that helped Entergy New Orleans Inc.’s to successfully emerge from bankruptcy. Recently, he led the Entergy legal team’s successful challenge to several Vermont statutes impacting the future operations of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant.

Prior to joining Entergy in 1995, Brown practiced with  the New Orleans-based Stone Pigman law firm, where he focused primarily in the areas of commercial litigation, copyright and trademark protection, and constitutional law.

Kenneth Carter

Kenneth Carter

Mr. Carter served as the elected Property Tax Assessor for the First Municipal District in the City of New Orleans, which includes the Central business district from May 1985 to May 1994. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, he is a product of local primary and secondary schools receiving his B.A. in Political Science from the University of New Orleans in 1976, and his Juris Doctor from Loyola University in 1978. At Loyola, he was distinguished by his selection as a member of the Appellate Advocacy Honors Program. Mr. Carter was also a recipient of the Dean’s Scholarship. Formerly an associate for the practice of Law with Herman, Herman, Katz & Cotlar, he has also been a licensed real-estate professional since 1970.

Ken Carter, formerly the managing partner of Carter and Cates, has extensive experience in all aspects of real estate law, including residential and commercial lending, sale and development transactions. The firm has also been on the leading edge of a national trend towards the use of public/private partnership in both commercial and multi-family residential development.

Mr. Carter is actively involved in professional and civic activities. As past president of BOLD, he spearheaded its ascent to local and statewide political prominence. Mr. Carter has recently coordinated successful councilmanic, mayoral, gubernatorial, and U.S. senatorial campaigns and was himself a candidate for Mayor of the City of New Orleans.

Mr. Carter is a past Chairman of the New Orleans Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, Secretary Treasurer of the New Orleans Industrial Development Board, and president of the Freret Street Development Corporation. Mr. Carter’s professional and civic memberships include the local, state, and District of Columbia Bars, the American Bar Association, the Louisiana Association for Justice, the Federal Energy Bar Association, Preservation Resource Center, Metropolitan Area Committee, Dryades YMCA, Friends of Louisiana’s Law Library, Mayor’s Task Force on Housing, the Young Men Illinois Club and the Orleans Intercommunity Council.

Scott Cowen

Scott Cowen

Scott S. Cowen is Tulane University’s 14th President.  He also holds joint appointments as the Seymour S Goodman Memorial Professor of Business in Tulane’s A.B. Freeman School of Business and Professor of Economics in the School of Liberal Arts.

TIME Magazine has named President Cowen one of the nation’s top 10 Best College Presidents and he was one of only four university leaders nationwide to receive the 2009 Carnegie Corporation Academic Leadership Award. In 2010 President Cowen was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the world’s most prestigious honorary societies. Most recently President Barack Obama appointed him to the White House Council for Community Solutions, which will advise the President on the best ways to mobilize citizens, nonprofits, businesses and government to address community needs. In addition, President Cowen is the recipient of several national awards and honorary degrees from institutions such as Brown University, Yeshiva University, University of Connecticut, University of Notre Dame and Case Western Reserve University.

He is also the recipient of the 2009 Times-Picayune’s Loving Cup, which each year honors a New Orleanian who has worked unselfishly for the community without expectation of recognition or material reward. President Cowen was also honored in 2010 by New Orleans CityBusiness as one of the 30 “Driving Forces” in New Orleans in the last 30 years.

Since President Cowen’s arrival in 1998, Tulane University has more than quintupled its undergraduate applications while experiencing all-time highs in student quality.In addition, Tulane has more than doubled the level of total private giving to the university and received a record level of research awards. The university has implemented a number of innovative academic and research program initiatives and significantly increased its community outreach. In recognition of Tulane’s accomplishments, it was noted as one of the “Hottest Schools in America” by Newsweek magazine in 2002 and 2008, and has been nationally recognized on multiple occasions for its civic engagement programs, while also being consistently ranked in the top tier of national research universities.

President Cowen has held leadership positions in national academic and professional associations, including the American Council on Education, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the NCAA, and the Council of Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). He currently serves as a board member of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation and TIAA-CREF. President Cowen also led an effort with his fellow university leaders to reform intercollegiate athletics and ensure that their sports programs are consistent with the values, missions and aspirations of their institutions.

Michelle Ebanks

Michelle Ebanks

Michelle Ebanks serves as President of ESSENCE Communications Inc. and President of People en Español; responsible for advancing Time Inc.’s businesses within the nation’s fastest growing population segments: African-Americans and Hispanics.

As President of Essence Communications Inc., Ebanks leads the number one media and communications brand dedicated to African-American women.  The diverse media and entertainment company’s portfolio includes ESSENCE magazine, the world’s leading title for   African-American women, with a readership of more than 8 million; ESSENCE.com, the award-winning, daily online destination for African-American women; and the ESSENCE Music Festival, the nation’s largest annual African-American cultural and entertainment event attracting more than 400,000 attendees to New Orleans during the July Fourth weekend.

Recently named to the additional post of President of People en Español, Ebanks is responsible for managing the strategic development of one of the nation’s top-selling Hispanic magazines, reaching 6.8 million readers every month. The brand, including PeopleEnEspanol.com and the annual Festival during Hispanic Heritage Month, shares cultural values, beliefs and distinct narratives that resonate deeply with one of the fastest growing groups in the United States.

Ebanks was appointed to the Board of Directors of Nordstrom, as well as the YMCA’s Arts & Letters Committee.  She is a member of the Executive Leadership Council, and enjoys mentoring women and men from around the world.

Norman C. Francis

Norman C. Francis

Dr. Norman C. Francis and Xavier are virtually synonymous. As president of the nation’s only historically Black and Catholic university, Francis has guided Xavier’s growth both in size and dimension. During his tenure, the University has more than doubled its enrollment, broadened its curriculum, expanded its campus, and strengthened its financial base. Its tradition of academic excellence has been further enhanced.
Francis, the longest-sitting university president in the U.S. (since 1968) and himself an alumnus, has been at Xavier for more than five decades as an administrator. He is credited with being the catalyst for nearly every building constructed on the campus during the past four decades. The campus itself has been physically enlarged with the acquisition of the adjacent properties to the East and West of the original main campus.

Among the major accomplishments of Francis’ tenure has been the successful completion of several capital campaigns. Giving by alumni has also increased dramatically, while student enrollment has surpassed the 3,400 mark.

All of this growth has not been at the expense of academia, however. Through his leadership, the University has instituted a core curriculum and mandatory comprehensives, and has become nationally recognized as a leader in minority education.

Francis enjoys a prestigious national reputation, of which Xavier is a primary beneficiary. He has served in an advisory role to eight U.S. presidential administrations – not only on education issues, but civil rights as well – in addition to serving on 54 boards and commissions. In 2006 then-President George W. Bush presented him with the nation’s highest civil award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 2009 he was named one of “America’s Best Leaders” by U.S. News Media Group and the Center for Public Leadership (CPL) at Harvard Kennedy’s School of Government.

He has received 40 honorary degrees from other universities, and at least 20 major awards in recognition of his leadership in higher education as well as his unselfish service to New Orleans and to the nation.

Among Francis’ civic endeavors, he serves (or has served) as chair of the Louisiana Recovery Authority, immediate past chair of the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation, immediate past Chair of the Southern Education Foundation, chairman of the board of Liberty Bank and Trust and a member of the Times-Picayune Advisory Board. In the past he has been chairman of the New Orleans Aviation Board, the Metropolitan Area Committee Education Fund and the board of directors of PBS-affiliate WLAE-TV.

On the national level, Francis’ activities include serving as past chairman of the boards of the Educational Testing Service, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, The College Board, the Southern Education Foundation and the American Association of Higher Education. In the past he was member president of the UNCF, a member of the Board of Trustees of Catholic University, and chairman of SACS, the southern regional accrediting agency for more than 11,000 institutions in 11 states.

Tim Francis

Tim Francis

Timothy B. Francis earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Xavier University of Louisiana in 1980 and his Juris Doctor from the Tulane Law School in 1984, where he was the president of his law school class.

Mr. Francis is an attorney and is of counsel at the law firm of Sher, Garner, Cahill, Richter, Klein & Hilbert, L.L.C. His areas of practice include commercial litigation, government relations and business transactions. A skilled and experienced attorney, Mr. Francis co-authored So You Want to be A Lawyer: The Ultimate Guide to Getting into and Succeeding in Law School. He was also an Executive Producer of the UN’s 67th Anniversary Event, “A Message of Peace,” which was held in the General Assembly Hall of the United Nations and featured a host of musical guests including Stevie Wonder and Wyclef Jean. Mr. Francis was successful in working with the Chinese government to establish the first Confucius Institute at a Historical Black College and University, Xavier University of Louisiana.

Mr. Francis was honored by the Family Service of Greater New Orleans as one of the “10 Outstanding Persons” at their 39th Annual Gala. He has served as a member of the UNO Foundation Board, New Orleans Museum of Art, the All State Sugar Bowl Committee, the Lionel Hampton National Advisory Board, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art & Culture, the Audubon Institute, the New Orleans Contemporary Arts Center, the Louisiana Museum Foundation, the New Orleans Percent for Art Committee, the Board of City Trust (City of New Orleans), and the New Orleans Metropolitan Crime Commission, and the A.P. Tureaud American Inn of Court.

Alden McDonald

Alden McDonald Jr.

Alden J. McDonald has served as a member of the board of directors since 2001. He is a member of the audit committee, compensation committee and the corporate governance and nominating committee. He has served as president and chief executive officer of Liberty Bank and Trust Company since its inception in 1972.

He has served on the boards of many corporations and financial institutions and agencies, including the Port of New Orleans, Entergy New Orleans Advisory Board, the Fannie Mae Foundation, the American Bankers Association, the National Bankers Association and the Louisiana Bankers Association. He has served as co-chair of the Greater New Orleans Education Foundation and as president of the New Orleans Jobs Initiative. He has given his time and expertise in service to, among others, the Archdiocese of New Orleans Finance Council, the Southern University of New Orleans Advisory Council and the board of Tulane University School of Medicine.

Marc Morial

Marc Morial

President and Chief Executive Officer. Entrepreneur. Lawyer. Professor. Legislator. Mayor. President, U.S. Conference of Mayors. CEO of the National Urban League, the nation’s largest civil rights organization.

In a distinguished professional career that has spanned 25 years, Marc Morial has performed all of these roles with excellence, and is one of the most accomplished servant-leaders in the nation.

As an Entrepreneur, Morial started several successful small businesses — an apparel wholesale company, a special events company, and a janitorial company, his first venture at age 15 with two childhood friends.

As a Lawyer, Morial won the Louisiana State Bar Association’s Pro Bono Publico Award for his legal service to the poor and disadvantaged. He was also one of the youngest lawyers, at age 26, to argue and win a major case before the Louisiana Supreme Court.

As a Professor, Morial served on the adjunct faculty of Xavier University in Louisiana, where he taught Constitutional Law, and Business Law.

As a Louisiana State Senator, Morial was named Legislative Rookie of the Year, Education Senator of the Year, and Environmental Senator of the Year, while authoring laws on a wide range of important subjects.

As Mayor of New Orleans, Morial was a popular chief executive with a broad multiracial coalition who led New Orleans’ 1990’s renaissance, and left office with a 70% approval rating.
With vigor and creativity he passionately attacked his city’s vast urban problems. Violent crimes and murders dropped by 60%, the unemployment rate was cut in half, and New Orleans’ poverty rate fell according to the 2000 Census.

John Roberts

John Roberts

John Roberts joined Fox News Channel (FNC) as a senior national correspondent based in the Atlanta bureau in January of 2011.

Prior to joining FNC, Roberts co-anchored CNN’s “American Morning” from 2007 to December of 2010. Previously, he served as CNN’s senior national correspondent and anchor of “This Week at War,” examining international wars, including those in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Throughout his career, he has interviewed numerous prominent figures, including former presidents George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, former vice president Al Gore, the late Yitzhak Rabin and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

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