

Nell Nolan: Society of Colonial Wars, Churchill Society Dinner, BGR Luncheon, Ditta Dinner UHC
By Nell Nolan
Source: The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate
January 4, 2023
90th Anniversary
At the annual luncheon of the Bureau of Governmental Research in the Hilton New Orleans Riverside, the 90th anniversary of the “private, nonprofit, independent research organization dedicated to informed public policy,” hailed past board of directors chairs: Harry J. Blumenthal Jr., Edgar L. Chase III, J. Kelly Duncan, Ludovico Feoli, Hardy B. Fowler, Louis M. Freeman, Richard W. Freeman Jr., Ronald J. French, David Guidry, Hans B. Jonassen, Diane M. Lewis, Mark A. Mayer, Anne M. Milling, R. King Milling, Lynes R. “Poco” Sloss and Sterling Scott Willis. The board chair at the Hancock Whitney-sponsored luncheon was Norma Grace, along with board officers Merritt Lane, Steven W. Usdin, Anne P. Baňos, Blake J. Stanfill, Christine Albert and Feoli. The 22 board members ranged from Ryan Adkerson to Jonathan A. Wilson.
Norma Grace headed the program that included BGR President and CEO Rebecca “Becky” Mowbray (Samuel Zemurray Chair in Research Leadership), Merritt Lane, Gary Lorio and Anne Milling, who introduced the speaker, Judy Woodruff, the just-retired anchor and managing editor of PBS NewsHour, and her topic on defending democracy. Questions and answers followed. (Her presentation was part of the Janet Howard Speaker Series in Governmental Research. Howard was a former president and CEO of BGR.)
A mixed greens salad, pecan-crusted chicken breast and s’mores cake constituted the menu. Enjoying the multiple features of the luncheon were John Georges, Peter Kovacs, Dennis and Carol Woltering, Jodie and Walt Handelsman, Susan Jones Gundlach, Sybil Favrot, Alex Gershanik, Daniel and Melanie Bronfin, and Robert Sternhell and Al Hunt, respective spouses of Grace and Woodruff. Among Norma Grace’s concluding words were, “Thank you, Judy, for the generous gift of your time today.”
Fair Use Notice
This site occasionally reprints copyrighted material, the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We make such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of issues and to highlight the accomplishments of our affiliates. We believe this constitutes a “fair use” of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is available without profit. For more information go to: US CODE: Title 17,107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond “fair use,” you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.