Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation announces new board members

NEW ORLEANS – (Jan. 10, 2023) – The Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation announces the latest individuals selected to join its Board of Directors. Professionals representing various industries throughout the Greater New Orleans area have been nominated by a current board member and approved by the board. The wealth of experience and knowledge that they bring will support the Foundation’s mission of attracting and managing major sporting events that have a positive economic impact on the State of Louisiana and the Greater New Orleans area.

The new members are:

• Dr. Linda Bell is the Athletic Director at Dillard University. Bell joins the board with extensive experience working in collegiate athletics, previously at Fort Valley State University in Georgia; the University of the Southwest in Hobbs, New Mexico; the University of Wisconsin-Parkside; and Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina. She currently serves on the NCAA Division II Championship Committee.

• Nathan Cochran has served as the Executive Director of Athletics and Recreation at Xavier University since 2021. Cochran’s professional career spans nearly 20 years as a collegiate administrator and a football and track and field coach, and almost 70 percent of his employment has been at HBCUs.

• At Jones Walker, Richard Cortizas is the Chief Diversity Officer and Partner in the Corporate Practice Group. Cortizas focuses on transactional matters, representing clients in complex land use and zoning matters, public finance, and economic development projects.

• Cate Creed is an attorney at Adams and Reese where she focuses her practice in litigation and advises clients on business and commercial litigation matters and regulatory compliance. Creed earned her J.D. from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, where she was a member of the Law Review, competed as a Moot Court team member and coach, and was Chief Justice of the Honor Board.

• Randy Philipson currently serves as the Vice President for Facilities, Campus Development, and Services at Tulane University. An LSU graduate, Philipson has served in various roles in facilities and event management both in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Throughout his career, Philipson has worked Super Bowls, NCAA Men’s Final Fours, the BCS National Championship Game, among others.

• Charles “Chuck” Toney currently serves as the Chief of Staff for District C Councilmember Freddie King III where he manages the Councilmember’s staff and day-to-day operations. He joins the board with experience as a Judicial Administrator of the 19th Judicial District Court, an Assistant District Attorney, and a solo practitioner. Toney also serves as an Adjunct Professor of Law at his alma mater, the Southern University Law Center.

• Billy Wright is an attorney at Adams and Reese where he focuses on professional liability, management liability, employment, and general insurance defense. He devotes the remainder of his practice to a wide array of litigation, including contract disputes, business torts, and disputes pertaining to successions, wills, and trusts. Wright has been recognized among Louisiana’s Rising Stars and Best Lawyers Ones to Watch.

The Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation is a nonprofit corporation governed by a Board of Directors, which supervises and advises business affairs and various activities of the Foundation. The Board of Directors is comprised of community leaders, industry experts and supporters of the Foundation’s mission.