A brief biography of John Georges
New Orleans native John Georges, 49, has 30 years of experience in the private and public sectors. He is a past member of the Board of Regents and a current commissioner of the Public Belt Rail Road, Chairman of Georges Enterprises and is involved with various governmental, civic and philanthropic groups. In 2007, John ran for elected office for the first time in the gubernatorial race, in which he garnered 186,000 votes and won New Orleans. In 2009- 2010, he has decided to run for Mayor.
The people of New Orleans are in need of a strong-minded, honest and fair leader to move our city forward. John has had repeated success in turning good businesses into great ones. Now, he is driven and determined to turn New Orleans into a thriving and appealing city. For his family – wife Dathel and children Zana, Liza, and Nike – and for all other families who deserve to live in a safe and prosperous city, John is stepping up to the challenge!
Early Life: Hard Work and Dedication
John Georges was born in New Orleans in 1960, and his family lived at Freret and Marengo streets. His parents, Dennis and Anita Georges, believed nothing came easy or free, and that with hard work, dedication and a never-give-up attitude anything was possible. These values were instilled in John at an early age.
As the youngest son of five children, John grew up idolizing his father and went to work with him at the age of 11. Dennis Georges put a broom in his son’s hand and said, “Get to work.” That was the beginning of his long, tedious road to prosperity. At age 15, John began making deliveries in a truck. Along with John’s hard work, he maintained leadership roles throughout his education, ranging from high school class president and student body president to president of his fraternity in college. He continued working throughout college and graduated on the dean’s list from Tulane University in 1983.
Georges Enterprises: A Visionary Leader
John Georges is now Chairman of Georges Enterprises. Georges Enterprises is comprised of several types of businesses, including grocery distribution, offshore marine services, video and arcade entertainment, food services and investments. Georges Enterprises began as Imperial Trading Company in 1916. Imperial Trading is a wholesale grocery company that distributes goods ranging from candy to health and beauty products.
When John joined Imperial it was a $29 million dollar business; today, its estimated sales are almost $1 billion. Georges Enterprises specializes in acquiring businesses and making them profitable. John is a goal-oriented visionary, and many business owners seek his advice to improve their productivity. In fact, John has served as Chairman of the Young Presidents’ Organization and was recently selected as a Young Leadership Council Role Model.
Public Service, Church and Philanthropy: Community Matters
John has 22 years of public service experience. In 1992 John was appointed by the Governor to the Board of Regents, the state agency that coordinates all public higher education in Louisiana. The Board of Regents has budgetary responsibility for Louisiana’s public higher education, including 19 public colleges, universities, and professional schools. John also served as member of the University of New Orleans Foundation, LSU Medical Foundation, and Tulane President’s Council, and served on the board of his children’s school where he chaired fundraising for the school’s recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina. John also serves on the New Orleans Public Belt Commission, and is in his second term appointed by the Mayor.
The Public Belt Commission is responsible for managing the publicly owned terminal-switching railroad and also maintaining the railroad portion of the Huey P. Long Bridge. In 2008, the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad celebrated the opening of its refurbished main facility at 4822 Tchoupitoulas Street. Personally and through Georges Enterprises, John supports a diverse group of charities throughout the community, with an emphasis on education, the arts, preservation, and faith-based initiatives. He played a significant role in recovery efforts for the University of New Orleans and its Arena. Also, because he understands how important the New Orleans Saints are to their fans and to the city, John contributed to ensure Saints games were sold out so that they would be broadcast on television for five years in a row.
John, who is fluent in Greek, was the President of the New Orleans Greek Community during Hurricane Katrina. He is an active member of his church, The Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Trinity on Bayou St. John. He was instrumental in rebuilding his own and other churches after Hurricane Katrina.
