Bureau of Governmental Research

Rebecca Mowbray, Bureau of Governmental Research, President/CEO

Thanks to GNOEA member George Messing, Owner Messina’s Catering, for hosting this week’s networking event for GNOEA members at the The Basin St. Station!

Mowbray earned master’s degrees from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University after majoring in political science at Skidmore College. She also served as a Henry Luce Scholar in Southeast Asia. Rebecca Mowbray joined the Bureau of Governmental Research (BGR) as President, CEO and Samuel Zemurray Chair in Research Leadership in January 2022. Mowbray is passionate about civic engagement, public discourse and using sound data, smart analysis, and best practices to point the way forward. She believes that citizens coming together after Hurricane Katrina to articulate their visions of what New Orleans should be enabled the city to come back stronger. She sees BGR as an institution poised to lead New Orleans’ next chapter by increasing government capacity to plan and meet citizen needs. In her role, she strives to create greater action and engagement around BGR’s well-researched solutions to challenges in local government.

The Bureau of Governmental Research (BGR) is a private, nonprofit, independent research organization dedicated to informed public policy making and the effective use of public resources for the improvement of government in the New Orleans metropolitan area. BGR is a constructive voice in the local policy landscape. Their program of work consists of two primary components: (1) monitoring local government and (2) public policy research and reporting. These components inform one another and sustain the cycle of the work. Objective, nonpartisan public policy research is BGR’s hallmark. We uncover facts, frame issues and recommend solutions. We inform citizens, decision makers and the media about policy issues significant to the New Orleans area. Since 1932, BGR has issued more than 1,500 reports to improve government function. For decades, our work has laid the groundwork for government reform initiatives.

An integral part of BGR’s work is government monitoring. BGR’s research team tracks more than 70 local and state government entities. Through the regular monitoring, they stay abreast of policy developments, spending plans, administrative changes and other significant developments. Monitoring lays the groundwork for the research work plan, framing BGR reports around critical public policy developments pertaining to government effectiveness.

Membership

If you have a prospect, please have them connect with Jacquie Bonano, membership chair at membership@gnoea.com.

Thank You & Announcements

Q4 2024 dues reminder.

Announcement- George Messina stated that Messina’s new location MISI is open and he would love to have a social or membership meeting for the GNOEA group.

Upcoming Meeting Schedule

  • January 21- Sonny Lee, Son of a Saint
  • January 28- No Meeting
  • February 4- State of the Organization Meeting (no speaker)
  • February 11- No Meeting
  • February 18- Jason Neville, Lafitte Greenway
  • February 25- Charles Carriere, Carriere Consulting

Check website for updates and bulletins that include upcoming events. Meeting events are on the calendar. Speaker suggestions: contact Program Chairman, Andrew Legrand, al@speralaw.com.