Already this month has been filled with great food and music and recognition of our culture and heritage worldwide as JazzFest showed off the best of what we all love about metro New Orleans. 

     And while the curtain has come down on this year's JazzFest - the applause continues for many of our longtime volunteers. Raise your glass, offer a toast and hearty congratulations with the Board and Staff to the following:

     Mark Surprenant, Adams and Reese, Former Board Chair, Resource Development Committee Member and Volunteer Attorney

• Recipient of The Times Picayune 2012 Loving Cup for outstanding selfless service to the community. The Loving Cup will be presented sometime in June, 2013.

• Recipient of the William Reece Smith, Jr. Award, presented by the National Association of Pro Bono Professionals (NAPBPro) to honor those whose efforts enhance both organizations who deliver and the professionals who provide pro bono services. The award was presented to Mark at the Equal Justice Conference in St. Louis, MO on May 10, 2013. The Project nominated Mark for this award.

     Katie Lasky, Jones Swanson Huddell & Garrison, Board Chair, Executive Committee, Volunteer Attorney

• Recipient of the Leah Hipple McKay Award, the most prestigious of the Crystal Gavel Awards given by the LSBA for Outstanding Volunteerism. She will receive the award at the LSBA Convention in Sandestin, FL in June.

      Norm Rubenstein, Zeughauser Group, Board Treasurer, Executive Committee and Resource Development Committee Member, Volunteer Professional Services

• Recipient of the Pro Bono Publico, Friend of Pro Bono Award presented by the Louisiana State Bar Association (LSBA) Access to Justice Committee . The award will be presented on May 21, 2013 at the Louisiana Supreme Court on Royal Street.

     In addition to Norm, our heartfelt congratulations goes out to the many volunteer lawyers and professionals receiving acknowledgement and applause at the upcoming LSBA Pro Bono Publico & Children's Law Awards ceremony on May 21st. Here is the complete list of award winners: LSBA Awards 

      Chris Ralston, Phelps Dunbar, Board Secretary, Executive Committee and JFAB Committee Member, Volunteer Attorney

• Recipient of the Louisiana Bar Foundation (LBF) President's Award for dedication and leadership to the organization. Read the full story: RALSTON 

     Kim Perret, Jones Walker, Board Member, Resource Development Committee Chair, Volunteer Professional

• Inducted into the Legal Marketing Association Hall of Fame for extraordinary contribution to the LMA and the legal marketing profession.

     Kenneth Polite, Jr., Liskow & Lewis, Board Member and Volunteer Attorney

• Selected as one of the Young Leadership Council's (YLC) Role Models, Class of 2013. YLC Role Models are chosen based on their service to the community.

All the best,

Rachel                       

Rachel Piercey            

Executive Director       

PS -- Spread the word about The Pro Bono Project by using the new social media buttons and connect this newsletter to your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or other social media page. Thanks!     

     Not a day goes by in New Orleans and the surrounding parishes that the power of water is not apparent. The Mississippi River, Lake Pontchartrain, the Gulf of Mexico and the hundreds of bayous, waterways and marshlands that surround Southern Louisiana are traversed by boats and ships of all sizes.  

Walter E. Blessey, Jr.

     When you see a string of tank barges coming down the Mississippi, or cruising past on any of the dozens of rivers that criss-cross the eastern United States, chances are they belong to Mr. Blessey. 

     And, if you're still driving a round in a 'young classic car' from the 1990s, you may have bought it from one of the 13 automobile dealerships he once owned. It seems that transportation in many forms has played a huge part in Mr. Blessey's life and success as a businessman.

Christening one on the River, March 2013.

     If you look at his life beyond Blessey Marine, you will see that all of Mr. Blessey's endeavors focus on his 'respect for the individual.' 

 

     That philosophy has served him well, and so, it's no surprise that he accepted the challenge and the opportunity to serve The Pro Bono Project as this year's JFAB Honorary Chair, which celebrates the Ball's 25th Anniversary.

     Like Mr. Blessey, the work of The Project centers around the philosophy of 'respect for the individual' and many times this is exactly what the pro bono services, which our volunteer attorneys provide, do for our clients: restore their respect - for themselves and their ability to move forward once their legal issues are resolved.

     He was inducted into the Louisiana Business Hall of Fame in 1999. In November, 2012 Mr. Blessey was honored by his high school alma mater, St. Martin's Episcopal School, with the highest award an alumni can receive, the Martin de Tours Award in recognition of his outstanding leadership and service to the community. (See story at The Bell, Fall 2012, page 29.)

     Mr. Blessey is a graduate of Tulane University with a BS in Civil Engineering and from Tulane School of Law with a Juris Doctorate and has studied for an MBA at Tulane Graduate School. He has also attended the University of Edinburgh (Edinburgh, Scotland) and the University of Washington as part of his university studies.

     When not at work, he and his wife Jane Ann enjoy spending time with their children and grandchildren, or traveling between their homes in metro New Orleans, the Gulf Coast and the West Coast.

     The Pro Bono Project is honored to have Mr. Blessey serve as the 2013 JFAB Honorary Chair and grateful for the support of his company, Blessey Marine Services Inc. as our Presenting Sponsor to celebrate the Ball's 25th Anniversary.