Mayor Ray Nagin

Mayor Ray Nagin
Name	Ray Nagin
Caption	Ray Nagin in 2006
Birth date	October 11, 1956
Birth place	New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Office	Mayor of New Orleans
Term start	May 7, 2002
Term end	May 3, 2010
Predecessor	Marc Morial
Successor	Mitch Landrieu
Party	Democratic
Spouse	Seletha Smith
Alma mater	Georgia Institute of Technology; Joseph S. Clark Preparatory High School

Mayor Ray Nagin Ray Nagin is an American businessman and politician who served as the 60th mayor of New Orleans from 2002 to 2010. Nagin, a native of Gert Town, New Orleans, rose from private-sector leadership at Entergy Corporation and local banking to citywide office, becoming a focal figure during the 2005 Hurricane Katrina catastrophe and its aftermath. His tenure intersected with national leaders and institutions such as George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

Early life and education

Nagin was born in New Orleans and raised in the Gert Town neighborhood, attending St. Augustine High School and Joseph S. Clark Preparatory High School. He earned a Bachelor of Science in management from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1978 and completed executive education at programs associated with Tulane University and corporate training with Entergy Corporation. His formative years placed him contemporaneously with figures associated with Louisiana politics, New Orleans culture, and institutions like Dillard University, Xavier University of Louisiana, Southern University at New Orleans, and civic organizations such as the United Way and Boy Scouts of America.

Business career and community involvement

Before elective office Nagin worked for Entergy Corporation in roles tied to operations and economic development and later joined the executive ranks of local banks including Hibernia National Bank and Whitney National Bank. He served on boards and task forces linked to Greater New Orleans, Inc., New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, Louisiana Recovery Authority, and nonprofit entities such as Catholic Charities USA and American Red Cross chapters. Nagin participated in partnerships involving Maritime industry stakeholders, Port of New Orleans, International Trade Center initiatives, and municipal collaborations with entities like the New Orleans Saints and cultural institutions including the New Orleans Museum of Art, Preservation Hall, and Mardi Gras Indians groups. His community presence connected him with civic leaders associated with Mayor Marc Morial, State of Louisiana officials, and business coalitions engaging with Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and regional development agencies.

Mayoral campaigns and tenure

Nagin campaigned in 2002 against candidates such as Richard Pennington and William Jefferson-aligned factions, advancing a platform tied to fiscal reform, public safety, and economic revitalization. He won the 2002 runoff and took office succeeding Marc Morial, overseeing citywide initiatives that involved the New Orleans Police Department, New Orleans Fire Department, Road Home Program, and municipal negotiations with unions including American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. His administration engaged with regional leaders like Bobby Jindal and Kathleen Blanco on policy issues and coordinated with federal agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Small Business Administration on recovery and development projects. Nagin announced a second-term victory in 2006, contending with opponents connected to local political networks and national figures referenced in campaign endorsements and fundraising efforts involving personalities from Hollywood and the music industry.

Hurricane Katrina and emergency response

During the 2005 landfall of Hurricane Katrina and concurrent Hurricane Rita concerns, Nagin became a prominent public official interacting with federal and state leaders including President George W. Bush, Governor Kathleen Blanco, FEMA Director Michael D. Brown, and military commanders within the United States Northern Command and the United States Army Corps of Engineers. The crisis involved infrastructure managed by entities such as the Lake Pontchartrain, the Industrial Canal, and levee systems overseen by the Army Corps of Engineers. Evacuation orders and sheltering decisions involved coordination with Louisiana Superdome, Morial Convention Center, Louisiana National Guard, National Guard Bureau, and volunteer organizations including Doctors Without Borders and AmeriCorps. Post-storm recovery intersected with federal programs like the Road Home Program, insurance disputes involving National Flood Insurance Program, and legislative oversight by panels including the United States Congress and hearings before committees chaired by representatives such as Maxine Waters and senators like Mary Landrieu.

Legal issues and conviction

Following his mayoralty Nagin faced federal investigation and indictment on charges including wire fraud, bribery, money laundering, and tax evasion related to alleged pay-to-play schemes with contractors and consulting firms linked to municipal contracts. Prosecutors referenced transactions involving firms and individuals tied to New Orleans finance networks, campaign donors, and vendors engaged in Katrina recovery projects. Nagin's trial involved the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, prosecutors from the United States Department of Justice, and defense counsel who cited precedents from cases involving municipal corruption prosecuted in cities such as Chicago, Detroit, and Baltimore. In 2014 a jury convicted Nagin on multiple charges; he was sentenced to prison under statutes enforced by the United States Sentencing Commission, and he reported to a federal facility administered by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Appeals were heard in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Later life and legacy

After release, Nagin's later life intersected with discussions among historians, journalists, and policy analysts from outlets and institutions including The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, ProPublica, and academic centers at Tulane University Law School and Princeton University. His legacy remains debated among civic leaders, community activists, and scholars studying disaster recovery, urban governance, and ethics in municipal contracting. Nagin appears in documentaries, oral histories archived by the Library of Congress and Historic New Orleans Collection, and in analyses by think tanks such as the Brookings Institution and Urban Institute. His tenure continues to influence electoral politics in New Orleans, discussions around resilience in coastal cities like Miami and Houston, and reform proposals advanced by policymakers in Louisiana and federal oversight bodies.

Category:Mayors of New Orleans Category:People from New Orleans Category:1956 births Category:Living people