Marriott, Kotb spoke of her love of and palpable affection for New Orleans and its soul—that same soul that could not be broken by storms or flood waters. She recounted her experiences as a journalist covering Hurricane Katrina. “It was hard to do my job. My heart was breaking,” said Kotb. Her tales ran the gamut from serious to humorous, and the audience hung on her every antidote, rewarding her with a standing ovation at the end. Kotb was introduced by her friend and (sometimes) WWL colleague Archie Manning. In her remarks, she apologized to him for bringing up the Saints’ Super Bowl victory, saying, “The score was Saints 31, and the Colts had…less than 31…sorry about Peyton, Archie,” as she pressed her point about the city’s resilience since 2005. “Analysts tried to write this city off—they must have never met a New Orleanian!” Of course, this was met raucous applause from the crowd! Louisiana ARC CEO Kay Wilkins and Tiffany Circle members Cindy Nunez, Susan Currie and Jennifer Rice orchestrated the ceremony and introduced the honorees. Each of whom had, in her individual way, played an intricate roll in the city’s recovery, and those in attendance made their gratitude heard! Honored were: Dr. Karen DeSalvo, Acting Assistant Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Yvette Jones, Tulane University Executive Vice President, University Relations and Development; Adrianne LeBlanc, Principal of St. Dominic Catholic School; Anne Milling, Co-founder of Women of the Storm; Margaret Orr, WDSU-TV meteorologist; Denise Thornton, Beacon of Hope Resource Center; Sally-Ann Roberts, WWL-TV co-anchor and reporter; and Connie Uddo, St. Paul›s Homecoming Center in Lakeview, currently Hike for KaTREEna, which replaces lost greenery and green space. Among the members of the Tiffany Circle in attendance were Charlotte Bollinger, Christine Briede, Patricia Brinson, Pat Brister, Sheryl Duplantis, Joni Eaton, Emily Hamner and Sharon Poirrier. October-November 2015 95
October-November 2015 Issue of Inside New Orleans
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