LONGUE VUE KICKS OFF STERN LEGACY WEEK BY HONORING LOCAL PHILANTHROPIC LEADERS
Randy Fertel and Tania Hahn Receive 2026 Stern Award
NEW ORLEANS, Monday, Oct. 12, 2026 — Longue Vue House and Gardens kicks off Stern Legacy Week 2026 with the presentation of the Stern Award for Leadership in Philanthropy to Randy Fertel and Tania Hahn. The award recognizes individuals who not only give personally but also encourage and inspire others to support the New Orleans community. Recent recipients include Julie Livaudais George, Bev Church, James Reiss III, and Carey Bond and Henry Lambert.
The awards will be presented this evening during a simple yet elegant reception on Longue Vue’s Forecourt. Both the event and its honorees will pay tribute to the timeless style and social impact of 20th-century philanthropists Edith and Edgar Stern. The Sterns’ remarkable legacy in New Orleans will be celebrated throughout the week with a series of events, including a dinner in partnership with the Chase Family Foundation at Dooky Chase’s Restaurant and the release of a new book about Edith’s work to further social progress.
Randy Fertel is the son of New Orleans icon Ruth U. Fertel, who, as a single mother, built Ruth’s Chris Steak House in an entrepreneurial effort to send her sons to college. The effort was decidedly successful: Ruth not only sent her own sons through school but also established a foundation that continues to invest in educational access and progress in New Orleans today. Randy has enthusiastically continued this work and sustained the family legacy, supporting local schools, community organizations, and creative educational outlets. As a cultural scholar (he holds a Ph.D. in English and American Literature from Harvard University), Randy exemplifies the connections between social awareness, cultural inquiry, and inspirational philanthropy.
Tania Hahn came to New Orleans through Tulane University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and fell in love with the city. As the founder and president of Hahn Enterprises, Tania has become a leading local philanthropist and volunteer. Every time Tania’s business succeeds, so does the New Orleans community. Like Edith and Edgar Stern, Tania regards financial fortune as an asset to be shared with those around her. This commitment has earned her not only friends but also additional unpaid responsibilities, including serving as board president at City Park and frequently hosting gatherings with her wife, Melissa.
Stern Legacy Week continues Tuesday evening with Shared Legacies, a dinner at Dooky Chase’s Restaurant benefiting emerging cultural artists and honoring opera singer Imani Francis. The Chase and Stern families were aligned in their support for racial justice in the Civil Rights Era.
On Wednesday, author Roberta Gratz releases her book, Fearless Philanthropy: Edith Rosenwald Stern’s Campaigns to Transform Lives in New Orleans, at a celebration in the Longue Vue Playhouse.
On Thursday, the annual Games in the Gardens benefit will raise funds for year-round garden education, in keeping with the Sterns’ practice of inviting friends to parties with a purpose at Longue Vue, as well as their commitment to education. Dr. Michael White, a lifelong educator, will be honored as this year’s Changemaker in Education.
The week concludes Saturday with Community Games Day, opening the Longue Vue gardens to the entire community from noon to 4 p.m. for a free day of inclusive athletic engagements, garden education, and a little early trick-or-treating throughout the eight-acre property.
Visit longuevue.com/legacy-week for a complete schedule and ticket information.
About Longue Vue House and Gardens
Established in 1921 as a private residence and bequeathed in 1980 as a community space, Longue Vue today blends the educational opportunity of a history museum with the thoughtful design and community service of a public garden. Through environmental stewardship and public programming on our eight-acre, National Historic Landmark site, we honor the vision of our founders and further a mission “to preserve and share a legacy of design, community, and lifelong learning.”
For media inquiries, interviews, or additional information, please contact:
Amy Barrios
(504) 621-5646
amy@mmsnola.com