Walt J. Leger III

President & CEO

Walt Leger

Walt Leger is the President and CEO of New Orleans & Company, the official destination marketing and sales organization for the tourism industry of New Orleans. Representing over 1100 member businesses, New Orleans & Company’ is the tourism and hospitality industry’s official destination sales, marketing and trade organization, responsible for driving billions of dollars of diverse annual business to the regional cultural economy.  New Orleans & Company works to ispire, promote and ecnourage travel, business meetings, conventions, sporting and special events to New Orleans in a highly competitive global environment for the economic, social and community benefit of New Orleans, Louisiana, and their people. Founded in 1960, New Orleans & Company is committed to celebrating the richness of our culture, while creating jobs, building careers, and enhancing the quality of life for every New Orleanian.

Walt is well-known in the state of Louisiana as a strategic thinker and fierce advocate.  First as an Assistant District Attorney in New Orleans and later as an attorney with the law firm of Leger & Shaw, Walt has been a zealous advocate for his clients and victims of violent crime.  Just out of lawschool, Walt served the people of the City of New Orleans as an Assistant District Attorney specializing in the prosecution of violent offenders and drug traffickers.  He tried countless cases before Judges and Juries and earned the respect of his peers and opponents as aggressive, fair and just.

Walt is a proud graduate of Louisiana State University. In 2018 he was inducted into the LSU Hall of Distinction and chosen as the Young Almnus of the Year.  After graduating from Louisiana State University with numerous honors, Walt attended Tulane Law School, earning a certificate of specialization in Admiralty & Maritime Law and his Juris Doctor.  At Tulane, Walt served as the Business Editor of the Tulane Maritime Law Journal, the Editor-in-Chief of the Tulane Environmental Law Newsletter, 1L Class President, and Student Bar Association Vice-President.  He currently serves on the Tulane University President’s Council and on the Advisory Board of the Ogden Honors College at LSU.

Walt was elected by acclamation in 2012 and again in 2016 to serve as the Speaker Pro Tempore of the Louisiana House of Representatives, the youngest member to ever serve in this 2nd highest ranking position in the Louisiana House of Representatives.  He was first elected to be the State Representative for District 91 with 65% of the vote in the fall of 2007, and re-elected without opposition in 2011 and 2015.  In the Legislature, he represented parts of Uptown, Central City, the Lower Garden District, the Irish Channel, Broadmoor, Marleyville Gert Town and Hollygrove in New Orleans.  

In the Legislature, Leger was a senior member of the powerful Appropriations Committee, and the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget, as well as the House Education Committee, House Judiciary Committee, House Criminal Justice Committee, House Executive Committee, House Select Committee on Homeland Security, The Energy Council, the Justice Reinvestment Task Force, Multimodal Commerce Advisory Commission, Executive Committee of the Southern Legislative Conference of State Governments, and the Council of State Governments Governing Board for 2017-2018. In October 2012, Leger was elected to the Chairmanship of the Southern Rail Commission formerly known as the Southern High Speed Rail Commission.  For many years, Leger served as the Chairman of the Louisiana Juvenile Justice Reform Implementation Commission.  On the National Level, Leger served a co-chair of the National Conference of State Legislatures Committee of Health and Human Services for two years.  In 2015 he was awarded a Rodel Fellowship of Public Leadership at the Aspen Institute.  The Fellowship seeks to enhance our democracy by identifying and bringing together the nation’s most promising young political leaders to explore, through study and conversation, the underlying values and principles of western democracy, the relationship between individuals and their community, and the responsibilities of public leadership; to support and inspire political leaders committed to sustaining the vision of a political system based on thoughtful and civil bipartisan dialogue; and to help America’s brightest young leaders achieve their fullest potential in public service.

Walt has been widely recognized and acclaimed as a problem solver, a consensus builder and someone who gets results.  Between 2008-2020, Leger passed over 125 pieces of legislation.  His support for tax, revenue and budget reform and stabilization, strategic infrastructure investments particularly for our Ports, rail and multi-modal facilities, Criminal Justice Reform and Reinvestment, Early Childhood Care and Education, Education Reform and Economic Development has been recognized nationally and across the state with dozens of awards naming him a legislative champion, legislator of the year, or advocate of year.

Walt is regularly called upon to lecture at Continuing Legal Education programs for lawyers and Judges through the Louisiana State Bar Association, the New Orleans Bar Association and other organizations. Walt is a founding board member and Vice President of the Louisiana Institute for Children in Families, which focuses on foster youth and adoption as a method for ensuring every child in Louisiana is loved and cared for.  

Walt was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to the Travel and Tourism Advisory Board to advise the Secretary on current and emerging issues in travel and on government policies and programs that impact the travel and tourism industry.  Walt serves as an Executive Board member of the U.S. Travel Association, on the Board of PCMA (Professional Convention Management Association), Louisiana Travel Association, Anti-Defamation League South Central Board, Goodwill Industries of Louisiana, Louisiana Appleseed, Agenda for Children, Early Partners, The Loyola University Institute of Politics, The Audubon Institute, the Business Council of New Orleans, GNO, Inc., the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, and the Louisiana Children’s Museum.  He has served on the Board of Directors of the Louisiana Judicial College and has lectured regularly over the years at Tulane University School of Law, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, LSU Law School, Tulane University, the Loyola University Institute of Politics, and at conferences around the country.  Walt is also an adjunct professor of Law at Loyola University New Orleans, College of Law. 

Leger currently resides in New Orleans with his wife, Danielle and daughters Cate and Caroline.

Honors and Awards include:

  • 2024 Cutting Edge CE Conference, Trumpet Award for Cultural Leadership
  • 2024 Biz New Orleans, New Orleans 500
  • 2023 CityBusiness, “Power 50” List
  • 2023 Biz New Orleans, New Orleans 500
  • 2023 Biz New Orleans, “New and Notables”
  • 2022 Biz New Orleans, New Orleans 500
  • 2022 CityBusiness, “Power 20” in New Orleans Tourism and Hospitality
  • 2021 Biz New Orleans, New Orleans 500
  • 2021-2024 SuperLawyer, Transportation and Maritime Attorney
  • 2019 Louisiana Institute for Children in Families Statewide Angel Award
  • 2019 Louisiana Policy Institute for Children, Legislative Champion
  • 2019 Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association, Triple Crown Award
  • 2019 Friend of the Hospitality Industry Award
  • 2019 Historic Tax Credit Champion Award
  • 2019 Chamber Southwest Louisiana, Legis-gator Business Champion
  • 2018 Louisiana State University, Hall of Distinction, Young Alumnus of the Year
  • 2018 Public Service Award, Louisiana Association for Justice
  • 2018 Rural Jobs Coalition, Louisiana Legislator of the Year
  • 2018 Regional Policy Award for Coastal Restoration, Ecological Society of America
  • 2018 National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Champion of Music
  • 2018 Louisiana Budget Project, Legislative Leadership Award
  • 2018 Chamber Southwest Louisiana, Legis-gator Business Champion
  • 2017 Life and Liberty Award, Louisiana Family Forum for achievement in Criminal Justice Reform, 2017 Champion for Children, Childcare Association of Louisiana
  • 2017 Chamber Southwest Louisiana, Legis-gator Business Champion
  • 2017 The National Trial Lawyers, Top 40 Under 40, Civil Litigation
  • 2016 Outstanding National Achievement in State Tax Reform by The Tax Foundation
  • 2016 United Way Louisiana Public Policy Champion
  • 2016 Champion of Community Healthcare Award, 504Health Network
  • 2016 Chamber Southwest Louisiana, Legis-gator Business Champion
  • 2015 Aspen Institute Rodel Fellowship
  • 2015 Champion for Children, Childcare Association of Louisiana
  • 2015 Whole Child Champion, Childhood & Family Learning Foundation
  • 2015 Legislative Champion, Louisiana Industrial Development Executives Association
  • 2015 Outstanding Legislator, LSU Health Sciences Center Foundation
  • 2015 LSU Greek Excellence Award
  • 2015 Education Choice Champion by Louisiana Federation for Children
  • 2015 Chamber Southwest Louisiana, Legis-gator Business Champion
  • 2014 Legislative Champion of the Year, Louisiana Primary Care Association
  • 2014 Vocational Rehabilitation Champion, Louisiana Rehabilitation Council
  • 2014 Legislative Champion, Louisiana Industrial Development Executives Association
  • 2014 Transit Champion, Ride New Orleans
  • 2014 Legislator of the Year, Childcare Association of Louisiana
  • 2014 Legislative Leadership Award, Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans
  • 2014 Preservation Partner by Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation
  • 2014 Champion of the Coast Award by the Meraux Foundation
  • 2014 Mondale-Brooke Award for Fair Housing Leadership and Civic Participation by the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center
  • 2014 Chamber Southwest Louisiana, Legis-gator Business Champion
  • 2013 Libby Milton Champion for Children Award
  • 2013 Legislative Champion by Louisiana Industrial Development Executives Association
  • 2013 Chamber Southwest Louisiana, Legis-gator Business Champion
  • 2013 Champion of Small Business by National Coalition for Capital
  • 2013 American Heart Association, Heart & Soul Gala, Event Chair
  • 2013 Legislator of the Year, Novogradac Journal of Tax Credits Community Development Awards, 2012 Louey Award for Legislative Leadership by the Louisiana Tourism Industry and the Louisiana Travel Promotion Association
  • 2012 Outstanding Legislator Award presented by Victims & Citizens Against Crime Inc.
  • 2012 Advocate of the Year by the Louisiana Restaurant Association
  • 2012 Chamber Southwest Louisiana, Legis-gator Business Champion
  • 2011 Legislator of the Year by the Alliance for Good Government of New Orleans
  • 2011 Crimestoppers Champion Award
  • 2011 Chamber Southwest Louisiana, Legis-gator Business Champion
  • 2010 Legislative Champion Award by the Louisiana Council of YMCA’s
  • 2010 National Award for Leadership in Juvenile Justice Reform from the National Juvenile Justice Network
  • 2010 Nurse-Family Partnership Champions Award
  • 2010 Chamber Southwest Louisiana, Legis-gator Business Champion
  • 2009 Legislator of the Year Award by the Louisiana Partnership for Children and Families