Sw Louisiana News

Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter was honored with the Tommy Longo Disaster Leadership Award at the Louisiana Municipal Association’s annual Mid-Winter Conference on January 28, 2025. The award was presented by LeadersLink, a nonprofit organization that focuses on sharing insights from leaders who have navigated disasters to aid other communities in crisis management.

Nominations for this award were received from across the United States, featuring leaders who have managed recovery efforts following natural disasters such as wildfires, floods, tornadoes, and hurricanes. A panel of three judges commended Mayor Hunter for his leadership during a challenging year marked by four federally declared disasters. They stated, “Not only did Mayor Hunter guide Lake Charles through a nightmare of a year that included four federally declared disasters, but he guided the recovery efforts and implemented innovative infrastructure improvements that will mitigate future weather disasters while expanding the economic horizon for Lake Charles.”

Mayor Nic Hunter expressed his gratitude upon receiving the award: “I pray that no community ever has to experience what Lake Charles and Southwest Louisiana experienced in 2020 and 2021. If sharing our story can help one community better prepare for a storm or other emergency situation, then I feel like we have helped in some small way.” He also acknowledged the contributions of his community and paid tribute to Mayor Tommy Longo's legacy: “I am simply honored to receive this recognition, but the resilient people of this community truly deserve the praise. I also want to take a moment to recognize the legacy and hard work of Mayor Tommy Longo. His hard work in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was an inspiration to so many, and his legacy lives on today.”

The award is named after John “Tommy” Longo, former mayor of Waveland, Mississippi. He played a crucial role in leading his city’s recovery from Hurricane Katrina and served as one of LeadersLink’s initial mentors.