Stacey Messina, CPCE

For Secretary

I am running again for office because our New Orleans hospitality industry needs NACE now more than ever. The education, partner support, guidance, and member-to member support that NACE offers is invaluable. As a restaurant and catering owner for 35 years, I want to share my NACE experience with others.

My vision is to have a more diverse membership which offers more diverse activities involving other diverse organizations and more community involvement. I also envision more participation in National Awards, National Board positions, and the New Orleans chapter being named Chapter of the Year.

Biography

Growing up in a family that owned restaurants, I always had a love for the hospitality industry from an early age. I began working at age 14 and have never looked back. I grew up in New Orleans and Covington, LA before attending LSU and receiving a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications from Southeastern LA University. After graduation, I began my career at the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau, Marriott Hotel, and Ovations Food Services.

I married my high school sweetheart, George Messina and we have three grown children: Andrew (our Operations Manager), Ainsley (teaches at Country Day) and Trace (Senior at Loyola). I am also blessed with two grandchildren who live nearby in Lakeview.

My husband George and I purchased our family’s small business, Messina’s Restaurant and Catering located in Kenner, LA in 1989. At this time, I became co-owner and Director of Sales and Marketing for Messina’s Inc. Since 1989, George and I have grown the company to a leading New Orleans food and beverage company which includes operating local restaurants, convention centers, venues, offsite catering and festival management contracts. Restaurants that we have owned and operated include Messina’s Restaurant, Jazz Seafood, Chops Steakhouse and currently Messina’s Runway Café and opening soon, Batture at The One11 Hotel. Venues that we currently own and operate are Messina’s at the Terminal, The Rooftop on Basin and Messina’s of Kenner. Convention Center exclusive F/B Management operations include The Pontchartrain Center, Alario Center, and Dufresne Center and the Jefferson Performing Arts Center. For the past 3 years, our company has been recognized as #1 Caterer in New Orleans by CityBusiness as well as The Best of Weddings Knot Award thanks to our amazing team in culinary, operations and sales.

Our company had been involved with NACE sporadically over the last 20 years. It was not until 4 years ago when I attended an event that I realized I should seize the opportunity to get more involved with the chapter and see what it could offer me on a personal level to learn more about the New Orleans hospitality industry. Since joining, I have served on the Fundraiser Committee and the Program Committee. I have also served on the NACE Board as the Director of Strategic Partnership and as Director of Member Engagement. I am also enormously proud to have received my CPCE Certification from NACE. I truly have experienced that what you get from NACE depends solely on what you put into NACE. I could not be more thankful for NACE, especially during these most difficult of COVID times!

Other professional and social organizations that I am involved in are SKAL New Orleans, the Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority Alumni Association, Meeting Planners International, WIPA and MSWITS.

When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with family, gardening and traveling. I am also a passionate tennis player and play competitively when time allows. During these COVID times, I have played more than normal as it has become my #1 stress relief outlet!

I would be honored to have the opportunity to continue serving on the NACE New Orleans Board!