Louisiana Lt. Gov. Mitchell J. Landrieu has asked Pittsburgh's Bill Strickland, President & CEO of Manchester Bidwell Corporation to co-chair an advisory board which will guide his administration's plans to rebuild Louisiana's tourism & cultural economies.

Also co-chairing this board are jazz musician Wynton Marsalis and the Chairman & Founder of Essence Communications, Ed Lewis.

The National Advisory Board also includes cultural and economic development leaders such as jazz historian Ken Burns; actor & New Orleans resident Laurence Fishburne; Secretary Department of Economic Development, Mike Olivier; and President of National Trust for Historic Preservation, Richard Moe among other notables.

"It is an honor to lend strategic support to the vital efforts being made to rebuild the cultural and economic stability of Louisiana," says Bill Strickland. "This historic region represents a treasured piece of our national culture that we must do our best to restore and preserve."

Before Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and the State of Louisiana, Strickland met with Landrieu and other officials regarding replication of the Manchester Bidwell model in New Orleans.

The planning was under way for this training center. Strickland's vision is to assist in the creation of centers for learning & community development all across the United States.