Avenu has a strong presence in Louisiana with staff providing IT Managed Services onsite for at the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) and an office in Mandeville with staff supporting Records Management and Digital Processing Solutions.
In Mandeville, employees are actively reaching out to our Clerk of Court clients that were hit hard by the storm to provide support and to help salvage their records. “Our Mandeville team has been together for many years, and this was not our first storm…we all know the drill,” shared Ellen Skaggs, Business Development Manager. “After the storm we started our phone tree to check on everyone and to see what people needed.”
In New Orleans, serving our clients took on a deeper meaning. Keeping the data center and IT Operations running at SWBNO is critical for New Orleans, a city that sits 20 feet below sea level. SWBNO is responsible for keeping the pumps working to drain the water out of the City. Emergency plans are well in place at SWBNO and when Hurricane Ida hit, everyone went into action, including our Avenu staff who stood shoulder-to-shoulder and in the trenches with our SWBNO partners.
Together through the storm, SWBNO and Avenu staff worked on-site, battling power and mechanical issues to keep the IT Services operational. When the entire city lost power, the generators kicked in and the team did not experience any major failures. In fact, the storm tore the electrical grid to pieces and the city was without power for two weeks.
The camaraderie among this team of men and women has been described as a “band of brothers.” What makes it remarkable is the sacrifice each person makes by being away from their family or loved ones during a storm. Yet no one complained and everyone tended to the job at-hand to keep SWBNO operational and the city safe.
“I am so humbled and honored to lead this ITMS New Orleans Team of extraordinary men and women. Even through the storm, their integrity and character shined brilliantly,” shared Guy Lombard, our Avenu Program Manager. “Our SWBNO / Avenu teams have been together for many years, and in some cases, over 20 years. I am so proud to be a part of this team.”
HOW YOU CAN HELP To help people affected by Hurricane Ida, visit www.fema.gov for volunteer opportunities and a list of recognized disaster relief organizations to include Red Cross.
Visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS, or text the word IDA to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Your gift is a commitment to helping people in need, and every single donation matters. Financial donations enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from this disaster.