NOMC Staff News

Mar 21 2006 - THE NOMC WELCOMES JAMES MORRIS, GSW SOCIAL SERVICES COORDINATOR

"If you move down to New Orleans, you’ll never leave," states new NOMC Social Services Coordinator James Morris.. Growing up outside of Boston, MA, James had no idea how integral music was to New Orleans to the way of life in southern Louisiana. "All I knew of New Orleans was I had heard of Mardi Gras and Bourbon Street. It’s a shame really, because that’s all some folks can see." Within a few weeks of arrival in New Orleans he realized that music really is the pulse of our community! " If we can’t preserve the history and the legacy of great New Orleans music, our culture will be lost forever."

Then Katrina struck. Six feet of water may have swept away his apartment and car, but no amount of flooding could keep him away. James has triumphantly returned to work as the Social Services Coordinator for the NOMC from his displacement to New Jersey working construction! He vows to create a better tomorrow for the musicians of New Orleans. James’ mission is to develop programs to address the needs of the city’s most valuable resource: her musicians. He will conduct individual and group counseling, assist with the Prescription Assistance Program, as well as partnering with other organizations to advocate for housing and support services for our NOMC members.

James graduated with honors from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, with a degree in Psychology and History. While at UMass, he volunteered at the Massachusetts Special Olympics and Open Arms, a community inclusion program for adults with developmental disabilities. After college, James worked at a rehabilitation center for children and adults with developmental disabilities.

One year later, he moved to New Orleans to enter the MSW program at the Tulane University School of Social Work. He interned at the Louisiana Public Health Institute, the premier public health non-profit in New Orleans, where he worked with programs concerning health care in rural areas, and the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Louisiana. Mid-way through the MSW program, he was accepted into the dual degree Ph.D./MSW program, where he studied community development and public housing. James will become Dr. Morris in 2007!

Feb 21 2006 - THE NOMC EXPANDS TO MEET NEW CHALLENGES

Post K, the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic has met our numerous challenges by expanding our mission and revamping our organization. Since we moved the clinic back to New Orleans on December 18 ( 3600 Prytania St.), we realized that in order to sustain New Orleans’ beloved musicians in mind, body and soul we must dedicate a larger portion of the NOMC’s Outreach Funding to direct services to support musicians as they struggle to re-establish their careers in the “bent but not broken” New Orleans.

To better serve our NOMC Musicians’ Advocacy Manifesto, we strive to make things better
(than before Katrina) for working musicians. Bethany Bultman, one of the co-founders, continues to volunteer as the NOMC Program Director, while the day-to-day NOMC operations will be shepherded by our new NOMC Business Manager, Director of the Gig Program, and the Editor of NOMC publications.

Now you may be asking yourself, "who could direct both the creative programs and music business initiatives?" But then you may not have had the opportunity to meet our Meryl!

Meryl Schneider Leiva brings over 30 years of experience in business and human resource management, graphic design, and journalism, coupled with a passion for the preservation of the arts. “I was once told that life only makes sense when you look backward," states Meryl." I realize that by looking back that each step of my career and educational journey has given me opportunities and challenges to bring me to this wonderful new NOMC adventure.”

Raised on the fringe of the French Quarter, her passion for the arts was nurtured by NORD programs of the 60’s. Meryl cherishes her art education. “I used to sketch under the trees along Esplanade Avenue. My artwork hung on the gates of Pirate’s Alley, I danced in Gallier Hall Theater under the direction of Ty Tracy, and spend many hours in piano classes." Her photography has been exhibited at the New Orleans Museum of Art in the Save Our Cemeteries Exhibition, Underexposed.”

But like many artists in New Orleans, Meryl had to set aside her passion for the arts in order to earn a living. You see, Meryl is mother of three daughters: Erin is a film major at UNO, Lindsay is a pre-med student at UNO and Lauren is a freshman at St. Mary’s Dominican High School. Her husband, Tony, is a private investigator and Reserve Lieutenant with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.

It was in her professional life that many of the NOMC medical volunteers came to respect her.
Ironically, Meryl served pivotal roles in both of the NOMC’s medical partners. She joined the Daughters of Charity Health Services at their hospital, Hotel Dieu, in 1978, working within the values-based mission through the sale of the hospital to LSU. She then helped to establish their Daughters of Charity health clinic and after-school creative arts and computer programs in Carrollton. In 2001, she joined the LSU Healthcare Network as the Special Projects Manager.

In addition to her eight years as a dedicated supporter of the NOMC, she has served as a volunteer for Girl Scouts of Southeast Louisiana, American Museum Association, Society for Human Resource Managers, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation.

FEMA may have been unprepared for Katrina, but not our Meryl! For the last decade, she has served as safety coordinator for two major organizations to spread the word of hurricane safety. The hurricanes will go down in history as a pivotal point for many. For Meryl and her family, who lived in St. Bernard, 21 feet of water (Katrina=15 and Rita=6), swept away a lifetime of possessions, but not the hope to complete her personal mission. “Katrina gave me the chance to complete my Masters in Arts Administration – a dream that I didn’t feel that I would be able to do with a full time job,” Meryl says. Now, lucky us, Meryl is doing both!

The NOMC has always been blessed by the dedication of our staffers. Now we have been doubly blessed—not only do we have Meryl to steer the NOMC, but we also have an NOMC hurricane plan in place for 2006!

You can reach Meryl at: msl@savenolamusic.org or (504) 415-3514.

The NOMC wishes the best of luck to our wonderfully dedicated NOMC staffer, Michelle Gegenheimer. Michelle is taking a well deserved break from the challenges of the musicians clinic to devote more time to her precious young daughter Hannah. Hannah's cancer treatments are progressing nicely and we all pray she will soon have a full recovery.