French Quarter Festivals Inc. named Marci Schramm executive director in January 2008. She served as Executive Director
of the New Orleans Opera and also held the position of Marketing and Public Relations Director for opera companies such
as Michigan Opera Theatre (Detroit, MI), Opera Pacific (Orange County, CA) and the New Orleans Opera. Following Hurricane
Katrina in 2005, Schramm was a key organizer of ‘A Night for New Orleans’ gala benefit concert starring Plàcido Domingo.
The concert took place at the New Orleans Arena and gained national attention as the first major cultural event for the city
following the storm. Schramm is a veteran at producing large-scale events, including a Three Tenors concert at Detroit’s
historic Tiger Stadium and Andrea Bocelli’s North American opera debut in 2000. She also helped organize a $100-million campaign
to restore an abandoned theater for new use as the home of Michigan Opera Theatre in Detroit.
Heather Twichell, a native of New Orleans, has been in the events and tourism industries for over a decade. With a background in music, historic preservation and business
she has worked in cultural tourism as well as the entertainment industry. Ms. Twichell’s history with French Quarter Festivals, Inc. has included two internships and the positions of Special Projects Manager and Operations Manager. Her experience includes hands-on operations and financial management which focus on music and special event production, large-scale food and beverage operations, hiring and management of contractors, vendors and crews, as well as security enforcement.
Dave Stover embodies the perfect mix of talents for French Quarter Festivals, Inc. – he is a professional musician and a professional accountant. Stover attended Florida State University and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in 1995. Shortly after graduation he moved to New Orleans to pursue a career in music. As a bass player, Stover has enjoyed sharing the stage with many of the city’s incredible musicians performing a myriad of musical genres. After Hurricane Katrina, Stover moved to Nashville to further his education by studying accounting at Middle Tennessee State University. After two years away he returned home to New Orleans and joined the French Quarter Festival staff in the fall of 2009.
Georgia G. Rhody, Manager of Musician Sponsorships and Food Vendors
Georgia Rhody is a native of Columbus, Mississippi. Shortly after graduating from college, her love of the local New Orleans music scene inspired her to establish roots in one of the many culturally rich neighborhoods of New Orleans, the Bywater. Georgia has worked in the recording industry, starting with a record label and expanding to form a partnership of her own in the Truckfarm Recording Studio. The Studio produced works by over 100 artists from around the world. One well-known local violinist, besides being a client, became her husband. Georgia has been a key member of the teams that produce The New Orleans Wine & Food Experience, The Po-Boy Preservation Festival and Tales of the Cocktail. Most recently she worked for New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival’s Operations Department.
New York native Greg Schatz majored in music at Ithaca College for one year and later received a B.A. from Cornell University, where he studied anthropology and ethnomusicology. He moved to New Orleans in 1995 to pursue a career in music. As a composer, bass player, accordionist, and keyboard player, he works with several ensembles around New Orleans and has performed at clubs and festivals in Europe and around the U.S., including French Quarter Festival. In fall 2008, he joined the staff of French Quarter Festivals, Inc. as Entertainment Manager.
Stephanie Loman is a native Louisianian who earned her B.A. in Cultural Resources Management from Southeastern Louisiana University and her M.A. in Arts Administration from University of New Orleans. She has worked for several local cultural institutions, including WYES, The Historic New Orleans Collection, Contemporary Arts Center, The National World War II Museum and 3 Ring Circus Arts and Education Center, with a range of experiences in events production, membership, development, research, archives and historic preservation. Stephanie was hired to work as the French Market Traditional Jazz Stage Manager at the 2009 French Quarter Festival and joined FQFI as full-time team member in 2011.
As Volunteer Coordinator, Erin is charged with recruiting, scheduling and managing over 1,500 volunteers for French Quarter Festival and Satchmo SummerFest. Erin began working with French Quarter Festivals, Inc. in the summer of 2010 as an office volunteer for Satchmo SummerFest and then managed the Children’s Tent at the festival. In January 2011, Erin joined the team once again, serving as pre-festival office administrator (overseeing multiple projects) and then managing the Jackson Square site during the 2011 French Quarter Festival. Erin began her professional career at Avnet Computers where she managed the day to day facility-related operations at one of their largest call centers. Her career then took her to Denver, Colorado. In 2009 Erin moved to New Orleans to be closer to her family.
Following two successful years of internship at French Quarter Festivals, Inc. - where she contributed greatly to the Operations Department and gained ‘hands on’ experience at festival - Angelique earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Loyola University in 2011. Angelique’s studies and experience include business, marketing, sales, management and music engineering. In addition to her talent, Hill’s vivacious personality, strong work ethic and calm demeanor made her a perfect fit for the organization.
The official mascot of French Quarter Festival. RueDe is truly a man of the French Quarter. Before serving as mascot, RueDe was responsible for lighting the 400 block of Royal Street. Now as mascot, his duties include: welcoming over 500,000 visitors to his home and publishing the official FQFI newsletter, The Poste de la Rue. Outside of work, RueDe is a trumpeter, collector of sunglasses, and also works with young lamps at Bevolo Lighting.
French Quarter Festivals, Inc.
400 North Peters Street • Suite 205
New Orleans, LA 70130
• (504) 522-5730 • (800) 673-5725 • Fax (504) 522-5711 • Email
Showcasing New Orleans Culture and Heritage since 1984
