Press Release

NEW ORLEANS— July 25, 2023 -- Gov. John Bel Edwards appointed Todd P. Murphy to the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) this month to succeed Commissioner Jack C. Jensen. Murphy was sworn in during today’s monthly Board meeting and will serve a five-year term.

“I want to thank Commissioner Jensen for his dedicated service to the Board of Commissioners,” said Brandy D. Christian, Port NOLA President and CEO and CEO of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad (NOPB). “Under Jack’s tenure, Port NOLA made great strides, optimizing our existing maritime assets with $200 million in vital infrastructure investment, and gaining momentum with the Louisiana International Terminal to ensure Louisiana’s future competitiveness in global commerce.”

Murphy will replace Jensen as a representative of Jefferson Parish on the seven-member regional board. With the Port’s alignment with the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad in 2018, Port Commissioners also serve on the NOPB Commission, making Murphy NOPB’s newest commissioner with this appointment.

“The Port of New Orleans and the New Orleans Public Belt are pleased to welcome Todd Murphy to the Board of Commissioners,” said Christian. “We are a proud economic partner with Jefferson Parish, which serves as headquarters to our top shipping and logistics partners and home to hundreds of businesses that rely on Port activity. We look forward to Commissioner Murphy’s contributions as Port NOLA works to continue to bring business and opportunity to our entire jurisdiction of Jefferson Parish, Orleans and St. Bernard.”

Murphy is a respected economic development leader and a veteran of the financial sector. A native of Metairie, Louisiana, he currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer of M Wealth Advisors - Raymond James. Most recently, he spent nearly a decade as President of the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce and Ex-Officio Administrator of the organization’s Charitable Foundation and Political Action Committee. As the primary spokesperson for the pro-business organization, he drove advocacy, membership development, and marketing. Under his leadership, the chamber was awarded a Five-Star Accreditation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and was honored three times in the past decade as the most outstanding Chamber in the State of Louisiana by the Louisiana Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. The Jefferson Chamber of Commerce was also awarded the distinguished Economic Development Partner of the Year by Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI).

Murphy was recognized twice as an Economic Development Champion by Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission (JEDCO) and was previously named a role model by the Young Leadership Council. He is a former president of the Louisiana State Chamber Association and served on the Board of Directors of the regional economic development organization, GNO Inc, as well as the board of LABI.

In his 15 years as a banking executive with both a community bank and regional financial institutions, Murphy successfully oversaw multiple areas, including marketing, business development, institutional funds, media, community and government relations. He was responsible for all revenue and sales for one of the leading community banks in the state, Omni Bank, which was acquired by Iberia Bank

Murphy received his bachelor’s degree from Louisiana State University and is a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at LSU. He is an alumnus of the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute (NORLI), the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program, and is a Fellow of the Loyola University Institute of Politics. He has served on numerous charitable, civic and business organizations. Murphy is married to the former Keri Robin and together they have two daughters, Kaci and Kelli, both of whom are married and are also blessed with three grandsons.

“I look forward to serving on this esteemed board to continue Port NOLA’s momentum as a competitive global gateway and an economic engine for Jefferson Parish, the region and the state of Louisiana,” said Murphy.

The Port NOLA and NOPB Commission Boards consist of seven members. They are unsalaried and serve five-year staggered terms. The Governor of Louisiana appoints members from a list of three nominations submitted by local civic, labor, education and maritime groups. The Board reflects the Port’s three-parish jurisdiction, with two members from Jefferson, four from Orleans and one from St. Bernard.

Chairman Joseph F. Toomy and Commissioner Murphy represent Jefferson Parish; Vice Chairman Walter J. Leger Jr., Secretary-Treasurer James J. Carter Jr., Commissioner Sharonda R. Williams and Commissioner Darryl D. Berger represent Orleans Parish; and Commissioner Jeanne E. Ferrer represents St. Bernard Parish.