Education: Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Sweet Briar College in Virginia; graduate work Tulane, Loyola and University of New Orleans
Personal Mantra/Motto: My passion is putting people and ideas together.
Favorite quote: “It’s amazing how much can be accomplished if it does not matter who gets the credit.” Former US Congresswoman Lindy Boggs
Favorite PR Moment: Working on the Fleur de Lis Ambassador program post Katrina when we visited major media markets to correct the misperceptions of New Orleans after the storm.
One of the most respected public relations professionals in Greater New Orleans, Betsie Gambel has deep experience in all aspects of public relations including media, community and government relations, special events, crisis communication and issue management. A '“networker extraordinaire”, Betsie’s passion of bringing people and ideas together along with her strength of incorporating public relations strategies into marketing and branding campaigns resulted in the founding of Gambel Communications in 2009.
A native of New Orleans, Betsie is a board member of the Clarion Herald and a member of the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce’s Chairman’s Council, and she serves on the advisory board of M C Bank. She was president of the Junior League of New Orleans and served on the boards of Delgado Community College Foundation, Jefferson Chamber; Louisiana Children’s Museum, Academy of the Sacred Heart, Archbishop’s Strategic Planning Committee for Education, Louisiana Nature and Science Center, Friends of City Park and Jefferson Parish Re-Entry Court, to name a few. She is a graduate of the Institute of Politics, Goldman Sachs10,000 Small Businesses Program, New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute (NORLI), Louisiana Economic Development CEO Roundtable and Metropolitan Area Committee’s Leadership Forum. She also has worked on countless fundraisers, including establishing significant partnerships with businesses, and is a former contributing blogger for The Huffington Post.
In 2017, Betsie launched The New Orleans 100 in affiliation with the 100 Companies in Atlanta, a digital newsletter published twice monthly with 100-word stories and videos.
The recipient of countless communications awards and a sought-after speaker, Betsie was named by PRWeek to its inaugural national list of Women Champions of PR. Betsie, whose company is certified by Women’s Business Enterprise Council, (WBEC), was the first person in Louisiana to be inducted into the Southern Public Relations Federation Hall of Fame and was named the United States Small Business Administration Woman Champion of the Year. Most recently she was recognized as one of the 50 Most Influential People in Greater New Orleans by CityBusiness and honored by the Association of Fundraising Professionals with the National Philanthropy Day Board of Directors Award. She was also recognized by The Advocate’s Adore Magazine as a member of its inaugural A-List, inducted into New Orleans CityBusiness’ Woman of the Year Hall of Fame and named to its New Orleans 500 which profiles business leaders driving the greater New Orleans economy. Additionally, Betsie was named a Top Female Achiever by New Orleans Magazine, and received NORLI’s s inaugural Regional Leadership Award.
Other honors include recognition as a Young Leadership Council Role Model, St. Elizabeth’s Volunteer Activist, YWCA Role Model and New Orleans Ballet Association Woman of Fashion. A cancer survivor, Betsie has been honored by the Cancer Crusaders, the American Cancer Society, and You Night. Betsie was selected to be the very first queen of the Joan of Arc parade in New Orleans due to her commitment to mentoring young women and was queen of Bridge House/Grace House’s Cochon Cotillion.
Betsie graduated from Sweet Briar College with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and conducted graduate work at Tulane University and the University of New Orleans. She is the proud mother of two sons, Gregory who lives in Philadelphia and Meric who lives in Greenville, South Carolina, and four grandchildren. She loves to travel, sail, work out and spend restful weekends in Pass Christian, MS. Betsie treasures her network of friends and her community involvement, and lives life to the fullest, never wanting to miss a beat.
New Orleans Most Influential
“My passion is putting people and ideas together. We represent a variety of clients from national companies to dedicated non-profit organizations. I feel like I have the most interesting job there is as through our work we not only learn about a broad spectrum of businesses but are able to develop strategies and partnerships that bring our clients together for mutual benefit.”
Read the full story here.
The New Orleans 100
Gambel Communications created The New Orleans 100 in affiliation with The 100 Companies, a national publishing network created by journalists and PR professionals to meet the needs of businesses and readers in today’s fast-paced digital world. Gambel Communications is proud to have WWL-TV as a presenting sponsor for this initiative. The partnership and eNewsletter emphasize Gambel’s commitment to putting people and ideas together to form great connections. The New Orleans 100 provides a concise, easy-to-digest medium through which readers can continue to learn about the Crescent City and the surrounding areas.