Junior League of New Orleans celebrates 100th anniversary with a study to examine women’s lives in New Orleans

Written By Alicia Vial

Situation

The Junior League of New Orleans (JLNO) is a nonprofit organization committed to advancing women's leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration and training.   

To commemorate 100 years of service in the Greater New Orleans area, JLNO commissioned a report highlighting the status of women in New Orleans. JLNO aimed to provide a glimpse of the lives of women today and how things have changed or not changed over time using data found in the following insights: demographics, economic status, health status, crime and gender-based violence, political representation and climate. JLNO partnered with Tulane University’s Newcomb Institute to release this benchmark report on the status of women in New Orleans that examined post-COVID progress and challenges, which builds from a previous report they conducted focusing on the status of women in New Orleans 10 years post-Katrina.  

This women-led organization decided to commission this study aiming to provide actionable insights into issues facing women, especially Black and Hispanic women, who experience significantly higher poverty rates, wage disparities, and barriers to health and childcare. This data-driven report advocates for local policymakers to invoke changes to enhance women’s well-being in the city of New Orleans.   

With the help of Tulane University’s Newcomb Institute, an academic institute focused on gender equity research and training, the report included publicly available demographic data from the US Census, health data from the Louisiana Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, crime data from the New Orleans Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and political representation data from Orleans Parish.  

Strategy

Gambel Communications developed a strategic public relations campaign plan focused to generate media attention for the report results and facilitate media attendance at the press conference.  

To maximize the impact of the JLNO and Newcomb Institute’s study, Gambel Communications crafted messaging meant to reach the target audience and highlight the specific audience key findings – gains in education and healthcare, alongside racial and economic disparities – framing these as urgent issues affecting the local community.

Gambel Communications created a strategic media list, crafted bilingual press materials and talking points and helped JLNO identified spokespersons for the press conference including Councilmember Lesli Harris and the Deputy Director of New Orleans Health Department, Meshawn Siddiq.    

Results

The press conference to unveil the results of the Status of Women Study was attended all major local broadcast stations, several alternative and Hispanic outlets and a front page story in the Metro section of the paper reaching an estimated 432M people. Following the press conference, JLNO appeared as a guest on the most notable Hispanic radio station and was featured in 3 highly read e-newsletters. 

Alicia Vial

Alicia Vial is a New Orleans native with more than a decade of experience elevating client stories and leading crisis response. As the senior director of strategy, Alicia acts as a leader within the Gambel Communications team ensuring each agency team member is positioned to deliver strategic public relations services that meet the highest standards of the industry. In addition to supporting the agency’s long-term business growth and development, she coordinates day-to-day account services and oversees strategic direction while staying abreast of best practices and industry trends to provide innovative solutions to meet client’s needs.

Before joining Gambel Communications, Alicia served as the communications director for the Louisiana SPCA, the oldest and largest animal welfare organization in Louisiana that impacts more than 74,000 animals per year. During her nearly eight-year tenure, Alicia oversaw numerous crises, served on national communication taskforces, oversaw all aspects of internal and external relations and worked alongside the development department to raise critical funding. Prior to that, she worked in the fast-paced New Orleans hospitality industry focusing on digital public relations for multiple hotels.

Alicia is a member of the Public Relations Association of Louisiana (PRAL), Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF), a board member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) New Orleans Chapter and a member of the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute. An accredited public relations practitioner (APR), Alicia is also certified in crisis communications, organizational leadership, content marketing and social media.

A well respected and trusted public relations practitioner, Alicia has been recognized by SPRF as a ‘Senior Practitioner of the Year’. Dubbed early on in her career as one to watch, she also received the ‘Rising Star’ award by PRAL and was profiled in St. Charles Avenue Magazine as part of their Young Bloods series. Most recently, she was recognized at PRSA’s annual Fleurish Awards and received four Awards of Excellence for her work along with the ‘Plate Spinner’ award for her efforts on the board of directors for the chapter.

An LSU graduate, Alicia received a bachelor's degree in mass communications with a concentration in public relations and minors in business administration and leadership development. She is a frequent speaker and presenter on public relations topics, most recently presenting at the Jefferson Economic Development Commission and SPRF annual conference.

When Alicia is not at work, you can find her at the ballpark with her three boys or cheering on the Tigers in Death Valley.

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