Hospitality executive named new Convention Center CEO | New Orleans CityBusiness

The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center has a new President/CEO, and it’s a longtime hospitality executive and hotel leader from down the street.

Sheraton New Orleans General Manager Jim Cook, who has spent 26 years with Marriott International, has been named President/CEO of the New Orleans Convention Center, following a confirmed appointment on Wednesday by the Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority (Authority). Last year, Cook was appointed by Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry as a member of the Convention Center’s 13-person oversight board.

The Convention Center has searched for a new President/CEO since former leader Michael Sawaya left in November 2024 to take the same leadership role at Audubon Nature Institute. After Sawaya’s announcement, the Convention Center’s Chief Administrative Officer Alita G. Caparotta stepped in as interim President/CEO.

Cook will assume the leadership position in August 2025, and he will guide the overall strategic direction and operations for the Convention Center, which has generated more than $90.1 billion in local economic impact since its opening in 1985. The Convention Center is the sixth largest in the United States with 1.1 million square feet of exhibit space.

“Bringing in a leader of Jim’s caliber, experience and knowledge of the local market is a key and critical step for the Convention Center,” said Russ W. Allen, President of the Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority. “This role demands someone with the expertise, leadership and vision to build on our momentum and advance progress for New Orleans. Jim’s industry knowledge and commitment to excellence will be invaluable in shaping the Convention Center’s future.”

Cook began his career in 1999 as the Food and Beverage Director at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel. He later assumed his first GM role at the Doubletree Hotel Virginia Beach and held several leadership positions with Marriott across Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New Orleans, including serving as Senior Director of Franchise Operations for the Northeast. For the last decade, he has served as the GM for the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, where he oversaw all aspects of operations for 1,110 guest rooms and 100,000 square feet of meeting space, while also leading the hotel’s community engagement initiatives.

Throughout his 26-year career with Marriott, Cook successfully led numerous repositioning of hotels, including brand conversions, major renovations and asset sales. Cook holds a bachelor’s degree in food service management and an associate degree in culinary arts from Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island, as well as a master’s degree in business administration from Louisiana State University Shreveport. He has held roles with New Orleans & Company, the Downtown Development District, and the New Orleans Police & Justice Foundation.

“I am honored to step into the role of President and CEO of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and lead an institution that is so integral to the city’s economic and cultural landscape,” said Cook. “The Convention Center is a cornerstone of New Orleans’ hospitality industry, driving business, tourism and opportunity. I want to thank Alita for her steady leadership as interim President and CEO. It is her guidance that has positioned us well for continued progress. I look forward to working with our team, partners and stakeholders to build on our success and expand our contributions to the city and its economy.”

The New Orleans Convention Center is in the midst of a $557 million Capital Improvement Plan, which has included close to $300 million spent thus far on modern designs, technical upgrades, and sustainable improvements, including an energy-efficient roofing system; renovations and technology upgrades of lobbies, exhibition halls, public spaces, corridors, and meeting rooms; increased dining experiences; a transportation hub; and a pedestrian park.

Convention Center leaders are also working on the development of the Omni New Orleans headquarters hotel and the River District project. The estimated $1 billion and 40-acre River District development will feature a 142,000-square-foot Class A office building anchored by Shell`s Gulf of Mexico operations and its 800 employees, along with entertainment, greenspaces, hotels, restaurants, retail, offices, and mixed-income apartments.

With $30 million in infrastructure work beginning last June and construction on the Class A office tower commencing in Q1 2025, New Orleans is beginning to see the first tangible signs of the River District. However, the River District suffered a setback this week when it was announced that the Topgolf project was canceled. The development would have been a 67,000-square-foot sports and entertainment venue on Tchoupitoulas St.

In January 2025, the Authority approved a headquarters hotel development agreement and ground lease agreement with Omni Hotels & Resorts to develop a 1,000-room headquarters hotel that will anchor the $557 million convention center renovation and upgrades. The hotel is expected to break ground in 2026.

“Jim is stepping into this role at a pivotal time for the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center,” said Walt Leger III, President and CEO of New Orleans & Company. “With critical projects like the headquarters hotel on the horizon, we need strong strategic foresight to guide these efforts in an increasingly competitive environment. Jim is a thoughtful leader who puts his team and people first, a nationally respected hotel executive, a former chairman and a long-time board member of New Orleans & Company with a deep understanding of New Orleans’ unique tourism landscape.

Leger added: “His collaborative approach will strengthen the partnership between the convention center, New Orleans & Company and the greater hospitality community to drive large-scale conventions, meetings and events to New Orleans and Louisiana and demonstrate why New Orleans is uniquely Built to Host.”