Chase Business Hall of Fame

The Chase Business Hall of Fame recognizes and honors members of the business community who have demonstrated outstanding entrepreneurial spirit.

2008 Inductees

• Arnold B. Baker, President, Baker Ready Mix
• Alvin A. Baumer, Jr., President & CEO, Baumer Foods, Inc.
• Maura W. Donahue, VP Business Development, DonahueFavret Contractors, Inc., former chair, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
• Dr. Charles C. Teamer, Sr., Chairman, Dryades Savings Bank
• J. Doug Thornton, Regional General Manager, SMG
   
• Lifetime Achievement Award Winner: Ella Brennan

Inductee Biographies

Arnold B. Baker
Arnold Baker is the President and CEO of Baker Ready Mix and Building Materials, a rapidly growing, five year old technology laced concrete manufacturing company that recently won the National Black Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year award.  After being raised on army bases, relocating every few years and attending mostly military schools, Arnold chose New Orleans as his home and permanent place of residency.  Upon graduation from Texas State University, he worked for three of the country’s largest mall managers and shopping center developers before serving in several cabinet level business development positions with the Mayor’s office in New Orleans.  It was on a trade mission to South Africa that he discovered the “economic generator” qualities concrete plants have on blighted communities, resulting in a 9 year plant opening journey in research, training, and fund raising.  He has maintained an equal commitment to community service serving on several boards and commissions including the New Orleans Regional Black Chamber of Commerce, Bureau of Governmental Research, GNO, Inc., the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation and the New Orleans Public Belt Rail Road.  Arnold is married to Tracey Dundas, a wardrobe stylist for the movie industry and contributing fashion editor for New Orleans Magazine.

Alvin A. Baumer, Jr.
President and CEO of Baumer Foods Inc., Alvin Baumer Jr., continues the tradition his father, Alvin Baumer Sr., began in 1923. At the age of 8, Baumer began working with his father and through the years worked as a grocer stocker, a truck driver, factory line worker, maintenance man and other positions throughout the manufacturing and production facility. Shortly after taking over the business in 1980, Baumer focused on the company’s sauces and condiments, manufacturing numerous sauces under the Crystal^® brand and a variety of other brands and private labels. Their products are sold worldwide and prior to Hurricane Katrina, Baumer sold over 2.2 million cases of Crystal Hot Sauce worldwide. Damage from the hurricane rendered the manufacturing business inoperable but Baumer has overcome tremendous obstacles in keeping his parent’s legacy and the Crystal name intact. He continues to devote all his time to rebuilding his company.

Maura W. Donahue
A lifelong resident of Louisiana and active leader in the economic community, Maura Donahue is vice president of Business Development for DonahueFavret Contractors, Inc. The company holds 12 prestigious awards for Excellence in Construction recognized by the National Associated Builders and Contractors. Donahue has served on the national level as chair for the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the United States Chamber of Commerce, the world’s largest business federation. Today she serves on the boards of LABI, the St. Tammany Parish Economic Development Foundation and Resource Bank, and the steering committee for Blueprint Louisiana. She chairs the board of the Northshore Community Foundation, and in 2004 was awarded Person of the Year as chair of the Women Build home for the Habitat for Humanity. In her most recent achievement in 2007, she was honored as Woman of the Year by St. Tammany West Business and Professional Women.

Dr. Charles C. Teamer, Sr.
Cited in Ebony Magazine as one of the One Hundred (100) Most Influential Blacks in the United States, Dr. Charles C. Teamer Sr. has served his title well as a key leader in New Orleans higher education and financial management. A distinguished business and civic leader, he is chairman and co-founder of Dryades Savings Bank and chairman of the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce of New Orleans. The only person to hold the top positions of the two oldest Black Fraternities, Dr. Teamer is immediate past national president and the 27^th president of Alpha Phi Alpha. He has worked with the economic community serving for numerous boards and recognized nationally for his achievement in higher education. He has served as a consultant to the United States Department of Education and is listed as a Personality of the South, Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in the Southwest.                                                                                                     

J. Douglas Thornton
A dynamic force in the New Orleans tourism and sports industry, Doug Thornton, vice president of SMG, oversees the operation of the Louisiana Superdome, the New Orleans Arena and seven other facilities in the Gulf Coast region. He has played a key role in attracting and producing major events with enormous economic impact for the city such as the Super Bowl, NCAA Final Fours and the NBA All-Star game. He worked in negotiating long-term relationships with the Hornets, Saints, Bayou Classic and Essence Music Festival. One of Thornton’s greatest achievements was the $197-million restoration of the Hurricane Katrina-damaged Superdome, touted as the largest stadium rebuilding process in American history. A community leader, he has received several honors from the Chamber of Commerce, Gambit newspaper and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, and serves on the board of the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau, Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, Tipitina’s Music Foundation and ForeKids! Foundation.

Ella Brennan - Lifetime Achievement Award Winner
Ella Brennan started in the restaurant business in 1944 at the age of 19.

Her dedication was recognized by many of the restaurateurs of the day and her favorite mentors were Roy Alciatore of Antoine’s and Max Kreindler of “21”.  Today, one of the things Ella loves most is teaching and coaching young people with a passion for this business.  There are a legion of chefs and restaurateurs now filtered throughout the industry who name Ella as their mentor.

Dubbed the “Queen of Creole Cuisine” by People Magazine and heralded for both an incomparable attention to detail and an unmatched style of hospitality and warmth, Ella Brennan is the restaurateur’s restaurateur.  Working closely today with sister Dottie Brennan, Dottie’s son Brad, niece Lally Brennan, and daughter Ti Adelaide Martin at Commander’s Palace, and son Alex Brennan Martin at Brennan’s of Houston, Ella continues to push Commander’s Palace to be on the leading edge of Creole cuisine.

This list of awards is literally pages long.  Certainly the “Outstanding Restaurant in America” award won by Commander’s in 1996 is one that Ella and the Commander’s team hold dearly.  But since Ella would tell you that the best reward is returning customers, being #1 in Zagat and the Food and Wine magazine customer poll each time the surveys were done are also awards that speak volumes about Ella’s accomplishments.

ELLA'S OTHER AWARDS

James Beard Foundation
Lifetime Outstanding Restaurant Award
Lifetime Service Award
Who’s Who of Food and Beverage Award

1997 Zagat Survey/New Orleans
New Orleans’ Favorite Restaurant

1997 Food and Wine Magazine
Reader’s Choice Award, #1 Restaurant in America

1997 Gourmet Magazine
Reader’s Top Table Award
Tops for Special Occasions

1997 Southern Living Magazine
Reader’s Choice Awards, #1 City Restaurant

Wine Spectator Magazine
Critic’s Choice in 14 Cities

New Orleans Magazine
Jamie Shannon, Chef of the Year
#1 Restaurant Citywide

Louisiana Life Magazine
#1 Restaurant Statewide

Distinguished Restaurants of North America (DiRoNa)
Fine Dining Award

Restaurants and Institutions Magazine
Lifetime Ivy Award

Nation’s Restaurant News Magazine
Lifetime Fine Dining Hall of Fame

Sales and Marketing Meeting Magazine
Number One in New Orleans
Number One in USA

James Beard Foundation
1999 Best Regional Chef -  Southeast (Jamie Shannon)

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For information, please contact Melissa Binder with Junior Achievement of Greater New Orleans at 504.569.8658 or melissa@jagno.org.

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