GNO, INC Update – 4/22/2020

Regional Stakeholders,

During a crisis, timely, accurate, and actionable information is important.  In order to help you get this information, GNO, Inc. is sending out regular updates.  Please see below, and feel free to forward.

April 22, 2020 Update

News

•  Resilient Louisiana Commission Begins – The Governor John Bel Edwards’ Resilient Louisiana Commission convened via phone this afternoon to begin to address the recovery of Louisiana from coronavirus.  The 18-member Commission includes Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, and will be co-chaired by Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Don Pierson and health care leader Terrie Sterling.  The commission will include 15 task forces, dedicated to strengthening specific sectors of Louisiana’s economy.  Further, the Governor told members he plans to release a timeline next week to address phases of reopening.
• Michael Hecht, GNO, Inc.President & CEO, has been named co-lead of the Economic & Community Development Task Force of the Resilient Louisiana Commission, along with Scott Martinez of the North Louisiana Economic Partnership.
• Changes to State Unemployment System – The Louisiana Workforce Commission is changing the way unemployed workers file their weekly certification.  Workers currently must re-certify each week that they are eligible for unemployment.  In response to a surge in certifications, the Commission will now accept weekly certifications based on the last digit of an applicant’s Social Security number.  For more information on the change, click here.  For GNO, Inc.’s one-pager on unemployment, click here.
• Severance Tax Collection Delayed – Today, Governor John Bel Edward announced that oil and gas severance tax collections in the state will be delayed.  The directive will delay collecting the tax until June 25.
• Testing Sites Temporarily Closed – In anticipation of severe weather that is excepted to move through the region tomorrow morning, the COVID-19 testing sites in St. Charles and St. John the Baptist Parish in addition to the testing site at the Alario Center in Jefferson Parish will be closed for the day.  The testing site at Xavier University will only be open from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. All testing sites will return to their normal hours on Friday.

Information

• GNO, Inc., LRA and NO&Co. Webinar –Partner Webinar:  Help for Hospitality (Thur., 4/23, Noon) – GNO, Inc., and partners at the Louisiana Restaurant Association and New Orleans & Company present this webinar, which will include an in-depth discussion about local and national relief opportunities for businesses and workers in the hospitality industry.  Presenting experts will address a range of programs, including the Employee Retention Tax Credit and Paycheck Protection Program. The webinar is open to the public.  You can sign uphere.
• “Loan Gumbo”:  Determining Which Loan is Best for You – GNO, Inc. has released the following information to help businesses determine which loan product and other assistance is best for their needs:
• Coronavirus Loan Comparison Chart– click here
• Loan Gumbo Webinar Video – click here
• FAQs on the Paycheck Protection Program and other loans – click here

Resources

Are you looking for:

• NEW RESOURCE – GNO, Inc. introduces GNOmatch, whereby we provide custom connections between companies with lay-offs, and those hiring for transferable skills.
• Online Training? – A catalogue of opportunities for online training from the region’s higher education partners and private training providers can be found here.
• Work? – If you want a job in a sector that is surging right now, new openings are on WorkNOLA.com.
• Employees? – A database of local talent looking for new job opportunities, including quick employment history and skills summary, is on theWorkNOLA Workforce Directory.
• COVID-19 Customers/Purchasers? – If you have pivoted your business to make a new, coronavirus-related product, register onGNOpivot.
• COVID-19 Supplies/Services? – If you are looking for PPE, sanitizer, food providers, and other related products and services, search the GNOpivot Resource Tool.

As always, general information is on the GNO, Inc. Coronavirus Business Resource Page.

Please feel free to contact me [email protected] or VP Policy Ileana Ledet at [email protected] with any questions or suggestions.

Take care,

Michael

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