LaToya Cantrell was elected as District "B" Councilmember in December 2012 and re-elected without opposition in February 2014. Before joining the City Council, Cantrell was a nonprofit management executive for over 10 years, where she gained valuable experience in education reform, strategic planning, neighborhood revitalization, financial management, economic development and grass roots organizing.

Post-Katrina, she led the citizens’ fight to save Broadmoor after it was flooded due to levee failures. Today, Broadmoor is considered a national and global model in post-disaster recovery. Cantrell has served as the President of the Broadmoor Improvement Association, Board Member of the Salvation Army of Greater New Orleans, and the Arts Council Committee of Greater New Orleans.  Cantrell was also the founding president of the Broadmoor Development Board, Broadmoor Charter School Board, and South Broad Community Health Center Board.  After her post-Katrina recovery efforts, Cantrell was recognized as a Restore America Hero by the National Trust of Historic Preservation and a Young Leadership Council Role Model and one of the “New Orleans People to Watch, Gambit 40 under 40,” and most received a “Wisdom of Women” award by Planned Parenthood.

Councilmember Cantrell was chosen to be a part of the 2014 Class of Henry Crown Fellows at the Aspen Institute and is a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network (AGLN).  Cantrell is also a member of the New Orleans Citizens’ Diplomacy Council Advisory Board, Canal Street Development Corporation, Broadmoor Education Corridor, French Market Corporation Board of Directors, and New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation Board of Directors.  As a community leader and elected official, Councilwoman Cantrell is committed to always lending an ear to neighborhood concerns. 

Cantrell currently chairs the New Orleans City Council’s Committee on Community Development and sits on the Budget and Audit Committee, Governmental Affairs Committee, Criminal Justice Committee, and Public Works Committee.  Councilwoman Cantrell represents District B on the New Orleans City Council and is a graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana, earning a BA degree in Sociology and completed executive management training at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.. While serving on the city council, Cantrell has been recognized as Best Neighborhood Councilperson by Neighborhoods Partnership Network, the Mondale-Brooke Award for Fair housing leadership and participation, and the LGBT’s 2013 Allies Award.

Since taking office, Councilmember Cantrell has been committed to improving the education and transportation systems, supporting public safety, and providing economy opportunity for all.  Councilmember Cantrell oversees the “District B” area, which encompasses the Garden District, Irish Channel, Central Business District, Warehouse District, Central City, and certain areas of Mid-City and Uptown New Orleans. 

The District B Office is guided by a strategic vision and work plan for the district that focuses on decreasing crime and building healthy communities.  As Councilmember Cantrell is Chair of the City Council Community Development Committee, our policy initiatives often focus on affordable housing, blight elimination, reduction of incarceration, increased effectiveness of the NOPD, youth and recreation programming and facility maintenance, changed policy towards immigrants, and strengthening and rebuilding weak market communities.