A quiet hero leaves his mark

Our city recently lost an outstanding community leader who not only revitalized the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, but also made our entire region a better place to live. He raised the bar and Baton Rouge’s profile on the national scene.

I remember meeting Derek Gordon in the fall of 2006 and being impressed with his resume. I learned that he grew up in Baton Rouge and had graduated from LSU. He spent 12 years at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., as senior vice president.

After that, he went on to serve as president and CEO of Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City before returning to Louisiana.

I wondered what would bring a guy with his distinguished track record to Baton Rouge. One afternoon in 2006, we had lunch at Capital City Grill downtown, and it was then that I discovered his love for Baton Rouge and his vision to make our community a great one for artists and patrons of the arts.

He believed with all his heart that one of the keys to a vibrant city was a vibrant arts and cultural scene.

I remember him talking a lot about jazz and about how he intended to bring in national and international musicians to Baton Rouge. Frankly, I wasn’t sure he would pull it off—but he did.

Derek raised the bar for our city.

In 2006, the team at 225 came up with an idea for a series of free weekend concerts downtown, so we set up a meeting with Derek, John Davies of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation and Davis Rhorer of Downtown Development District to discuss creating such an event. We wanted to call it Sunday in the Park and have it under the oaks on Lafayette Street by the Shaw Center.

Everyone liked the idea, but we needed someone to spearhead this project and coordinate the performers and logistics. Without hesitation, Derek jumped in, rolled up his sleeves and went to work with his team at the Arts Council.

Sunday in the Park has become an essential event for our city for more than five years. Gordon also founded the River City Jazz Masters series that features highly acclaimed talent and superior musicianship at the Manship Theatre.

Derek was relentless in collaborating to create a community dance residency program that has provided world-class training and performance opportunities for young people of all ages, races and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Recently, we contacted Gordon and the Arts Council team again because we wanted to solicit an artist to display work at our Avenue Rouge Runway fashion show. Derek was on board without hesitation. That was his can-do spirit, and the event fashion show will be providing a donation to the Arts Council for its support.

Most people knew Derek as a caring, quiet, thoughtful and passionate person, but he was also incredibly driven. I recall him telling me one day that the arts infuse creativity into our lives and inspire us to action. They bring us together and then leave us seeing our world in a new light. He inspired me.

Because of Derek, our arts community has grown and continues to expand along with our region. He will be missed but not forgotten. To honor and pay tribute to him, we encourage all our readers to support the arts and make sure that our community never lowers the bar he has raised.

In August, my column focused on ways to alleviate stress from our lives, including the importance of taking control of our thoughts, our schedule, our social situations and more. This month’s cover story looks at a select group of organizations and individuals working to relieve the pressure they see on a citywide scale. Amy Alexander spoke to a wide spectrum of Baton Rougeans who are pinpointing and alleviating our city’s pressure points. The result is a fascinating essay on where Baton Rouge stands and the exciting directions the city is headed. Check out Amy’s cover story, as well as dynamic portraits of our subjects taken by our new photographer Collin Richie, starting on page 52.

Parents are always looking for ways to provide quality and cost-effective meals for their children. Even as Baton Rouge continues to do well economically, the national economy is searching for solutions to less-than-stellar job growth, and parents remain on the hunt for good deals on kids’ grub. 225 decided to look into what options local parents have. Veteran food writer and mother Maggie Heyn Richardson came up with a handy guide that gives Baton Rouge parents some fresh ideas for providing good meals that won’t break the bank.

I want to personally invite 225 readers to the Louisiana Business Symposium. If you’re an entrepreneur, business executive or manager, this event will have a lot of value for you. On Wednesday, Oct. 10, we are kicking off the morning with the Innovation and Technology Breakfast featuring Jay Adelson, former CEO of SimpleGEO and DIGG. Time magazine named Adelson as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. If you’re into innovation and preparing for the future, you won’t want to miss him. At 11:30 a.m., the Baton Rouge Business Report’s TOP 100 Luncheon will kick off with Dr. Loren Scott, unveiling the economic forecast for 2013. The event takes place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, and seating is limited, so order your tickets today at businessreport.com.