HNOC Welcomes Tracie Haydel Griffin and Shelby Russ to Board of Directors
Their appointments bring additional expertise to HNOC’s leadership and strengthen the institution’s commitment to preserve and interpret the history of New Orleans and the Gulf South.
NEW ORLEANS (October 12, 2026)—The Historic New Orleans Collection (HNOC) has welcomed Tracie Haydel Griffin and Shelby Russ to its Board of Directors. Their appointments strengthen HNOC’s commitment to preserving, interpreting, and sharing the complex history and culture of New Orleans and the Gulf South while bringing additional expertise to the institution’s leadership.
Griffin, a fourth-generation member of the Chase family, serves as restaurant manager at Dooky Chase’s Restaurant, where she helps carry forward one of New Orleans’s most significant culinary and cultural legacies. Her work reflects a longstanding commitment to preserving the culinary culture and traditions that have shaped New Orleans’s identity. Her community leadership extends to Second Harvest Food Bank, the American Heart Association, and the Alabama Department for Public Health.
Russ is president and CEO of AOS Interior Environments, the Gulf South’s leading provider of commercial interior furnishings and manufactured interior construction. During more than four decades with AOS, he has held numerous leadership positions and guided the company through significant periods of change, including Hurricane Katrina, the COVID-19 pandemic, and shifts in the regional marketplace. A longtime civic leader, Russ has served in leadership roles with organizations spanning economic development, arts and culture, education, architecture, historic preservation, and regional public policy.
“I am thrilled to welcome Tracie Haydel Griffin and Shelby Russ to the board of directors of the Historic New Orleans Collection,“ said Daniel Hammer, HNOC president and CEO. “As highly accomplished professionals and respected community leaders, Tracie and Shelby's insight and guidance will contribute immeasurably to growing the impact of HNOC's work to steward the history and culture of New Orleans and the region.”
As the world’s largest holder of materials related to the history of New Orleans and the Gulf South, HNOC brings together research, stories, objects, documents, and works of art to deepen understanding of the region’s past and its continuing influence on the present and future. Griffin and Russ join HNOC’s Board of Directors at a time of continued growth as the institution undertakes an effort to restore, renew, and reimagine its original campus at 533 Royal Street.
To learn more about HNOC and its Board of Directors visit the Leadership page on our website.
Leadership
Learn more about the Historic New Orleans Collection’s leadership staff and board of directors.
Meet Our Founders
Kemper and Leila Williams turned their interests in Louisiana history and French Quarter preservation into a lasting legacy.
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