Celebrate Canal! Coalition honors John Williams with the 2026 Design & Placemaking award

Written By Alicia Vial

Quarterly meeting focused on the reimagining of Canal Street

NEW ORLEANS – The Celebrate Canal! Coalition, a citizen led nonprofit dedicated to restoring Canal Street, awarded architect John Williams the inaugural Design and Placemaking Award to at their quarterly meeting Friday, April 10 at the Four Seasons Hotel. The award recognizes individuals whose work throughout their lifetime has helped shape the physical and cultural character of New Orleans through thoughtful design, preservation and placemaking.

“Throughout his career, John Williams has helped steward the architectural legacy of Canal Street and downtown New Orleans, preserving the historic character of the corridor while guiding thoughtful design that supports its future,” said Sandra Thompson Herman, founder and president of the Celebrate Canal! Coalition.  “As we continue the work of reimagining Canal Street as the vibrant front door of our city and state, we are proud to recognize John’s lasting contributions to this iconic street.”

The meeting also included remarks from New Orleans Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Dr. Jenny Mains and Downtown Development District’s president and CEO Seth Knudsen. The keynote address was delivered by Bhavana Mistry, a visionary design and development executive and former Vice President with Disney Imagineering. A Tulane University graduate, she played a key role in the development of Disney World’s Princess and the Frog attraction and worked alongside some of the most accomplished developers and builders in the world.  Mistry shared insight into how bold ideas can become world-class destinations, like Canal Street. 

“Reimagining Canal Street means thinking bigger. It means creating a corridor that is not only restored, but redefined – one that is vibrant, welcoming, economically strong and reflective of the very best of New Orleans,” said Herman. “This next chapter calls for bold, immersive destinations and thoughtfully designed mixed-use environments. Achieving this will require large-scale repositioning, a clear understanding of our existing assets and strong strategic partnerships across both public and private sectors.”

To learn more about Celebrate Canal’s Canal Street Vision Plan and to get involved with the coalition, visit www.celebratecanal.org.  

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*Editor’s Note: Click here for images.

About Celebrate Canal!
Formed by the New Orleans Entertainment Coalition, Celebrate Canal! is a citizen-led coalition dedicated to the revitalization of Canal Street as a historic, cultural and economic cornerstone of life in New Orleans. The coalition brings together a cross section of citizens, business owners and city leaders to restore Canal Street to attract visitors and locals alike, boost the economy and create a vibrant and bustling atmosphere reflective of the world-famous city of New Orleans.

Alicia Vial

Alicia Vial is a New Orleans native with more than a decade of experience elevating client stories and leading crisis response. As the senior director of strategy, Alicia acts as a leader within the Gambel Communications team ensuring each agency team member is positioned to deliver strategic public relations services that meet the highest standards of the industry. In addition to supporting the agency’s long-term business growth and development, she coordinates day-to-day account services and oversees strategic direction while staying abreast of best practices and industry trends to provide innovative solutions to meet client’s needs.

Before joining Gambel Communications, Alicia served as the communications director for the Louisiana SPCA, the oldest and largest animal welfare organization in Louisiana that impacts more than 74,000 animals per year. During her nearly eight-year tenure, Alicia oversaw numerous crises, served on national communication taskforces, oversaw all aspects of internal and external relations and worked alongside the development department to raise critical funding. Prior to that, she worked in the fast-paced New Orleans hospitality industry focusing on digital public relations for multiple hotels.

Alicia is a member of the Public Relations Association of Louisiana (PRAL), Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF), a board member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) New Orleans Chapter and a member of the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute. An accredited public relations practitioner (APR), Alicia is also certified in crisis communications, organizational leadership, content marketing and social media.

A well respected and trusted public relations practitioner, Alicia has been recognized by SPRF as a ‘Senior Practitioner of the Year’. Dubbed early on in her career as one to watch, she also received the ‘Rising Star’ award by PRAL and was profiled in St. Charles Avenue Magazine as part of their Young Bloods series. Most recently, she was recognized at PRSA’s annual Fleurish Awards and received four Awards of Excellence for her work along with the ‘Plate Spinner’ award for her efforts on the board of directors for the chapter.

An LSU graduate, Alicia received a bachelor's degree in mass communications with a concentration in public relations and minors in business administration and leadership development. She is a frequent speaker and presenter on public relations topics, most recently presenting at the Jefferson Economic Development Commission and SPRF annual conference.

When Alicia is not at work, you can find her at the ballpark with her three boys or cheering on the Tigers in Death Valley.

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