Chief of Real Estate Development & Strategy

Adrienne Celestine is the Director of Real Estate Development & Strategy at the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA). In this position, Adrienne oversees NORA’s efforts to revitalize neighborhoods and transform underutilized land into thriving community assets. She leads the agency’s real estate initiatives, drives investment strategies and supports the planning and implementation of development projects that align with NORA’s mission to build resilient and equitable communities across New Orleans.

A native and lifelong resident of New Orleans, Adrienne has more than 20 years of experience in disaster recovery, economic development, public policy and strategic real estate development to this leadership role.

Prior to joining NORA, Adrienne served as a director in HORNE’s government services group, where she worked closely with state and local governments on the design and implementation of Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) programs. Her expertise in navigating complex federal regulations helped accelerate assistance to communities impacted by disasters while ensuring strict compliance.

Additionally, Adrienne spent 12 years serving the State of Louisiana, where she held the role of Director of Disaster Recovery Programs in the Office of Community Development. In that role, she oversaw billions of dollars in recovery investments, including economic development, infrastructure, planning, and multifamily housing initiatives across the Gulf Coast.

A graduate of Clark Atlanta University with a degree in Accounting, Adrienne also holds a Master of Business Administration from Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business.