Bridget Neal brings both local insight and international experience, with a professional background that includes work at the Smithsonian Institution, NASA, the U.S. Space Force, and George Washington University.

While supporting the Louisiana Lieutenant Governor’s Office, Neal led an intensive eight-month research project focused on the French Quarter. The effort required extensive data collection and coordination across city and state agencies. Through a partnership with the Mayor’s Office, she gained rare access to internal city departments in four key areas: sanitation, public safety, public works, and unhoused.

Her findings shaped the French Quarter Revitalization Plan, which influenced Louisiana’s Super Bowl planning strategy and helped prompt changes to the enabling legislation governing the French Quarter Management District. Through this work, Neal developed a working knowledge of New Orleans’ most persistent challenge — delivering reliable city services — and proposed practical solutions to fix it.