Sustainer of the Year 2022 Laura Shields by Lacy McManus | Delana Lynn Photography
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or Laura Shields, engaging in the New Orleans community and the Junior League of New Orleans have come naturally. “I grew up in a Junior League household,” says Laura, the Junior League of New Orleans (JLNO) 2022 Sustainer of the Year. “Volunteerism definitely runs in my family.” As a New Orleans native, Laura followed in her mother's and sister's footsteps when diving into JLNO. It is also fitting that she follows both in receiving the Sustainer of the Year award: her mother, Helen Martin Shaw, was honored in 1972 when Laura was a
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JLNO Lagniappe Spring 2022 | jlno.org
senior in high school, and her sister—former JLNO President Betsy Shaw Nalty—held the title in 1999. Sharing the title of Sustainer of the Year with her younger sister comes as no surprise to Betsy, who says, “Laura’s commitment to voluntarism personifies the mission of the Junior League!” While Laura is proud to continue this impressive family legacy, her Junior League journey has been her own. When Laura joined the League, she was a full time Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and was pregnant with her son. At the time, JLNO lacked much of its current
