Meet the Executive Board

Dianne "Gumbo Marie" Honoré, a Creole culture activist and seventh-generation New Orleanian, grew up in her family's legendary Treme restaurant and bar, Hank's.  Also, a professional nurse, Dianne stayed to work at a healthcare facility during Katrina which deepened her desire to preserve the history of Louisiana.  Concurrent careers in tourism and professional nursing honed her focus on exploring marginalized histories and creating powerful narratives through art, food, music and historic interpretation. 

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Ms. Honore’ currently masks as Big Queen of the legendary Yellow Pocahontas Hunters Black Masking Indian tribe.  She founded the Black Storyville Baby Dolls, the Amazons Benevolent Society, whose community-service work is grounded in cancer advocacy, and Unheard Voices of Louisiana.

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Her work has been recognized with the 2013 Louisiana Creole Research Association's Truthful Historical Storytelling Award and the 2018 Mardi Gras Indian Hall of Fame "Capturing the Spirit" award. Honoré will also be honored as a Tradition Bearer by the Louisiana Folklife Commission this October. 

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As President, Dianne presides over all official gatherings of the Association.  She promotes and safeguards the aims and purposes of the Association and is active in the tourism and hospitality industry of the community.

Randy Bibb is a native of St. Louis, Missouri, and has called New Orleans his spiritual home since the 1980s, having given his first tour in 1988 for employees of The Hyatt Regency Hotel. He has served as a volunteer for the New Orleans City Archives at the main branch of New Orleans Public Library as well as the President of the Tour Guide Association of Greater New Orleans, Inc.  Randy has instructed Delgado Community College’s Professional Tour Guiding 1 & 2 courses since 2019 and is, himself, a 2004 graduate of the course. His passion for tour guiding has earned Randy three awards from TourHQ as well as the Cultural Preservation Award from the Black Storyville Baby Dolls.

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As First Vice President, Randy functions as the Parliamentarian.  He is chairperson of the Bylaws Committee, plans the officer installation meeting in December, and oversees planning of an annual educational trip.  

Frank Perez is a writer, teacher, tour guide, and public speaker who also serves as the Executive Director of the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana. He has authored several books on LGBT+ history in New Orleans and is also a columnist for two New Orleans magazines—Ambush and French Quarter Journal. His publications also include a number of scholarly articles in academic journals as well as a number of poems and short stories in various literary journals.  His latest book, Rainbow Fleur de Lis: Essays on Queer New Orleans History, was just published by the University Press of Mississippi. He also teaches professional tour guiding courses at Loyola University.

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As Standards and Education Coordinator, Frank promotes the professional standards of the Association through continuous education programs.  He oversees the planning and execution of the Association's annual educational seminar.  

Mary, a native New Orleanian, brings a wealth of experience as a retired educator with a BS in Education from LSU and a MEd in Curriculum & Instruction from UNO. She is also a proud alumna of the Delgado Community College and Friends of the Cabildo tour guiding programs.

Since joining the Association in 2013, she has served in numerous leadership roles, most recently as President. Her passion for exploration has taken her across the globe—Mary is an avid world traveler with a deep appreciation for culture and history.

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In her current role as Corresponding Secretary and Administrative Assistant, Mary supports the Executive Board by managing all official correspondence. She also oversees the coordination of awards, gifts, and memorials, ensuring each gesture reflects the Association’s values and spirit.

Barbara is a lifelong New Orleanian with deep roots in the Bywater neighborhood. She holds a Business Administration degree from the University of New Orleans and an MBA from Loyola University. After retiring from a career in accounting, she found her calling in tour guiding, graduating from both Delgado’s and Friends of the Cabildo’s programs. Barbara specializes in French Quarter, Garden District, and culinary/cocktail tours. She serves on the Friends of the Cabildo board, mentors new FOC  guides, and has been a member of TGAGNO since 2017.  In addition to her Social Media role, she is acting as interim Membership Registrar.

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As Social Media Coordinator, Barbara is responsible for maintaining the Association's website, Facebook, Instagram, and email accounts.  Through e-mail blasts and online postings, she keeps the membership informed of Association matters in a timely manner.  

The Second Vice President serves as the Program Chairperson and is responsible for planning, scheduling, and obtaining the location of educational programs to be presented at the monthly general membership meetings.  

The Treasurer is entrusted with the custody of the Association's funds.  The Treasurer keeps track of income, expenses, budget, bank balances and prepares financial reports.

This position records and maintains minutes of the Executive Board meetings and the General Membership meetings.  The Recording Secretary is custodian of non-financial records of the Association.

The Membership Registrar keeps a record of all new and renewing members, and prepares the annual Membership Directory.