Very Local NOLA makes it easier to love New Orleans better, to love New Orleans more, to love New Orleans fully by connecting you to the people, events, food, culture and entertainment that make the Crescent City incomparable.

There’s always something going on in New Orleans, which is part of the city’s charm. But let’s be real, it can be a little overwhelming when everybody in the group text is asking “What’s the move tonight?” That’s where we come in. Let us tell you about your-soon-to-be favorite restaurants, the best spots to truly live the NOLA life and what will be worth your time and/or money.

Very Local New Orleans is the source for real New Orleanians. We know, without a doubt, that the best part about our city is our people, and we want to put them first.

We are committed to focusing on the core of who we are as a city and as people and reflecting that back. New Orleans, you look damn good. And you know it. Very Local is going to be the mirror you deserve. Together, we will dive deep and amplify the voices that go unheard and show those who feel unseen. We will show up when you need us.

So, who are we?

Clint Durrett is the Local Market Manager. He’s been working in New Orleans media since 2008 and living in New Orleans since 2001. Most of that professional time, he worked as the Digital Media Manager for WDSU-TV, writing and managing the news station’s digital content and social media. He won several awards for digital innovation for his work on WDSU’s Parade Tracker, Hurricane Central and Transit Tracker apps. He’s a nerd about technology, pop culture and finding ways to share new experiences with everyone.

Keisha Lee is our Events Coordinator. She embarked on her event planning career In New Orleans in 2015 as a sponsorship activation lead for ESSENCE Festival, and since then, she has managed and helped plan political fundraisers, conferences and Tulane University’s convocation ceremonies. She is always ready to face the next challenge and is ready to bring the events and experiences that are truly unique and absolutely embody the spirit of New Orleans.

Mary Staes is our Digital Curator. She crafts content for our social media platforms and our website. Before Very Local, she worked with CBS affiliate WWL-TV as a web producer and weekend assignment editor for about 4 years. She has also handled broadcast coverage for 160 Marine Reserve training facilities while she served as an active duty Marine. As a native New Orleanian, she takes being “very local” to heart. She loves being intertwined with the culture and figuring out how there are less than two degrees of separation between us all, whether we’re natives or not.

Join us and let’s get back to the business of covering the best of New Orleans.