Eugenié "EJ" Encalarde

Chief Operating Officer of Festival Productions, Inc.

As President and Chief Operating Officer of Festival Productions, Inc. of New Orleans, Eugenié Jones Encalarde works with one of the country’s most successful entertainment production companies. Her role as senior coordinating producer has gained her experience with some of the world's foremost, one-of-a-kind, large-scale music events. The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, The Essence Music Festival, Bayou & Buckeye Country Superfests, NFL Kickoff in Jackson Square, Super Bowl Boulevard, and Presidential Inaugural Celebrations are but a few of the events Encalarde has accomplished. Encalarde’s festival-producing management skills have taken her nationwide and globally.

“EJ,” as she’s known to her business colleagues, is the executive operations arm of Festival Productions. The organization is turn-key-intensive. Her job description is diverse, heading the Administrative, Human Resources, Intern and mentoring, Volunteer, and Sustainability departments. Encalarde also has her managerial hand in the Music Production and Heritage Fair departments. Her responsibilities are extraordinarily situational, from leading the execution of initiatives the top management team develops, providing hands-on coaching and teaming plans across departments, to practicing day-to-day agility structurally and strategically.

EJ Encalarde is a certified coach and facilitator who uses her 30+ years of project management experience and oversight to build, develop, and retain high-performing teams and leaders. She’s highly effective and comfortable working with multigenerations at all organizational levels. Encalarde is a meticulous leader with outstanding relationship-building, team training, and project coaching skills. Her work has been recognized and received many awards, including City Business Women of the Year, Gambit’s 40 under 40, and a Louisiana Diversity & Leadership Glass Ceiling Award for outstanding leadership, making it possible for others to follow in her footsteps.

EJ’s mission is helping high-performing leaders and world-class team builders experience transformation, fulfillment, and peace in their relationships and work