FOX 8 Highlights the Partnership Between the 431 Exchange and New Orleans Career Center

Jun 2

In the days leading up to our May 13 gathering, Connection, Community and Care, FOX 8 aired a live in-studio interview featuring Jake Gleghorn of the New Orleans Career Center and Jeff Geoffray, co-founder of the 431 Exchange. For many in our broader community who could not attend the event in person, the segment offered a meaningful introduction to both the history behind the gathering and the continuing mission of the 431 Exchange.

431 Exchange at the NOCC — **WATCH VIDEO:** **“The 431 Exchange (Connection Community and Care)”**

Hosted by Lucy Bustamante, the conversation highlighted the historic connection between the Adult Education Center of the Civil Rights era and the work being carried forward today by the New Orleans Career Center and the 431 Exchange.

Jeff Geoffray explained that the 431 Exchange was named in honor of the 431 women who graduated from the Adult Education Center between 1965 and 1972 — women who became some of the first Black secretaries and office professionals to integrate major corporations and public offices across the Deep South.

Jake Gleghorn shared the story of scholarship winner Torrance Taylor, a former NOCC pre-nursing student who, with the support of the 431 Exchange scholarship program and NOCC training, earned her nursing degree and became a registered nurse at just 20 years old.

The interview also emphasized something central to the mission of both organizations: that technical education, workforce training, and career preparation deserve the same respect and support as traditional academic pathways.

FOX 8’s coverage helped frame the May 13 gathering not simply as an event, but as part of a larger continuum — one connecting past and present generations of adult learners striving for dignity, opportunity, and meaningful work. The segment also helped extend that conversation beyond those in attendance, allowing a wider audience to engage with the story and mission behind the gathering.

We remain deeply grateful to Joni Holder, Lucy Bustamante, and the entire FOX 8 team for helping tell this story with warmth, professionalism, and care.