Jenny Mains’ path to becoming New Orleans’ deputy mayor for economic development was anything but direct.
Mains moved to Jefferson Parish in sixth grade and was raised by her Honduran grandparents. She has lived on her own since age 15, earning scholarships to become the first member of her family to graduate high school or attend college.
Fulfilling a childhood dream, she became a family practice physician and went on to work in community clinics in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, where her experience stoked her interest in creating jobs. She didn’t want people to feel the need to leave their Central American home countries because of a lack of economic prospects.
Nearly a decade ago, she made a career shift, joining CRC Global Solutions, the Kenner-based logistics firm founded by her husband.
At CRC, Mains…