As director of the city’s Department of Cultural & Public Affairs, Kelli Gustafson has enriched the lives of the people of Slidell by bringing the arts to their community through a number of entertaining events. Humble and appreciative for the recognition she has been given on behalf of the city, Gustafson is ever on the move for Slidell.

Last summer, the Bureau of Governmental Research of the New Orleans metropolitan area honored her with its Excellence in Government Award. At the presentation, it was said that “if cultural life is the soul of a city, then Kelli Gustafson has been good for the City of Slidell’s soul.”

What do you enjoy most about your job?

My department operates the Slidell Cultural Center gallery and the Slidell Museum, produces the Bayou Jam Concert Series in Heritage Park, and coordinates four festivals each year, including Arts Evening, Christmas Under the Stars, Art á la Carte, and KidsFest Art Festival. We also provide arts-in-education programs to St. Tammany students throughout the year. Because we offer so many diverse cultural venues, I have met many fantastic people, both on stage and in the audience. What’s most rewarding about my job is that I get to see the public’s immediate reaction to the work we do and the events we produce. It is very gratifying.

To what do you attribute your recent successes?

Hard work and a tremendous support system from our city administration. I have a very small–but extremely dedicated– staff, and we work long hours and lots of nights and weekends. However, my department is fortunate to have great working relationships with our recreation, public operations and police departments. They provide enormous assistance for many of our events and make my job a lot easier.

What led you to your current position?

I started with the city nearly five years ago as media specialist for the Department of Cultural & Public Affairs. It was a part-time job at first, but I loved working with the art exhibits in the Slidell Cultural Center, and it quickly became a full-time position. When Mayor Ben Morris took office last year, he offered me the director’s position.

What has been your most important accomplishment with the city?

The City of Slidell has done a fantastic job utilizing our new Heritage Park, located on Bayou Bonfouca. The Bayou Jam Concert Series in the spring and fall has been a wonderful addition to the park. Many families have made those concerts a Sunday tradition, bringing out blankets and picnic baskets while enjoying great music in a beautiful setting. The Louisiana Philharmonic outdoor concert brought nearly 5,000 Slidell residents and visitors to Heritage Park last May for a truly enchanted evening.

Are you a northshore native?

I was born in Lafayette, but grew up in the New Orleans area. My husband grew up in Slidell, and we moved here about eight years ago when we had our first child.

What do you like most about living and working on the northshore?

Slidell offers an enormous range of fine dining, recreation, shopping, entertainment and cultural events, but somehow still maintains that small-town charm. My two children love their schools and teachers, and I spend most of my Saturdays with other parents watching soccer games. The northshore is just a wonderful place to raise a family.

Do you have any words of wisdom that you live by?

My high school volleyball coach used to say, “Things may come to those who wait, but only what’s left from those who hustle.”

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