The 2023 Louisiana Legends Interview series is brought to you by presenting sponsor, the Gail and Tom Benson Charitable Foundation.

Our premiere sponsor, the William J. Dory family, with additional support provided in part by the Irene and C.B.

Pennington Foundation, Louisiana Lottery, and Roy O. Martin, with the Foundation for Excellence in Louisiana Public Broadcasting and viewers like you.

Thank you.

I think that the most outstanding character of Gail is that she lives her faith, and she is a woman of great faith, and she is a person who integrates her faith and all of her personal life, as well as in her business life.

She's just a unbelievably kind, gentle, heart of gold, cares about other people, puts other people first.

At the same time, she is, she's very hardworking.

she, she's, always trying to improve.

Always talking about how we can get better.

She cares deeply about Louisiana, and she cares about the region, and she cares about other people.

Mrs. Gale Vincent, so very happy to join you today as we celebrate you being a 2023 Louisiana legend from LPB.

Here in Louisiana, we're super excited.

And so even more excited to be here at the Saints headquarters in New Orleans.

So yay.

Definitely, definitely.

So we're going to jump right in and have a great conversation about, about your life and your work and all things Gail Vincent.

Okay.

Want to get started with you being a native New Orleanian, native New Orleans, and what was it like growing up in New Orleans and how this city shaped your life?

Well, you know, I grew up in old arches before it was real popular, and I grew in very humble beginnings.

lived in a little shotgun house.

I had a brother and a sister and parents.

One bathroom, two bedrooms.

And so we were low, cramped.

But it was wonderful.

I was just wonderful growing up in New Orleans.

And tell us a bit about the memories of your childhood.

the Algiers area.

And then even even beyond that.

Well, you know, we were just like regular kids.

You play in the yard, you go next door and you play in the yard there, make mud pies.

I mean, we just did all the things that kids do.

And, Really?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Ahead of your years, mama was always, always there.

So your parents, talk a bit about the traits and values that they instilled in you that sort of shaped where you are right now.

Well, you know, faith was a real important thing in my family.

And, you know, going to mass on Sundays and just being in the community and being with each other, and it was just a blessing.

And, you know, the community here in New Orleans is so much like family.

It is it's very much I hear others come into the city and say, you know, New Orleans is very insular.

Everyone is very connected, but they make you feel at home.

But they remind you that, you know, it's sort of New Orleans versus everyone.

That's right.

It's a great place to live.

Oh, indeed.

Indeed a great place to grow up and live.

Yes.

let's talk about your adult years.

So moving on a bit.

You and Tom had a storybook.

Storybook love?

Yes.

Storybook love.

And and all of us in Louisiana.

We got a chance to watch it from afar.

and even across the nation.

Everyone enjoyed that.

That, relationship.

But you guys were a real team.

Not just, a marriage, but a team.

In terms of your collaborating on everything from love to business to your faith.

Talk a bit about that.

Well, you know, I met Tom when I was reading at the cathedral, and him, which I had no clue.

With that was really.

So I went, thinking that I'd get lost in the crowd, and he made sure I sat right next to him.

Yeah.

And so we began.

So four months later, he asked me to marry him.

Wow.

It was quick.

I'm going to say it was all divinely ordered, and it were, in fact, that it was in church.

Yes, I believe indeed, because, had no football on my radar.

The marriage was very loving marriage.

She was able to help Tom a great deal.

I think, to put focus to his life because he had so many responsibilities and was scattered in so many ways.

And I think, you know, helped him to redirect his life, to have focus.

And also she helped him to, look at the needs of others and to be generous.

Part of that focus was with the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans, with Gail at the helm alongside Tom.

The Saints reached new heights, featuring ten winning seasons, nine playoff berths, seven division titles, three NFC Championship appearances and the Super Bowl 44 title.

the Saints and the Pelicans here because you've got you have you guys have both And they are so much a part of this city not just your average sports teams I would say or your professional teams.

But they are part of the fabric and culture of New Orleans.

Speak on that a bit.

Well, you know, I just feel like we don't have many things in this city and we don't have that many people, but the people that we have are so passionate about both of those teams.

And I just think it's You just read my mind.

I was thinking that I said, you know, I cannot imagine this city not having know the teams and so much love around them.

It's just incredible.

I mean, the fans just go crazy.

They love it.

I mean, they can't get enough of it, which is wonderful.

I'm so happy.

Yeah.

And I mean, it's just it's a blessing.

And it spreads all across the state through the Gulf South.

It does.

I would add, so it's not just Louisiana.

We've got Mississippi and Alabama, those southern areas, they don't have teams.

So they really embrace.

And when I travel I see even not in these little areas.

And when I travel I'll see someone with a jersey or you know, a helmet or a hat.

And I'm like, she was they live all the way out here and they're gone.

Is New York wherever I go, I'm very committed.

Yes they are.

Yes.

We've got some folks that are from Louisiana who live in other places now, and they definitely still travel and support the team.

They do.

And, let the team come to their area.

Yes.

It's really going to be it's really going to be something special for the entire weekend.

So, the saints love, maybe we can call that the Saints Nation or something because they're they're indeed everywhere.

In fact, I came up one year for the, for the Super Bowl when the Saints were going to the Super Bowl and the national audience was, deciding I one of those network shows saying, you know, who are we going to fall for?

And one of the reporters said, I'm pulling for New Orleans because they're going to have a better after party win.

That's why I said, okay, that's a good enough reason.

We'll go with that.

I tell you, how do you manage the role of the business of the saints in the Pelicans and the business of what you do with the culture of New Orleans?

How are you balancing?

You know, I had a design and interior design business for 30 years before I met my husband, and I had that business.

Well, when I met him and, and, you know, I've always been in business, I feel like I've been in business my whole life.

You know, I never worked for another company.

Another design company.

I just opened my own business, and, you know, I just, I take in a lot of the information that I learned from having my own business.

And I bring it here.

Many of the things that I did then, I'm doing now, you know, for example, writing notes, sending people newspaper articles.

I did that for years.

I mean, that's that's something that I just started doing.

And people respond to that.

Oh, absolutely.

That's just the graciousness of the work that you do, that thoughtfulness, that extra added layer.

I think that really speaks to bridging the business with the culture.

And, I just think it's so important, you know, the right notes and thank people and make phone calls and answer every email and answer every text message.

It's taxing.

I mean, it's a lot of work.

Sometimes at night I'm a bit you still love doing it?

Yeah, I get it.

Just to make sure you get it all.

Yes.

That is a great way to stay connected with with the customers, with the community, with everyone that really makes up, New Orleans and the broader, the broader fan base, I think in terms of success.

Not only is very talented and very intelligent, but she also works with a team of people and she values teamwork.

She values collaboration and she listens to people, and then she makes decisions based on what she believes is right and what she believes is according to God's will.

As a longtime member of the New Orleans Catholic community, Gail has worked for years with the Archdiocese of New Orleans to deliver health and human services to Louisiana and struggling across eight Southeast Louisiana parishes, as well as eradicate food insecurity throughout the state.

She has a great sense of generosity whenever she sees the event or a project that is worthwhile.

She does what she can, what to ask a bit about your philanthropy, because that's very important to you.

And philanthropy has played a really big part in your life, and even in your late husband's life and the work that you are doing.

Can you share a bit about some of the projects or causes that we get involved?

You I really feel like you can't take it with you, and if you try to keep it all to yourself, you become a miserable person.

And you know, I started this project with the Saint Louis Cathedral and, we raising money to renovate it.

And it's taken a lot.

It's taken a lot of effort to do it, but I feel like it's worth everything that we're doing to put into it.

It's a beautiful building, needs a lot of work.

And I just felt like, well, I'll take care of it.

You take it on.

Yeah.

And you have taken on some really big projects and it's been it's really very humbling and very rewarding because I mentioned it like within my organization.

And everybody just jumped on.

And then I mentioned it outside the building, and so many people have jumped on to help.

And it's been really a blessing and wonderful.

That's awesome.

And even projects in the past that you've worked on, you've really, like I said, you've thrown yourself into these projects to really see them through to fruition.

Well, you know, that's what you do.

I don't know how to do it any other way.

I mean, you see something, you passionate about it and you get involved in it and you see it to the end, see it all the way through.

I love it.

So tell us about an achievement that you are most proud of.

Wow, I don't know.

I guess my faith, I just feel like that's so important in your life and I just feel like without that, you can't go on.

And that to me is a big accomplishment.

And I've worked on it all my life.

I felt like I earned it early in my life.

When I was ten, 12 years old, and it's just kind of followed me.

And I just think that's just a wonderful thing.

Yeah.

And advice you would share with anyone in regards to faith and how they can really take that faith walk, you know, getting involved in spiritual readings, Bible readings.

That's so important.

It really helps you calm, be stay calm.

It's better than any texts or emails, anything.

Well, there's the and social media.

Oh yeah.

All that stuff.

I mean, it's just so much better to get involved in the Bible and mass and church and whatever your faith is, to just fall back on.

You know that there's something greater than you.

Yeah, that's very profound.

I love it.

Absolutely.

So looking forward, what vision do you have for the future of the Saints and the Pelicans both on and off the field and court?

Well I'd like to win a Super Bowl.

That's right.

It's coming next year I'm for it.

And the here hopefully the Pelicans will have it.

The playoffs get get to the playoffs.

That would be very nice.

Yes.

And then other than that I mean I think that's all we really need.

Yeah that would that would change our lives.

It would So very grateful to have had this opportunity to speak with you.

Thank you.

Even better to be here in Saint headquarters like we said right down here on Airline Drive in New Orleans.

This is been a really special thank you.

And congratulations again on being a 2023 Louisiana legend.

Thank you I appreciate it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

For.

The 2023 Louisiana Legends Interview series is brought to you by presenting sponsor, the Gail and Tom Benson Charitable Foundation.

Our premiere sponsor, the William J. Dory family, with additional support provided in part by the Irene and C.B.

Pennington Foundation, Louisiana Lottery, and Roy O. Martin, with the Foundation for Excellence in Louisiana Public Broadcasting and viewers like you.

Thank you.