Dennis Lauscha of the Class of 1987 has been named the 65th recipient of the Alumnus of the Year Award. Each year Jesuit presents the award to an outstanding alumnus who is recognized for his achievements and distinguished service to the school and the greater community. 

In making the announcement, Jesuit president Fr. John Brown, S.J., said, “Dennis’s drive and focus go hand and hand with his piety and charity. His success shows our Blue Jays that achievement is not stifled by virtue; it is the result of virtue. It’s only when someone is living Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam that he stands out the way that Dennis Lauscha has.”

Lauscha responded by saying that he is “humbled, honored, and very excited” to receive the award, particularly in the same year that his son graduated from Jesuit. 

He earned a degree in business from the University of Alabama, followed by an M.B.A. from Loyola University. Starting out his career as a CPA, he worked for a major global financial services firm before joining the New Orleans Saints as treasurer in 1998. He rose through the executive ranks before reaching his current post as president in 2012. In his role, he oversees the club’s financial operations, government and community affairs, sales, human resources, business intelligence, and information technology. He also serves as president of the New Orleans Pelicans.

Lauscha works with other holdings of Mrs. Gayle Benson, including automotive dealerships, real estate holdings, GMB Racing, Benson Capital Partners, and Faubourg Brewing Co. He has negotiated agreements for both the Saints and Pelicans with the state of Louisiana that have resulted in long-term lease agreements, continuous improvements to their facilities and surrounding areas, and generating revenue for the state without any new taxes. He has also helped secure and host Super Bowls, the NBA All-Star Game, and NCAA Basketball Final Four Championships for New Orleans. 

Active throughout the community, Lauscha currently serves as a member of the Business Council of New Orleans & the River Region, as a board member of the Audubon Nature Institute and Loyola University New Orleans, and as a trustee of the National World War II Museum. He has completed terms as board president of the Preservation Resource Center and the regional chapter of the Boy Scouts of America, and he has served as a member of the Blight Transition New Orleans Task Force, the Mayor’s Transition Committee, the Stuart Hall School Board of Trustees, and the New Orleans Museum of Art Board.

In 2010, he was named the Alumnus of the Year by Loyola’s College of Business. He also received the 2014 Distinguished American Award from the Allstate Sugar Bowl Chapter of the National Football Foundation/College Football Hall of Fame. In 2016, he was inducted into the Order of West Range for the Pi Kappa Alpha Foundation. He was honored as a 2019 Laureate of Junior Achievement’s Greater New Orleans chapter.

Fr. Brown added, “Dennis cares more about what’s good for the City of New Orleans than anyone you’ll meet. He’s got a clear vision for how to generate a healthy sense of local pride, the kind of thing that makes New Orleans want to share this unique culture with everyone else around the world.”

Lauscha’s love of sports goes all the way back to his days at Jesuit, where he was a member of the basketball team. He and his wife, Jennifer, have two children—Patrick ’22 and Evy.

Lauscha will receive the award at the Alumni Homecoming Mass on October 8 in the Chapel of the North American Martyrs.