WASHINGTON — New Orleanian Fred Heebe, a prodigious bipartisan donor to political campaigns, was selected Wednesday as the king of the 2023 Washington Mardi Gras, according to the Mystick Krewe of Louisianians, which runs the ball and associated parties.
The queen will be college senior Virginia Grace Mills, who is the granddaughter of James Davison, an energy transportation titan who also is a major contributor to Louisiana political candidates.
Fred Heebe ORG XMIT: BAT1502011646117907
The selections are scheduled to be announced officially on Saturday. Congresswoman Julia Letlow, R-Start, is the chair of the 74th Washington Mardi Gras, the state’s premier event that brings Louisiana’s business community together with Washington politicians.
The ball is scheduled for Jan. 28. Mardi Gras in 2023 is Feb. 21.
The event is self-sustaining and uses no state or federal dollars. The nonprofit Mystick Krewe of Louisianians sponsors the ball, and manages the sale of tickets, corporate donations and krewe memberships.
Washington Mardi Gras began in the 1930s as a way for congressional staffers to dress up, wear masks and celebrate Carnival season while being away from home. After World War II, Washington Mardi Gras attracted much more attention as political insiders, including presidents, angled for invites to the Louisiana-themed event. Walter Cronkite narrated the 1953 ball and then Vice President Richard Nixon presented the queen.
Heebe’s company, River Birch Renewable Energy, is described in the krewe’s release as being the nation’s second-largest producer of green energy from landfill waste. His company converts landfill gas to pipeline-quality gas and thereby prevents the release of more than a million tons of carbon dioxide yearly.
He is one of the state’s largest political contributors, giving more than a quarter of a million dollars to candidates of all stripes from Democrats, including New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell and Gov. John Bel Edwards, to Republicans, including State Treasurer John Schroder and Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, according to disclosures filed with the Louisiana Board of Ethics.
Additionally, Heebe and other landfill executives gave thousands more through a political action committee, including a $200,000 check to Gumbo PAC, which supported the reelection of Edwards.
The contributions attracted controversy such as civil lawsuits by competing landfill companies and a federal investigation. But the legal actions claiming that the campaign contributions persuaded elected officials to favor Heebe’s businesses went nowhere.
Heebe also owns Shadowlake Management, which has built thousands of residential rental units across metropolitan New Orleans. His family founded and developed The Maia School in Guatemala, whose mission is to educate Indigenous girls.
A graduate of The Sam Barthe High School in Metairie, he went to Tulane University for undergraduate studies and law school. He is married to former state Rep. Jennifer Sneed, R-Metairie, and they have two teenage daughters.
Heebe was selected by Letlow.
Mills, of Ruston, is a senior in the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis, where she is pursuing a major in finance and another major in organization and strategic management. After graduation, she plans to pursue a career in business as an analyst and consultant. She has accepted a position with Capital One bank in McLean, Virginia, in its analyst training program.
Her parents are Catherine and Carter Mills and she is the granddaughter of Dianne and James Davison, all of whom live at Squire Creek in Lincoln Parish.
James Davison has given about $267,636 to mostly Republican candidates over the past few years, according to the Louisiana Board of Ethics.
Virginia Mills was chosen by Letlow and the krewe’s senior lieutenants, who are mostly prominent lobbyists with Louisiana connections.
The Louisiana State Museum at Capitol Park in Baton Rouge is opening a new exhibit on the Washington Mardi Gras Ball. The exhibit will revisit past balls and the roles members of the Louisiana congressional delegation have played in the celebration.
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