Former Pageant Titleholder Makes History & Builds A Legacy!
The Miss New Orleans Pageant made history in 2010 when New Orleans native and young entrepreneur, Jennifer Connor produced the 80th Annual Miss New Orleans Pageant becoming the first African American owner and producer in its history. She is not only the first African American to own and produce a local preliminary pageant (in the state of Louisiana for the Miss USA/Miss Universe system) but the youngest. The Miss New Orleans Pageant is a local preliminary to Miss Louisiana USA/Miss Louisiana Teen USA (a state preliminary for the Miss USA/Miss Universe organization, owned in partnership by the Donald Trump Organization & NBC Universal); Mrs Louisiana America (a preliminary for Mrs America) & Miss Louisiana State. Jennifer will also be co-producing & choreographing the Miss Bay Area USA Pageant as well as helping with the production of the Miss Texas USA Pageant, Miss Texas Teen USA Pageant & Miss Houston USA Pageant.
Jennifer is an entrepreneur & actress featuring in upcoming episodes of BET's "The Game", HBO's "Treme", USA's original tv series "Common Law" & Disney Movie/Film "Let It Shine" (airing summer 2012). She is an alumnus of Tulane University where she cheered and was on the dean's list as well as an alumnus of St Mary's Academy High School where she cheered and was recently inducted in the school's Hall of Fame/Walk of Fame. She is the former Miss Texas United States 2008 and competed in the national Miss United States Pageant in Las Vegas. She also held the title of Miss Louisiana United States 2010 where she featured on the ABC-26 "Good Morning New Orleans" show. Jennifer placed 1st runner up in the Miss New Orleans Pageant back in 2007 and is now loving the behind the scenes role as Executive Producer of the pageant.
Jennifer has a history of entrepreneurship, starting her very first business as a teen back in 2001. She is the founder and owner of Starlette Cheerleading & Dance, a company and youth program she started as a teen, and holds cheer & dance classes/clinics throughout the state of Louisiana and Texas for young girls. She's been active in any community in which she resides and over the years has served as a mentor and volunteer at youth and recreational centers including the Quillian Recreational Youth Center in Houston and has visited a number of schools including KIPP Elementary in New Orleans and Space Center Elementary in Houston where she served as a special guest speaker for their annual Career Day.
Jennifer is excited to bring her years of experience in television, modeling and pageantry (as a former pageant contestant, judge, coach and in helping behind the scenes) to the Miss New Orleans Pageant Organization. Her credits include a leading role in the Cox 10 Productions Show "Spoken" , working for CW 39 News in Houston where she did reporting and featured as a model in several fashion and news segments for the station, featuring as a finalist on ABC 13 "Making of a Houston Texans NFL Cheerleader", serving as a commercial spokesperson for Houston Video Yellow Pages and working as a spokesperson & sports reporter for Gladiatorsmagazine.com. Most recently, she was selected to take part in a commercial mini-documentary in Los Angeles for Microsoft Bing and featured in the February Issue of A'telier Magazine.
Jennifer brings much to the table and looks forward to continuing the legacy of the Miss New Orleans Pageant. Her mission is to empower young girls and women of all ages through her pageant system.
Stay tuned to the big screen this upcoming year as Jennifer will be featuring in:
BET's "The Game" (Season 5)
Disney Movie/Film "Let It Shine" (airing Summer 2012)
HBO's TV series "Treme" (Season 3)
USA's TV series "Common Law"
