Vincent T. Sylvain is president of Policamp, Inc., a provider of turnkey Web-based Internet Marketing Services in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast Region.   Sylvain has successfully used Internet marketing to help promote the campaigns of an U.S. Senator, a Governor, a Mayor, civic initiatives and a host of judicial and other elected officials. He is also the publisher of The New Orleans Agenda, a New Orleans-based online newsletter which has received more than 2 million Page Views and is fast becoming the local leader in providing information on New Orleans’ faith-based entities, community groups, professional organizations, and arts & cultural institutions. 

 He serves as chief editor of NOLA Beez, an online collaboration of ethnic media organizations featuring hyper local news content covering the Greater New Orleans Metropolitan Area and the Gulf South Region.  A project of New America Media, the NAM Digital Divide Initiative aims to assist ethnic media in improving coverage of their communities and other ethnic groups through citizen journalism and online multimedia development.

 His work following the hurricane has been recognized by New Orleans Data News Weekly with the presentation of the “Beacon in the Darkness” award as well as honored by the Urban League of Greater New Orleans as a “Golden Gala” recipient for the linkage he provided hurricane survivors in the aftermath of Katrina.  He also received the “Spirit of Democracy” award from the National Coalition for Black Civic Participation and its 80-plus member organizations for his role in assuring access to the ballot by displaced voters.  Rainbow PUSH Coalition honored Sylvain at its 2007 Gulf Coast Economic Summit with its “Unity Globe Communication” award for the leadership and attention he has brought to issues centered on the need for an equitable recovery of the Gulf Coast.  He was also recognized as a “Damu Smith Power of One” award recipient by Deep South Center for Environmental Justice at Dillard University for his work in the area of environmental affairs.

 Additionally, Sylvain serves as state coordinator for the National Coalition for Black Civic Participation’s Rebuild Hope Now Campaign, a comprehensive effort undertaken by African American led organizations to address black voter turnout in the New Orleans area as well as other issues related to relief, recovery, and rebuilding in the Gulf Coast caused by the catastrophes of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.

 Sylvain earned a Master of Science in Urban Studies from the University of New Orleans’ College of Urban and Public Affairs, and a Bachelor of Science from the school’s department of Political Science. Sylvain has worked as a licensed Realtor with the August Realty Group and been a member of the New Orleans Metropolitan Association of REALTORS and the National Association of REALTORS. 

 Sylvain served as the Executive Assistant to Marc H. Morial, Mayor, City of New Orleans, for the Mayor’s Division of Housing and Neighborhood Development from May 1994 to May 2002.  Under Mr. Sylvain’s charge was the accomplishment of the federal, state, and local mandates concerning housing and community development.  Sylvain readily accepted the challenge to provide leadership for unifying the City’s efforts in developing a comprehensive neighborhood housing recovery plan. 

 Under his leadership, the City’s housing programs served as a national model for transformation.  The U.S. Conference of Mayor’s recognized his efforts in the development of Fannie Mae’s “House New Orleans” a $1 billion Fannie Mae affordable housing initiative which provided affordable home loans for more than 10,000 families.  Sylvain also received the conference’s “Excellence in Community Development” award presented for his efforts in the revitalization of the Tremé’ neighborhood, with the New Orleans African-American Museum serving as its signature project.  Bob Vila, host of HGTV’s Restore America, devoted a nationally aired segment on the City’s Treme’ revitalization initiative.  

 Sylvain’s recognized expertise led to his appointment to the National Advisory Council on the Housing Authority of New Orleans by the United States Congress. HUD presented his office with several of its “Best Practice” awards. Under his tenure, the City recorded more than 21,000 home sales, provided repairs to the homes of more than 6,000 citizens, and removed more than 11,000 vacant houses from the City’s landscape.  Sylvain has diligently worked with others to help bring major economic development projects such as Saulet Apartments, Venus Gardens’ Apartments, Congress Square, the American Can Company’s mixed-use residential facilities, Albertson’s Supermarket, Jazzland theme park and others to fruition.  His efforts led to more than $1.7 billion of housing recovery activities into New Orleans’ economy.

 Former New Orleans’ Mayor Marc Morial once called Sylvain “the architect of New Orleans housing recovery effort.”