About

OK, so here’s where you expect to find background information. The Who, What, Where & Why. I believe in what I do, so I do not hide behind my web moniker, though you gotta admit, NOLAmotion is a pretty cool phrase.

My name is Steve Picou. I lived in New Orleans from 1991 to 2023 and now reside in Opelousas, not far from where I grew up in Eunice, in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana. Yes, I lost damn near everything I owned in the Katrina flood. All my personal history, files, pictures, and belongings were destroyed. Funny thing is that in that same year, I also lost my job (see R.I.P. LMC for some of that story), my mom, and much of my city. 2005 was a pretty sucky year, to say the least.

Through all of the years of tribulations, my partner, Grasshopper Mendoza, helped me make it. She’s the best thing to ever happen to me. We work together as community builders, trying to find the right ways to be better citizens in our fractured world.

From 1992 to 2005 I was blessed to work at the Louisiana Music Commission, a state economic development agency led by (the late) Ellis Marsalis, who in a front page article about me in the Times-Picayune in 2009 said this about me: “He is honest and is always looking for ways to help the state, the environment, and mankind in general,” and (the ever eccentric and dynamic raconteur) Bernie Cyrus. I was the first-ever Assistant Director, a position I held until it was terminated in May 2005 (as noted above). My LinkedIn profile has a fairly thorough history.

In March 2008 I was hired by the LSU AgCenter to promote better, sustainable building practices and all things green. In fact, I was the first person at the AgCenter to have the words “green” and “sustainable” in their job description. That job was “jindalled” in October 2012. Grasshopper and I have a consulting business, Adaptation Strategies, and we’re trying to help build Louisiana’s water economy and much more.

I’m a change agent and work hard to be effective. I have a long history in music, politics, the environment, public safety, and community action. I’ve worked in radio, television, advertising, and all aspects of event production. From 1976 to 1991, I was a full-time musician and lead guitarist of a rock band called Bas Clas. We’re still at it, with CD releases in 2012, 2014, 2016, 2021, 2023, and 2025, with more to come. I can’t believe we’re in our fiftieth year!

This blog site is where I vent my spleen, share interesting news, and challenge myself and others to do better.

When this blog started: