On Our Watch

Michael Massimi is the Invasive Species and Marine Programs Coordinator at the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program, also known as BTNEP. He currently manages projects to conduct research, control, management, outreach and public education on invasive species. Michael also represents BTNEP in matters of coastal restoration and storm protection planning.    Barataria-Terrebonne National Es...

Riley Essert is the Youth & Environmental Programs Manager at Groundwork New Orleans, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in the City of New Orleans. Groundwork New Orleans works to achieve the mission we share with Groundwork USA, which is to work to bring about the sustained regeneration, improvement and management of the physical environment by developing community-ba...

Chett Chiasson is the Executive Director of the Greater Lafourche Port Commission (GLPC), a political subdivision of the state of Louisiana that facilitates the economic growth of the communities in which it operates by maximizing the flow of trade and commerce. GLPC encompasses both Port Fourchon and the South Lafourche Airport.    Greater Lafourche Port Commission - https://portfourchon.com    ...

Todd Reynolds is the Executive Director of Groundwork New Orleans. Groundwork New Orleans works to achieve the mission we share with Groundwork USA, which is to work to bring about the sustained regeneration, improvement and management of the physical environment by developing community-based partnerships that empower people, businesses and organizations to promote environmental, economic and soci...

Sandy Ha Nguyen is the founder and Executive Director of Coastal Communities Consulting, Inc., also known as CCC. CCC is a non-profit organization that provides technical assistance, economic development, social support services, and continued disaster assistance to rural entrepreneurs and their families. Established in September 2010, CCC builds off of 20 years of dedicated service to the communi...

Ryan Mattingly is the Executive Director at Louisiana Green Corps, an organization dedicated to providing career building opportunities for people aspiring to improve their lives and community.    LA Green Corps offers pathways to upward mobility and civic participation through job training and education services, advocacy and environmentally restorative projects.    Over the last sixteen years, R...

Dani DiIullo is the Director of Education and Engagement at Louisiana Sea Grant, an extension of the National Sea Grant College Program, located at LSU. In this position, Dani helps to provide urgently important science education, especially as it pertains to the stewardship of coastal environments and natural resources. Dan became LSG’s Education and Engagement director in 2021 and has since cont...

Tina Freeman is a New Orleans-based photographer. For the past forty-five years, Tina Freeman’s photography has focused on revealing interior subjects through the exploration of physical environments and natural light. In addition to architecture and interiors in her native New Orleans and around the United States and Europe, Freeman’s subjects include urban warehouses and Louisiana’s natural land...

Sage Michael Pellet is the New Orleans Climate Justice Organizer at Healthy Gulf, an organization focused on supporting a thriving ecosystem on the Gulf Coast. Sage Michael is a local and established community activist and organizer working to better the quality of life in his hometown of New Orleans. His work is centered on community building with those underrepresented and most impacted and buil...

Heidi Irwin is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the Victims’ Assistance Department of the Lafourche Parish District Attorney’s Office. This department is designed to aid victims and their family members as they move through the criminal justice system. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Heidi provides emotional support services to aid in the healing and rehabilitation process for victims.  ...

Julie Lively is the Executive Director of Louisiana Sea Grant, an extension of the National Sea Grant College Program, located at LSU, that works to promote stewardship of the state’s coastal resources through a combination of research, education, and outreach. Julie’s research background centers around commercial fisheries, marine chemical cue ecology, crab biology, and marine invasive species. S...

Captain Karla Beck is the Director of Programming and Reentry at the Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office, as well as the Director of Project COPE, a comprehensive effort to battle opioid addictions in Lafourche Parish. Captain Beck also has a strong background in mental health and crisis care.   Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office: https://www.lpso.net/   To watch our feature length documentary, On Ou...

Andy Sternad is the Principal & Business Unit Leader at Waggonner & Ball, an internationally active architecture and environment practice based in New Orleans. Andy is a leader of Waggonner & Ball’s resilience practice at the intersection of architecture, landscape, and urban design. He focuses on urban- and building-scale solutions that reveal the character of place and integrate issu...

Nicole Bourgeois is a Development Specialist at the Lafourche Parish Brief Therapy Center, a free counseling service launched by the Lafourche Parish Government. This initiative offers eight sessions of behavioral health counseling and therapy services at no cost to all residents of Lafourche Parish. Nicole is also a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.    Lafourche Parish Government: www.lafou...

Jaime Ramiro Diaz (Rami) is the Urban Design Director at Waggonner & Ball, an internationally active architecture and environment practice based in New Orleans. He is also the leader of Waggonner & Ball’s resilience and Living With Water® practice. Rami is a client liaison, senior project designer, and collaboration leader for climate adaptation projects across the country, including the D...

Dana Honn is the the Executive Chef and Owner of Carmo, a New Orleans-based tropical café with an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients and sustainability. The menu is built upon the rich, multi-cultural culinary influences found throughout the Caribbean, Central and South America, West Africa, Southeast Asia, the Gulf South, and beyond. Dana has also been a longtime advocate for ocean and coastal...

David Waggonner is the founding principal of Waggonner & Ball, an internationally active architecture and environment practice based in New Orleans. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, David saw an opportunity for New Orleans to reinvent itself as a sustainable city that embraces its lifeblood: water. He championed a process that examines history, soils, biodiversity, infrastructure network...

Jacqueline Richard is the Director of Coastal Studies & GIS Technologies at Nunez Community College, where she has led the program since 2022. She has decades of experience in the field and the classroom studying Louisiana’s disappearing coast. Jacqueline was also recently named among the winners of the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana’s (CRCL) 2024 Coastal Stewardship Awards.   Nunez Co...

Jessica Dandridge-Smith is the Executive Director for The Water Collaborative, an organization dedicated to urban water management in the Greater New Orleans region. As Executive Director, Jessica focuses on community led adaptation and mitigation as the core to water justice and climate resiliency strategies. Today The Water Collaborative focuses on water management, hazard mitigation, water just...

Peter Waggonner is the Public Policy Director for Greater New Orleans, Inc., Southeast Louisiana’s regional economic development organization. His portfolio encompasses infrastructure, insurance, and the environment at local, state, and federal levels. He also manages the Coalition for Sustainable Flood Insurance (CSFI) and GNO, Inc.’s resilience work.    Greater New Orleans, Inc. - https://gnoinc...

Halle Parker is the Coastal Desk Reporter for WWNO - New Orleans Public Radio. She reports on a wide range of environmental topics including Louisiana’s coastal landloss crisis, the energy sector, environmental justice issues, and much more. She is also the co-host of WWNO’s Sea Change podcast.    WWNO’s Coastal Desk - https://www.wwno.org/coastal-desk   Sea Change Podcast - https://www.npr.org/po...

Dan Favre is the Director of Environmental Programs at the Greater New Orleans Foundation, an institution dedicated to driving positive impact through philanthropy, leadership, and action in the Greater New Orleans Region. Dan has spent many years working in environmental advocacy. In this position, Dan works to ensure equitable climate change adaptation and mitigation in the region.   Greater New...

Scott Ancar is the Owner and Manager of Jennie V’s Seafood, an oyster distributor based in Houma, Louisiana. Scott is a pillar in the oyster industry, bringing over 35 years of oyster harvesting and farming experience. He runs Jennie V’s Seafood together with his wife, Jennie V Ancar.   Jennie V’s Seafood: https://www.jennievsseafood.com/   To watch our feature length documentary, On Our Watch, vi...

Renee Collini, Ph. D., Director of the Gulf Center for Equitable Climate Resilience at The Water Institute, brings years of experience in providing tools and support to federal, state, and local entities pursuing adaptation and resilience strategies. In her position, Renee draws from on-the-ground experience working in underserved communities and navigating federal, state, and local governmental p...

Erik Johnson is the Director of Conservation Science for the Audubon Delta office of the National Audubon Society. Audubon Delta works across Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds and their habitats. Erik joined Audubon in April 2011 as a Conservation Biologist for the Mississippi Flyway and Gulf Coast Initiative, and since then has help...