On Our Watch

Jessica Henkel is the Deputy Director to the Chief Scientist at the Water Institute as well as the Director of the RESTORE Act Center of Excellence for Louisiana. Jessica brings 15 years of research, collaborative science and planning to her role coordinating technical teams at The Water Institute. Her areas of expertise include science advising and coordination, structured decision making, large-...

Dean Wilson is the Executive Director and Founder of Atchafalaya Basinkeeper. A member organization of Waterkeeper Alliance, Atchafalaya Basinkeeper’s mission is to protect and restore the swamps, lakes, rivers, streams and bayous of the Atchafalaya Basin for future generations. Dean is deeply passionate about the Atchafalaya Basin. When he is not out patrolling or educating communities about the...

Beaux Jones is the President and CEO of the Water Institute, an independent, non-profit applied research organization that works across disciplines to advance science and develop integrated methods used to solve complex environmental and societal challenges. Beaux has extensive experience in environmental and coastal law and previously served as the General Counsel and Chief of Staff for the Water...

Alisha Renfro is the Senior Manager for Science Policy & the Gulf Program at the National Wildlife Federation, a conservation organization that’s part of the Restore the Mississippi River Delta’s 5-group coalition. At the  National Wildlife Federation, Alisha works to ensure the best available science is used to highlight the ecological and economic importance of the Mississippi River Delta an...

Mark Schexnayder is the Senior Biologist at Batture, a civil engineering and land surveying firm based in New Orleans that specializes in coastal projects. Mark is a career biologist who has previously held respected roles at the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and LSU AgCenter. Mark also helped craft the Bayou St. John Management Plan and lead several restoration projects in the ba...

Katie is the Executive Director of the Woodlands Conservancy, a nonprofit land trust organized to preserve and restore forested wetlands and other ecologically or historically significant lands in Louisiana. The vision of Woodlands Conservancy is to be the regional model for the conservation of hardwood forests, and a leader in the advocacy and preservation of Louisiana’s coastal forest ecosystems...

John Sabo is the Director of the Tulane ByWater Institute, a research institute dedicated to advancing the resilience of water resources in New Orleans, the Mississippi River Basin and in tropical river basins in the developing world. He is also a Professor in the Department of Coastal & River Science and Engineering in the School of Science and Engineering at Tulane University. Additionally,...

Susan Russell is the Executive Director for Keep Louisiana Beautiful, an anti-litter and community improvement non-profit organization focused on achieving a clean and beautiful Louisiana. Susan has served in this position since 2014. Before leading the state office, she served as the local affiliate director for Keep Mandeville Beautiful.     Keep Louisiana Beautiful - https://keeplouisianabeauti...

Darilyn Turner is the Executive Director for the Zion Travellers Cooperative Center, a faith-based nonprofit and community development corporation that serves the communities of lower east Plaquemines parish. Zion provides services that are centered around educating, community organizing and leadership, and advocates for healthy, restored wetlands.   Zion Travellers Cooperative Center: https://www...

Sal Sunseri is the Owner and Director of P&J Oysters, a New Orleans-based oyster company that has been processing and distributing oysters since 1876. P&J has long been a family-run business, with Sal following in the footsteps of several generations of Sunseri’s.   P&J Oyster Co.:  http://oysterlover.com/index.html   For more information and past episodes, visit: https://onourwatch.po...

Seth Blitch is the Louisiana Director of Conservation for the Nature Conservancy, a global environmental nonprofit organization that impacts conservation in 79 countries and territories. Previously the Louisiana Director of Coastal and Marine Conservation, Seth has worked at the Nature Conservancy for over 13 years.   Louisiana Nature Conservancy: http://tinyurl.com/rwvu5hek   For more information...

Dr. Alex Kolker is an Associate Professor at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON). LUMCON is a hub for Louisiana marine science through its dynamic and community-oriented research center. Alex is an oceanographer, geologist, and climate scientist and that has worked across the world.   LUMCON: https://lumcon.edu/   Dr. Alex Kolker: https://alexkolker.com/   For more information an...

Khai Nguyen is the Co-Executive Director for the Song Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit organization serving New Orleans East that works to improve the quality of life of residents through their justice work in health, climate, environment, food, education, housing, workforce as well as the culture and arts.    Song Community Development Corporation: https://www.songcdc.org/   For mor...

Simone Maloz is the Campaign Director for Restore the Mississippi River Delta, a 5-group coalition consisting of the Environmental Defense Fund, the National Audubon Society, the National Wildlife Federation, the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, and the Pontchartrain Conservancy.   Restore the Mississippi River Delta: https://mississippiriverdelta.org/   For more information and past episod...

Regardt (Reggie) Ferreira, Ph. D., is the Director of Tulane University’s Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy, Executive Director of the Consortium for Equitable Disaster Resilience, and Associate Professor of Social Work at Tulane University.   Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy: https://tssw.tulane.edu/disaster-resilience   Consortium for Equitable Disaster Resilience: https://cedrhub.org...

Austin Feldbaum is the Director of Hazard Mitigation for the City of New Orleans. The Hazard Mitigation office aims to lessen the damaging impact of future disasters for the city by taking action now to reduce risk and by working with other local, state, and federal partners to ensure a resilient future for New Orleans.   Hazard Mitigation Office, City of New Orleans: https://nola.gov/hazard-mitig...

Patty Ferguson-Bohnee is an attorney at Sacks Tierney, a clinical professor of law, and the Director of the Indian Legal Clinic at the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. She is also a member of the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe and has substantial experience in Indian law, election law and policy matters, voting rights, and status clarification of tribes.   Arizona Stat...

James Karst is the Director of Communications for The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL), which was Louisiana’s first statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to coastal restoration. James is also a former journalist in New Orleans, having worked for many years as an editor at The Times-Picayune. He was on the newspaper’s staff that won two Pulitzer Prizes in 2006.   Coalition to Rest...

April Newman is a Project Manager at the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana, where she oversees multiple coastal restoration projects for the State of Louisiana. Her academic background is in process hydrology with published research in wetlands, landscape-scale hydrologic connectivity, and soil carbon cycling. Coastal Protection & Restoration Authority: https://coastal....

Polly Glover is the Project Coordinator for the non-profit coastal advocacy group, Restore or Retreat, where she plans and executes a variety of volunteer events in the field. Her family roots run deep in the Louisiana wetlands, with her father, John Edgar Land, involved in designing the state’s first large engineered river-diversion project.   Restore or Retreat: https://restoreorretreat.org   Wa...

Rudy Simoneaux is the Chief of Engineering for the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana, where he has worked as an Engineer since 2004. During his time at the CPRA, Simoneaux has worked on some of the largest and most complex environmental restoration projects in state history.   Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority: https://coastal.la.gov   For more information and pa...

Kristi Trail is the Executive Director for the Pontchartrain Conservancy, a non-profit organization representing the Lake Pontchartrain Basin, whose mission is to drive environmental sustainability and stewardship through scientific research, education, and advocacy. Pontchartrain Conservancy: https://scienceforourcoast.org/   Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/TwgXNYgW7RE    

Dr. Joseph Orgeron is the Executive Director for Restore or Retreat, a non-profit coastal advocacy group created by coastal Louisiana residents and stakeholders that seeks to identify and expedite the implementation of aggressive, large-scale restoration projects to protect this irreplaceable region. Joseph is also an elected Louisiana State Representative for District 54.   Restore or Retreat: ht...

Bren Haase is currently the Board Chairman for the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) in Louisiana. Bren has over 20 years of experience working in the coastal restoration sector and has previously held a number of positions at the CPRA including Executive Director, Deputy Executive Director, and Division Chief of Planning and Research, among others.   Coastal Protection & Res...

Franziska Trautmann is the Co-Founder & CEO of Glass Half Full, a New Orleans based glass recycling company. In response to the lack of recycling options in New Orleans, Franziska started Glass Half Full with her co-founder Max Steitz while they were seniors at Tulane University in 2020. Franziska also serves as Glaf Half Full’s resident chemical engineer and head of research and development f...