Amy Hebert

Amy Hebert is the executive director of Friends of Bayou Lafourche and outreach coordinator for the Bayou Lafourche Fresh Water District, where she works to enhance, preserve, and promote Bayou Lafourche as a vital cultural, environmental and recreational resource for the region. Through her leadership, she develops community programs, spearheads grant initiatives and builds partnerships that expand public access and improve the health and sustainability of the bayou.

In addition to her nonprofit work, Amy is the co-owner of Amplify Events & Promotions, where she helps organizations and businesses bring their visions to life through creative event planning, marketing and community engagement.

Amy is passionate about connecting people to the bayou, celebrating Louisiana’s heritage and supporting projects that make a lasting impact on local communities.

Bridget Mattingly Malbrough

A lifelong Louisianian and proud Houma native, Bridget Malbrough has always carried a deep love for her home state and its people. A graduate of Nicholls State University with a degree in marketing and a concentration in professional sales, Bridget brings a unique blend of creativity, strategy and heart to everything she does.

With extensive experience in marketing, sales and community engagement, Bridget is passionate about connecting people, resources and opportunities to create lasting impact. Her mission is simple yet powerful: to help Louisiana residents invest not only in their state but also in themselves and their communities.

Bridget’s vision is rooted in preserving Louisiana’s irreplaceable culture, traditions and environment while fostering growth and resilience for future generations. Known for her humor, kindness and genuine spirit, she strives to leave a positive footprint on the coast she calls home—rejuvenating, maintaining and celebrating Louisiana’s unique way of life. 

Bryant Domingue

Bryant operated a commercial duck hunting club from Grand Chenier to Johnson Bayou in Cameron Parish for 40 years. He also hunted alligators and raised cattle in the marsh. 

Clay Ledet

Clay has a background of six years involved in water quality and permitting. In his role as coastal zone manager for St. Charles Parish, he focuses on balancing wetland conservation, coastal restoration and sustainable development while supporting the needs of the community. This opportunity represents an important step in his personal and professional journey, allowing him to expand his knowledge, grow as a leader and continue making a meaningful impact for the future of Louisiana’s coast. 

Cobb LeBouef

Cobb is a Louisiana native who has lived in Vermilion Parish for his entire life. He has hunted and fished the coast since he was a child. Cobb is married with two kids in Vermillion and five grandkids who he looks forward to witnessing grow up on the coast. Cobb works in the energy industry across the coast and Gulf. He is interested in learning about different methods that are used to protect the coast for future generations.

Daniel Jatres

Dan Jatres is the infrastructure projects administrator for the city of New Orleans, and he leads the city’s Federal Infrastructure Task Force, tasked with coordinating the city and its partners’ efforts to prioritize projects and secure funding from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) programs. Dan previously served as the policy and program manager in the Mayor’s Office of Transportation, implementing the Moving New Orleans Transportation Action Plan, with focuses including the citywide Bikeway Blueprint implementation, oversight of the Blue Bikes bikeshare program, developing an updated approach to truck and oversize vehicle networks and development of a Vision Zero Action Plan.

Ebony Woodruff

Ebony Woodruff is a first-generation attorney, legal entrepreneur and public policy advocate. Her career has spanned various sectors, including education, law, government, public service and nonprofit leadership. In 2013, Ebony was elected to represent District 87 in the Louisiana House of Representatives. During her tenure in the Legislature, she authored and championed agricultural and food legislation. Her legislative work cemented her commitment to building an equitable and inclusive food system.

Ebony is a native of the New Orleans area. She earned a master of laws in agricultural and food law from the University of Arkansas School of Law, a juris doctorate from the Southern University Law Center and a bachelor of science in Business Administration from LSU. Ebony is a certified master gardener and agricultural mediator. She is an Aspen Institute Food Leaders Fellow and a Louisiana Food Fellow. Ebony also served as the inaugural director of the Agricultural Law Institute at Southern University Law Center.

Gibbons Addison

Gibbons is a litigation attorney at Jones Walker LLP who handles complex disputes in Louisiana and Texas. His work often addresses complicated subjects that are not regularly addressed by the courts. Gibbons frequently deals with issues in coastal Louisiana, representing clients in oil and gas, land use, environmental and commercial lawsuits involving Louisiana’s shoreline, inland waters, bays, marshes and swamps. He often analyzes coastal topics including wetland loss, land uses and historical alterations to the landscape, wildlife and aquatic life, and decommissioning and removal of oil and gas infrastructure.

Holly Peterson

Holly is an assistant professor in the Department of Public Administration at LSU. She is also an associate editor with Policy Studies Journal. Holly’s research interests include public policy process, technology and environment and energy policy. She teaches public policy and administration courses.

Jaimee Williams

Jaimee is a structural engineer in the water and resiliency industry with over two years of experience in structural design. Jaimee’s work consists of structural design, review and analyses for water-based structures, such as docks and floodgates. Through CLI, she intends to deepen her policy understanding — especially around the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority — and sharpen her storytelling through op-eds and public comments, amplifying voices from the community. She is committed to creating solutions that sustain both the ecology and heritage of our coast.

Jake Mendoza

Jake Mendoza is an environmental consultant and holds a master’s degree in environmental science from LSU. He has previously worked as an oil spill biologist, hazardous waste permit writer and archaeologist. Jake enjoys birdwatching and playing music in his spare time.

James Collier

James Collier runs a New Orleans-based creative firm specializing in visual storytelling for food brands, agriculture and industry.

James Hiatt

Born and raised in southwest Louisiana, James Hiatt leads For a Better Bayou, a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening coastal resilience and building community power. With over a decade of experience in the shipping and refining industry, he understands the challenges and opportunities facing Gulf Coast communities. Drawing on his deep local ties, James works alongside residents, fishers and local leaders to protect the region’s waters and lands, preserve cultural traditions and build an economy that sustains both people and place.

Jay Ducote

Jay Ducote is a chef, traveler, speaker, storyteller and TV host. Basically, he eats and drinks for a living. He received his BA in economics and political science and MA in political science from LSU. Jay is most widely known for finishing runner-up on Season 11 of the hit reality competition show “Food Network Star.” He also had a pilot for his own show, “Deep Fried America,” air on the Travel Channel. Jay won an episode of “Beat Bobby Flay” after challenging the Iron Chef to a crawfish boil. He also won an episode of Food Network’s “Superchef Grudge Match.” Additionally, he has appeared on “Chopped,” “Cutthroat Kitchen,” “Masterchef” and many more television and web shows. Jay has twice been invited to cook at the historic James Beard House in New York City. He has been a featured chef on ESPN’s “College GameDay “two times, the pinnacle of learning how to cook throwing tailgate parties at LSU. He continues to cook for events large and small, near and far. Throughout Jay’s career he has led ventures in blogging, radio, television, digital media, barbecue sauces and seasonings, wine, coffee, tacos, catering, pop-up dinners, teaching and much more. Jay’s first book, “Jay Ducote’s Louisiana Outdoor Cooking,” a cookbook chronicling Jay’s time growing up hunting, fishing, tailgating and his professional culinary journey to that point, was published by the LSU Press in 2020. His second book is in the works. Jay travels as much as he can to soak in the great cultures of the world and experience everything that life has to offer. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Louisiana Travel Association.

Jesse Landry

Born in New Orleans and raised in St. Francisville, Jesse has lived most of his life in Louisiana. Jesse attended Vassar College in New York, where he received a degree in astronomy. Now, he is in training to become a commercial real estate appraiser specializing in right-of-way and eminent domain. Both work and volunteering take him all over the state, especially the coast.

Julio Clotter

Julio Bermudez Clotter is the founder of Raices Nuevas, a nonprofit supporting Garifuna youth in New Orleans. Originally from La Ceiba, Honduras, Julio has been a resident of New Orleans since the age of five and is a dedicated nonprofit professional with over a decade of experience in programming, project management and facilities coordination. Julio’s career includes impactful roles with organizations such as Son of a Saint and Groundwork New Orleans and as a board member of New Orleans Youth Alliance. Deeply committed to civic engagement, he is active in fundraising, operations consulting and event planning. Julio strives to create equitable opportunities for New Orleans youth through community partnerships and public policy involvement, continually seeking to learn and volunteer with diverse organizations.

Lester Patin

Les Patin, a Louisiana native raised in the Lake Maurepas watershed, earned his bachelor’s degree in mass communication from LSU’s Manship School before moving to New York . There, he worked in PR and creative agencies, developing expertise in design, social media and marketing strategy. In 2021, he earned his master’s in branding from the School of Visual Arts. The following year, he returned to New Orleans to join The Roosevelt New Orleans as marketing manager, overseeing marketing initiatives, brand strategy, advertising and community partnerships. Driven by a deep connection to his home state and a growing curiosity about the intersection of science, culture and environmental stewardship, Les aspires to serve as an ambassador for the ongoing preservation and restoration of coastal Louisiana.

Maanasa Davuluri

Even as a child, Maanasa was determined to be part of a trash empire. As a lifelong Louisianian, she became obsessed with saving the Gulf Coast after a third grade field trip to LUMCON, and she knew she had to do something to save the rapidly disappearing state. After receiving a bachelor’s in biological science from LSU, she explored the world and learned how different countries and states handle waste more efficiently than Louisiana. After many years spent in agriculture and being the “Oscar the Grouch” of hospitality, she realized the answer was in reallocating waste to work for the needs of the state. She received a second bachelor’s in earth and environmental science at the University of New Orleans during the pandemic and hopes to create a more sustainable future for the state, focusing on the service industry, by utilizing all the exciting, new resources and programs emerging throughout the Gulf South. Additionally, she hopes to tackle the issues of eutrophication and the growing dead zone in the Gulf. She is very excited about her future journey in learning what the community can do to help oysters, and in turn, what oysters can do to help Louisiana.

Marguerite Green

Marguerite Charbonnet Green, a native of New Orleans, grew up immersed in the city’s live oaks and the pine-forested swamps of the north shore. In 2006, Margee attended LSU, where she majored in agriculture with a focus on vegetable production. Her early work in field production evolved into a commitment to community gardening, and she co-founded a network of neighborhood-run gardens at mosques and churches in Baton Rouge. After graduating, Margee returned to New Orleans, which was still in recovery, and has since led various school gardens, community farms and her own farm. She has dedicated the past decade to integrating agroecological principles with the fight against the climate crisis. Margee has served as the director of SPROUT, a farmer support organization. In 2024, Margee co-organized the Louisiana Farmer’s Climate Convening, which brought together 200 farmers from across the state to discuss the climate crisis and foster community. In 2025, after 8 years of leading SPROUT, she took the helm as the first statewide director of the Louisiana Food Policy Council where she is helping build an equitable food system across the state. She is also the proud mother of a daughter named River, inspired by the mighty Mississippi.

Matt DeCotiis

Matt DeCotiis is a founding partner at CICADA, a multidisciplinary architecture and documentation firm based in New Orleans. He brings expertise in historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and climate resilience. Matt specializes in integrating advanced tools such as laser scanning, drone photogrammetry, and GIS mapping into architectural practice to document vulnerable places and design with precision.

Meaghan McCormack

Meaghan McCormack has led the St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation (SBEDF) as CEO since April 2020, where she launched a revitalized economic development organization with a reimagined vision, mission, scope of work, and team. With her at the helm, the organization initiated, adopted, and is now implementing St. Bernard’s 5-year economic development strategic plan, which was created with input from numerous community members and partners. Under her leadership, St. Bernard has been named the fastest-growing Parish (County) in Louisiana, the Parish (County) with the 2nd-highest GDP in Louisiana, and SBEDF has announced multiple major business recruitment and expansion projects representing over $2 billion in capital investment and over 2,500 new and retained jobs. She has a proven track record of creating equity and prosperity through mutually beneficial, diverse partnerships with a variety of local, regional, state, and federal agencies, as well as with business and community leaders, legislators, and nonprofit organizations. McCormack proudly serves on many boards and committees, including the Public Affairs Research Council (PAR)’s Future Leaders Council, the United Way of Southeast Louisiana’s Women United where she serves as Allocations Committee Chair, Ellevate Louisiana, where she serves as Chair of the Environment & Infrastructure Policy Committee, and the boards of Greater New Orleans, Inc., Junior Achievement of Greater New Orleans, the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute, the St. Bernard Family Violence Program, and the Community Center of St. Bernard.

Misha Mayeur

Born and raised in New Orleans, Misha now acts as the Communications Director for Habitat Recovery Project, as well as the producer and host of Gulf Rising. Her work for Habitat Recovery Project has her in tight communion with the fishermen of Southwest Louisiana, New Orleans Climate Culture, and the Louisiana Shrimp Festival. Misha is an eager bridge to the waters of New York: where she sailed on the Clearwater during Climate week, recorded on the Schooner Apollonia with Riverkeeper for the Hudson River Migration festival, and brought Cameron parish oystermen to learn from the Billion Oyster Project on Governor’s Island. She is eager to learn more about the circular systems of oyster shell and glass recycling to fortify our coastlines.

Natasha Whitton

Natasha Whitton, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of History at Baton Rouge Community College who has spent most of her life in Louisiana. As an undergraduate, she studied biology and completed a concentration in the history of science while working on her doctorate. She serves in the community on the board of Volunteers in Public Schools, the Changemakers Alumni Board for the Baton Rouge Alliance for Students, and the Ready Start Network for Early Childhood Education in Baton Rouge. She is Vice President of Programming for the Louisiana Academic Advising Association. She is a member of the LeadershipBR class of 2025. Recent fellowships include the National Endowment for Humanities Institute on Willa Cather, the Great Questions Foundation, and the OER & AI Curation Pathway with the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education. Her areas of academic interest include ecocriticism, open education resources, artificial intelligence, world history, contemporary literature, and the Bible.

Rachel Boese

Native New Orleanian, Entrepreneur, Author & Publisher. Editor in Chief of Southern Renaissance Magazine and Founder of Crescent City CPG.

Rachel Fontaine

Ray Fontaine is a designer, strategist, and community organizer based in New Orleans. She is the Principal Designer and Founder of Bywater Branding Services, a creative agency that specializes in art-based branding, storytelling, and media production for mission-driven businesses and organizations. Her work brings together design, culture, and advocacy to support movements at the intersection of sustainability, human rights, and urban coastal resilience. Ray also leads Climate Culture NOLA, a salon series and summit that connects artists, culture bearers, scientists, businesses, and policymakers to spark collective action on climate adaptation in Southeast Louisiana. Her creative projects — from public art to collaborative campaigns — reflect a commitment to amplifying community voices and building bridges between cultural expression and systemic change.

An Adjunct Professor of Design at Tulane University’s School of Architecture, Ray taught courses in visual communications and guided students in using design as a tool for storytelling and social impact. With a background in industrial design and business management, she brings both artistic vision and strategic acumen to her practice. Ray’s work has been recognized through grants and collaborations with local and national partners, and her projects continue to highlight the power of design to reimagine community futures in the face of ecological and cultural challenges.

Russ Gisclair

Russ Gisclair is a project manager for Danos Coastal Restoration and a native of Cut Off, LA.