Stewart T. Gordon, M.D., FAAP
President Louisiana Chapter
American Academy of Pediatrics
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Dr. Gordon is an Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics and Chief of Pediatrics at the LSU Health Sciences Center / Earl K. Long Medical Center in Baton Rouge, LA. He has been a practicing pediatrician there since returning home to Baton Rouge in 1994.
He is a graduate of Louisiana State University, LSU Medical School in New Orleans and completed his training in Pediatrics with LSU Medical School’s Department of Pediatrics at Charity Hospital and Children’s Hospital. Dr. Gordon is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center.
He is currently the President of the Louisiana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and Chairman of the Louisiana Obesity Council.
Dr. Gordon’s areas of interest include early brain development, child advocacy / children’s public policy, juvenile justice reform, prevention of child abuse and neglect and prevention and treatment of childhood obesity.
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Garret Graves
Senior Advisor
Governor’s Office of Coastal Activities
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Garret Graves currently serves as the Senior Advisor for Coastal Activities for Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. His capacity requires him to serve as the Chairman of the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, which is responsible for overseeing all coastal restoration and hurricane protection projects taking place in the state. Graves also serves on the Coastal Protection and Restoration Financing Corporation, The Governor’s Advisory Commission on Coastal Protection, Restoration and Conservation and is the state’s representative for the CWPPRA Task Force.
Graves, originally of Baton Rouge, served on the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation’s staff since 2005. He served as a senior advisor to Senators Ted Stevens and David Vitter and as a staff director for the Climate Change and Impacts Subcommittee. Graves helped to draft offshore oil and gas revenue sharing bills and has helped to draft or negotiate every offshore oil and gas revenue sharing bill passed by the U.S. House since 1996 - including the Coastal Impact Assistance Program (providing $520 million for Louisiana over four years 2007-2010) and the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 (providing billions to Louisiana and other gulf states). Graves also helped to negotiate more than $20 billion in hurricane and coastal protection programs for Louisiana. Additionally, he worked to develop legislative initiatives on climate change, energy, coastal protection and management and hurricane protection.
Graves previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Congressman Billy Tauzin, then chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce. He advised the congressman on energy, coastal, appropriations, transportation, homeland security, environment, natural resources and hurricane protection issues. Graves worked for the congressman from 1995 to 2004, also serving as a senior staff member for the U.S. House and Energy Commerce Committee.
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Ramsey Green
Chief Operating Officer
New Orleans Recovery School District
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Ramsey Green is the Chief Operating Officer of the New Orleans Recovery School District (RSD), where he oversees the reconstruction of the district''s school facilities, disaster-related financing, and general district operations. Taking over nearly 90% of the public schools in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the state-controlled RSD is undertaking an unprecedented movement to turn around a troubled legacy of public education and rebuild damaged and destroyed school facilities in New Orleans. Previously, Ramsey was the district''s first ever budget director and served on the staff of the Louisiana Recovery Authority, the governor’s office charged allocating more than $11 billion of federal rebuilding funds. Previously, Ramsey worked in infrastructure financing, sustainability, and energy policy development in Southern California. A 2001 Teach For America corps member, Ramsey taught high school social studies at Franklin Senior High School in Franklin, Louisiana. Ramsey graduated from New York University in 2001 and is currently working toward a master’s in government administration from the University of Pennsylvania. A native of San Diego, Ramsey has lived in Louisiana for five years and currently resides in New Orleans.
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Melissa Guilbeau, AICP
Urban Transportation Coordinator
City of Baton Rouge – Parish of East Baton Rouge
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Melissa Guilbeau created and manages the Infrastructure Planning Division of the East Baton Rouge City-Parish Department of Public Works (DPW). This division is responsible for planning activities within DPW in order to achieve the goals of smart growth and sustainability, and also provides GIS mapping and analysis support services. Melissa authored the Department of Public Works Policy and Practice Smart Growth Audit, which won the 2008 Louisiana State APA Outstanding Planning Honorable Mention for a Project/Program Tool. She continuously advocates for the importance of planning and works to integrate and implement the concepts of smart growth as it relates to public works, with a particular emphasis on the concept of complete streets.
Melissa is a Baton Rouge native and a graduate of LSU. She spent 5 years in Seattle where she earned Masters degrees in Urban Planning and Public Administration from the University of Washington, and worked for a private consulting firm doing planning work for local, regional and military organizations. She has been happily married for 10 years to Bill Polk and has two sons, Blaise (3.5) and Louin (2).
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Greta Harris
Program Vice President
Local Initiatives Support Corporation
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Greta Harris has an undergraduate degree in architecture for Virginia Tech and a master’s degree in architectural and urban design from Columbia University. For the last ten years, Greta has worked for community development corporations in Philadelphia and Richmond.
She Joined the Richmond chapter of LISC as a Program Director in 1997, and in 2000, she was named Senior Program Director. Greta currently serves on the City of Richmond’s Industrial Development Authority and the Neighborhoods In Bloom Advisory Board.
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Cordell Haymon
Board Chair
Center for Planning Excellence
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Cordell Haymon is a Baton Rouge attorney and businessman. He has a B.A. in Economics from Rice University and a J.D. from the LSU Law Center.
He was engaged in the active practice of law for 25 years and served as President of the Baton Rouge Bar Association and on the Board of Governors of the Louisiana State Bar Association. He is currently VP of the Louisiana State Law Institute.
For over 20 years Mr. Haymon was principal owner and CEO of Petroleum Service Corporation which does barge and ship loading and unloading, marine dock operations, and industrial product handling. In 2004 the company was acquired by SGS, a global firm based in Geneva. Mr. Haymon continues to serve as VP of SGS Petroleum Service Corporation and on the Board of SGS North America.
Mr. Haymon has been an advocate for proactive planning and, while serving on the Board of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, chaired the committee which created a plan for the revitalization of downtown Baton Rouge (Plan Baton Rouge) in 1998. He is Chair of the Board of Directors for the Center for Planning Excellence (CPEX), which is the successor entity to Plan Baton Rouge. CPEX is seeking to promote beneficial planning in the Baton Rouge area and throughout south Louisiana, with a continuing emphasis on downtown Baton Rouge and the Old South Baton Rouge neighborhood, as well as assisting planning efforts in other parishes. Since 2005 CPEX has been working with the Louisiana Recovery Authority to create the long-term regional vision plan for south Louisiana known as Louisiana Speaks.
Mr. Haymon is immediate past Chair of the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge and of Major Gifts for the Capital Area United Way. He is currently Chair of the board of Teach for America-South Louisiana and of the Signal Mutual Insurance Association, which is the nation’s largest provider of worker’s compensation coverage for maritime workers.
Mr. Haymon is married to Ava Leavell Haymon, has two children and three grandchildren, and attends University Presbyterian Church.
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Mayor-President Melvin L. “Kip” Holden
City of Baton Rouge – Parish of East Baton Rouge
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Mayor-President Melvin “Kip” Holden was overwhelmingly re-elected to a second term of office on October 4, 2008, carrying every precinct in East Baton Rouge Parish for the first time in history. His first term in office was marked by unprecedented growth and progress for the city-parish, including the City of Baton Rouge earning its highest national rankings for job productivity and favorable business climate.
With a focus on public safety as a top priority for his administration, Holden presides over a team of first responders who have all achieved the highest national rating for professionalism in their respective areas of service: Baton Rouge Police Department, Baton Rouge Fire Department, EMS and the East Baton Rouge Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.
Mayor Holden’s Green Light Plan, a program of street and road improvements he presented to voters in 2005, saw two projects completed and seven in construction in record time by the end of 2008 with 12 more slated for construction in 2009.
Much of the success of his first term in office can be traced to the foundation laid by a diverse team of over 100 community leaders, citizens and university students Mayor Holden assembled immediately after his election in 2004 to form his “Green Light Baton Rouge Citizens Council” to help develop the “Framework for Progress”, a planning document which serves as the basis of his administration’s goal to make Baton Rouge America’s next great city.
Prior to 2004, he had achieved a 20-year distinguished career in public service, elected Mayor-President by a broad, diverse base of support throughout the parish to become the first African-American Mayor-President in parish history on January 1, 2005.
Upon his inauguration to his first term, he embarked on an ambitious journey to revitalize Downtown Baton Rouge, create and arts and entertainment district and market Baton Rouge to the film and video industry. He has the city moving on a riverfront master plan, redesigning a Town Square to provide more venues for arts and cultural activities. In 2006, Mayor Holden launched a new Economic Development Initiative for East Baton Rouge Parish that includes a partnership with the Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce to market the parish, the opening of two Minority Business Opportunity Centers to help small businesses participate in Louisiana’s economic recovery, a micro-loan program and Bankers’ Roundtable to assist small business development.
Recognized nationally for his leadership during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Mayor Holden managed a city-parish that became a place of refuge for over 200,000 evacuees from South Louisiana in less than one week.
At a time when Louisiana was reeling from the devastation of two hurricanes, Mayor Holden took his city’s story to Wall Street and bond rating agencies upgraded bonds for East Baton Rouge Parish based on his administration’s sound management policies, saving the taxpayers millions of dollars in interest.
Throughout his career, Mayor Holden has worked to improve education and has been honored for his accomplishments. As Mayor-President, he has delivered new volunteer programs and technology partnerships for East Baton Rouge Parish Public Schools, including the largest software donation in East Baton Rouge Parish history, a $307 million grant from UGS that will provide 3-D imaging software for classes in math, science and the arts for students from the third grade through high school to help prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow.
Mayor Holden is a graduate of both Baton Rouge universities, earning a B.A. in Journalism from LSU, a Masters degree in Journalism from Southern University, a Juris Doctorate from Southern University School of Law and an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Public Policy from Southern University. He was also invited to study at the Oxford University Round Table in England. Mayor Holden was recently honored by both universities by being inducted into the LSU Alumni Hall of Distinction, the LSU Manship School of Communications Hall of Fame and the Southern University Law Center Hall of Fame.
With experience on the Metro Council and as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives and Senate, Mayor Holden has extensive knowledge of East Baton Rouge Parish government.
Born in New Orleans on August 12, 1952, Mayor Holden is married to Lois Stevenson Holden and is the father of five children, Melvin, II; Angela; Monique; Myron and Brian Michael. He is a member of Greater King David Baptist Church.
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Eric I. Kalivoda
Assistant Secretary
Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development
Office of Planning
and Programming
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Presently serves as the Assistant Secretary for the DOTD Office of Planning and Programming
Native of Baton Rouge, LA
Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, Louisiana State University
Master of Science in Civil Engineering, University of Arizona
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), North Carolina State University
Licensed Professional Engineer in Louisiana, Arizona, and North Carolina
Experience includes the fields of highway geometric design, traffic engineering, highway safety, and urban and statewide transportation planning.
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Peter T. Katzmarzyk, PhD, FACSM
Associate Executive Director for Population Science
Pennington Biomedical
Research Center
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Dr. Katzmarzyk is currently Professor and Associate Executive Director for Population Science at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA. He obtained a PhD in Exercise Science from Michigan State University in 1997, and pursued post-doctoral education at Laval University in 1998. Dr. Katzmarzyk began his career at York University where he was promoted to Associate Professor before moving to Queen''s University in 2002 and the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in 2007. Dr. Katzmarzyk''s main research interest is the epidemiology and public health impact of obesity and physical inactivity, and determining the impact of physical activity and physical fitness on obesity and related disorders such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. He has published his research findings in more than 190 scholarly journals and books, and regularly participates in the scientific meetings of several national and international organizations.
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Lanny Keller
Editorial Writer
The Advocate
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Lanny Keller is an editorial writer for The Advocate in Baton Rouge. He is a graduate of the LSU School of Journalism and native of DeQuincy, Louisiana. He has been a reporter and columnist for several Louisiana newspapers, including editorial page editor of The Shreveport Journal and editor of The Times of Lake Charles. He served as assistant press secretary for Governor David C. Treen in 1982-84. He was press secretary for Bob Livingston''s campaign for governor in 1987 and U.S. Representative Jim McCrery''s first campaign for Congress in 1988.
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Daniel T. Kildee
Genesee County Treasurer, Michigan
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Daniel T. Kildee has been Genesee County Treasurer since 1997. Before his election as Treasurer, Mr. Kildee served for 12 years as a Genesee County Commissioner, including 5 years as Chairman of the Board of Commissioners.
In 1977 became the one of the youngest people ever elected to public office in the nation when he was elected to the Flint Board of Education at age 18. He and his wife Jennifer have three children: Ryan, age 29, a graduate of Michigan Technological University, and works in the private sector in Colorado Springs, Colorado; Kenneth, age 17; and Katy, age 15.
Kildee initiated the use of Michigan’s new tax foreclosure law as a tool for community development and neighborhood stabilization. He founded the Genesee Land Bank – Michigan’s first land bank - and serves as its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
Kildee is President of the Genesee Institute, a research and training institute focusing on Smart Growth, urban land reform, and land banking.
In 2003 Governor Granholm and legislative leaders appointed Kildee to the Michigan Land Use Leadership Council, which made 160 recommendations to address urban sprawl and other land use issues. In 2005 Granholm appointed Kildee as one of the initial directors of the Michigan Land Bank Fast Track Authority, the nation’s first statewide Land Bank, which Kildee currently chairs.
In 2005 he completed a Fannie Mae Foundation Fellowship at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government.
Dan Kildee is a member of the Executive Committee of the National Vacant Properties Campaign.
In 2007, Kildee’s Land Bank program was named winner of the Harvard University/Fannie Mae Foundation Innovations in American Government Award for Affordable Housing, and in 2008 Kildee was the recipient of the Michigan Excellence in Land Use Leadership Award by the MSU Land Policy Institute and the Michigan Land Use Funders Network.
He currently serves as Chairman of Michigan’s Fifth Congressional District Democratic Party.
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Jeff Kleinpeter
President
Kleinpeter Farms Dairy
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Incorporated in 1913, Kleinpeter Farms Dairy Inc. was established when the German family settled in Louisiana in 1776. It is the last family-owned and operated independent milk processor in Louisiana and one of few remaining in the country. Kleinpeter Farms, Inc. produces approximately 160,000 gallons of milk per week in addition to other milk products created from scratch. The company moved full-circle back into the business of raising its own dairy herd. Kleinpeter intends to incorporate new technological and nutritional advances made in the last 17 years (since the family sold the dairy herd) and provide educational tours to children and local dairy farmers. Jeff ran his own construction company for four years after earning a marketing degree from LSU. He returned to the family business in 1987 as personnel manager when his father bought the business from four of his brothers. Jeff is a board member of Kleinpeter Farms Dairy, Inc., Boy Scouts of America, Istrouma Area Council, American Cancer Society, and Capitol Sertoma of Baton Rouge. He previously served as a board member of YMCA and Episcopal High School Board of Trustees.
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Andy Kopplin
Senior Advisor to the Founder & CEO
Teach for America
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Andy Kopplin joined Teach For America in April 2008 to head the Growth Strategy and Development team, which manages the organization’s national fundraising and expansion efforts, successfully leading the organization’s $115M 2008-09 annual operating campaign and opening five new sites. In January 2009 he became Senior Advisor to the Founder & CEO and now leads Teach For America’s initiative to dramatically grow our state funding base across the country, helping the organization more than double the amount of state funding it will receive between 2009 and 2010. Prior to joining Teach For America, Kopplin also served on the Teach For America South Louisiana Board. In early 2008, he competed in a special election to fill Louisiana’s sixth congressional district seat after serving for more than two years as founding executive director of the Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA), the agency charged with leading the state’s recovery efforts after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Before heading the LRA, Kopplin was chief of staff to two consecutive Louisiana governors, Democrat Kathleen Babineaux Blanco and Republican M.J. “Mike” Foster, Jr. He earned a B.A. from Rice University and a master’s in public policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
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Kathy Laborde
President
Gulf Coast Housing Partnership
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In January 2006, Kathy Laborde agreed to direct the start up of a regional real estate development company focused on the regeneration of affordable housing and communities devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Sponsored by the Housing Partnership Network, with significant support from Enterprise Community Partners, Gulf Coast Housing Partnership is an independent nonprofit that builds on the experience and performance of the most accomplished affordable housing developers in the nation. Ms. Laborde serves as its president.
Prior to accepting this position, Ms. Laborde was the principal owner of Kaliope, LLC, a real estate development and consulting company established in April 1999. And prior to establishing Kaliope, LLC, Ms. Laborde was the founder and Executive Director of First Commerce Community Development Corporation (“FCCDC”), the first bank owned non-profit real estate development company in Louisiana. Ms. Laborde formed FCCDC in 1990. Under her stewardship the organization received national recognition for its real estate development activities and its commitment to the homebuyer training industry.
Ms. Laborde’s expertise in real estate has been honed through a variety of management experiences with private sector developers concentrating on housing developments in both urban and suburban markets, urban commercial development and adaptive reuse of historic buildings. She has proven to be adept at combining private and public sector financing. Serving as developer, project manager and/or consultant, Ms. Laborde has participated in the development of more than 2500 affordable and market rate housing units and the substantial renovation of commercial and institutional spaces.
She holds a Masters of Business Administration degree from Tulane University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. Ms. Laborde is an alumnus of CABL’s Leadership Louisiana program, a 2006 recipient of City Business Women of the Year awards and a recipient of the YWCA’s Role Model Award. She serves as a board member of the Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard Merchants Association, the New Orleans Neighborhood Development Collaborative and Parkway Partners.
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Senator Mary Landrieu
U.S. Senate
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Mary L. Landrieu has been fighting and winning for Louisiana since she was first elected to the Louisiana state legislature at the age of 23. After serving eight years as a state representative and two terms as State Treasurer, in 1996 she became the first woman from Louisiana elected to a full term in the U.S. Senate. Senator Landrieu is currently the Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, and a member of the Appropriations and Energy and Natural Resources Committees. The nonpartisan Congress.org has ranked Senator Landrieu as the tenth most effective legislator in the Senate.
Senator Landrieu has been the leading voice in Washington for the Gulf Coast recovery effort. In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the failures of the federal levee system, she secured billions in recovery dollars and has worked extensively to jumpstart recovery projects. She chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Disaster Recovery Subcommittee, and is committed to reforming the Federal Emergency Management Agency to ensure the nation’s disaster response arm is speedy and effective the next time a disaster strikes the United States, be it natural or manmade.
As chair of the Small Business Committee, she is leading efforts to ensure all small businesses have access to capital and contracts, superior health insurance at a low cost and the resources needed to help boost our economy and guarantee America’s competiveness in the global marketplace.
As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Landrieu is a strong and effective voice for Louisiana. This Committee approves more than $300 billion in federal discretionary spending each year, and is considered the most powerful panel on Capitol Hill. From this seat, she fights for Louisiana’s jobs and economic interests and the funding the state needs to rebuild from the 2005 and 2008 hurricanes.
Senator Landrieu, a member of the Energy Committee, coauthored the landmark Domenici-Landrieu Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act, which was signed into law in 2006. The bill expanded oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico by more than 8 million acres and shares the revenues with Louisiana to restore and protect the eroding wetlands along the Gulf Coast
Senator Landrieu is married to Frank Snellings of Monroe, Louisiana, and has two children.
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Charles A. Landry
Of Counsel, Jones Walker
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Charles Landry concentrates his practice in the areas of real estate development, real estate finance, land use and zoning, and business and commercial law. He has represented numerous parties in a wide range of real estate transactions, which included residential developments—including Traditional Neighborhood Developments (TNDs)—office buildings, shopping malls and centers, hotels, medical facilities, golf course communities, and industrial developments. Mr. Landry has also been very involved in advancing Greater Baton Rouge’s high-tech, information, and entrepreneurial economic sectors. He was instrumental in the formation of the Louisiana Technology Park, and serves as General Counsel to the Research Park Corporation.
Mr. Landry is the co-Editor of The Foreign Investor’s Guide to the Legal Aspects of Doing Business in Louisiana, an extensive analysis of the laws of the United States and the State of Louisiana as those laws may impact a party wishing to invest in Louisiana. He has been a frequent lecturer at Louisiana State University’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center and numerous continuing education seminars on the subjects of complex real estate transactions, title examination, land use planning, secured transactions, and real estate workouts.
He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America® 2009 (Copyright 2008 by Woodward/White, Inc., Aiken, SC) in the area of Real Estate Law, and has been listed annually since 2003. He is also recognized in “Chambers USA – America’s Leading Lawyers for Business” in the first tier in the area of Real Estate, having been listed annually since 2005, and is one of only six attorneys listed. Mr. Landry is also listed in the 2009 edition of Louisiana Super Lawyers in the area of Real Estate, and he has an AV® Peer Review Rating in Martindale-Hubbell.
Mr. Landry has received numerous accolades for his community involvement and excellence in law. Most recently, he was:
Featured in the Baton Rouge Business Report’s 2008 Real Estate Report under “People to Watch” in the retail sector
Featured as part of the “TND Trinity” in the Summer 2008 issue of 10/12 Magazine
Named to the top 10 list of the most influential people in the Baton Rouge Capital region in the 2007 Power Book, published by the Baton Rouge Business Report
Named the 2006 Businessperson of the Year by the Baton Rouge Business Report and Junior Achievement; the Business Awards are annually awarded to the top local executives or entrepreneurs and are based on successful demonstrations of leadership, vision, ingenuity, and innovation. This was the first time the Businessperson of the Year award was awarded to an attorney.
Featured in the Baton Rouge Business Report on January 30, 2007, in an article highlighting the popularity of TNDs
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Meg Mahoney
Senior Vice President
Product Development
Baton Rouge Area Chamber
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Meg oversees BRAC''s policy and research teams and coordinates BRAC''s issue council program. In addition, she provides staff leadership for the Good Growth, Infrastructure, and Transportation issue council.
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Camille Manning-Broome
Director of Planning
Center for Planning Excellence
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As Director of Planning at Center for Planning Excellence, Camille Manning-Broome oversees a statewide planning effort that provides grant funding and technical assistance to communities interested in creating community-driven plans that are based on the principals of smart growth. Manning-Broome has been involved in statewide recovery planning activities since the hurricanes in 2005. First, she was part of the management in the Louisiana Speaks process overseeing the development of 26 Parish recovery plans. Manning-Broome later went to work at The Shaw Group, where she worked for the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority to create a comprehensive coastal restoration and protection plan for the state. Additionally, she has worked in various capacities on plans such as comprehensive plans, waterway plans, park plans, environmental plans, and port plans. She has a M.S. from Louisiana State University in Environmental Sciences, Planning & Management.
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Mayor Murphy McMillin
Town of Jena
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Nancy C. McPherson
State Director
AARP Louisiana
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Nancy McPherson is the State Director for AARP Louisiana where she leads a team of lobbyists, staff and volunteers in advancing reforms at the state and federal level in healthcare, financial security, and livable communities on behalf of AARP’s 542,000 Louisiana members. In Louisiana, AARP’s social impact agenda includes developing an age-friendly neighborhood through a resident led partnership project in Hollygrove, a New Orleans community. A two year evaluation tracks the success of four Project Teams in the areas of mobility and transportation, community and economic development, healthcare and caregiving, and public safety and resident engagement. AARP also coordinates a Livable Communities Council of volunteer professionals to advance Complete Streets in Louisiana.
Nancy’s experience in developing livable communities is extensive starting in 1988 when she was hired by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), a national police think tank in Washington, D.C., to implement a problem oriented approach to policing in the San Diego Police Department. Within a year, this federal demonstration site which targeted drug and gang activity in high crime areas was recognized by the National League of Cities as one of the nation’s top three drug enforcement programs for improving community livability. Subsequently, Nancy was recruited to serve at the assistant chief level in Seattle to implement problem oriented policing, improve police and community relations, and streamline the delivery of city services. In 2000, she was recruited to the Portland Police Bureau at the same level as chief financial and human resources officer managing a budget of over $124 million and 2,200 personnel.
Since 1990, Nancy has also worked as a consultant and advisor to police, community and government leaders throughout the U.S, Canada, Albania, and the Netherlands. In November 2007, she completed a five year federal court appointment as a Special Master monitoring federal court ordered police reform in the City of Cincinnati, a project which emanated from the 2001 race riots in Cincinnati. Nancy is currently working with Price Charities to evaluate community policing and resident engagement in City Heights, a San Diego neighborhood, as part of a healthy communities initiative funded by The California Endowment. Nancy was previously appointed as an advisor to the California Attorney General on community policing, was one of two Americans to serve as an expert advisor to the British Columbia Royal Commission of Inquiry on Policing, and also served as the sole external police advisor to the LAPD following the Rodney King incident. She co-founded the International Problem Oriented Policing Conference which recently celebrated its 18th year as the premier conference for best practices in community problem solving throughout the world.
Nancy is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Police Executive Research Forum’s Gary Hayes Leadership Award given each year to one police professional in the nation for leadership and inspiration. Nancy has a BA in political science from San Diego State University, an MPA with honors from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, and a national SPHR certification from the Society for Human Resources Management.
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Walter Monsour
President & CEO
East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority
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Mr. Monsour is currently CEO of the EBR Redevelopment Authority. His responsibilities include developing and implementing broad strategic plans and annual work plans in consultation with the Board, the Mayor-President and the Metropolitan Council; developing strong and effective relationships with East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority''s partners, both current and new, to secure both the capital resources and the operating support necessary to meet the organization''s goals and objectives; promoting the organization and its services to state and local governments and to other networks of potential developers throughout East Baton Rouge Parish and surrounding areas; and managing the organization''s budget and staff.
Walter served as Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Baton Rouge and the Parish of East Baton Rouge from 1985-1986 and again from 2005-2008. As CAO Monsour was in charge of planning, formulating and implementing reports and recommendations prescribing accepted standards of administrative practice for all administrative offices, departments and boards of East Baton Rouge Parish. He created and/or revised policies for operating the City-Parish government thru all of its departments and divisions.
The CAO functions as the chief operating officer of government in East Baton Rouge Parish. Accordingly, Monsour was responsible for the day to day affairs of the government it all of its operations and for the implementation of the agenda and vision of the Mayor-President, the chief executive officer of the Parish.
During Monsour''s term as CAO, the Parish broke ground on the Green Light Plan, a list of 35 transportation projects totaling 600M which were designed to reduce traffic congestion in only two years after voters approved the program - a process that previously took 5 to 6 years. Additionally, the City-Parish began a comprehensive program to synchronize traffic signals using an Advanced Traffic Management system to move traffic quicker, brought together the Parish Presidents from four surrounding parishes to kick off the implementation for the design and construction of the Baton Rouge Loop, purchased the first alternative fuel vehicles for the Department of Public, added 150 police officers to the Baton Rouge Police Department, shepherded a 1.2B sanitary sewer project thru the LDEQ and EPA, headed up the master planning for the riverfront development plan, began the process for updating the parish''s twenty year old comprehensive land plan, and successfully balanced each budget during his four years, the final budget totaling 700M.
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Dale Morris
Senior Economist for the Economic Department
Royal Netherlands Embassy
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Michael M. Moule
PE, President
Livable Streets, Inc.
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Michael Moule has over 15 years of progressive traffic and transportation engineering experience, focusing on many aspects of transportation facility design, traffic engineering, development review, neighborhood traffic concerns, construction administration, and involvement of citizens in transportation issues on the state and local level. Mr. Moule combines traditional transportation engineering and planning with cutting-edge methods and technologies to create innovative solutions to the transportation and livability challenges faced by communities throughout the United States.
Mr. Moule is a Registered Professional Engineer with a Civil Engineering Degree from Princeton University, class of 1993.
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Jim Nickel
Courson Nickel, LLC
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Jim Nickel, a native of Crowley, Louisiana and graduate of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge has 20 years of governmental and political experience at all levels in Louisiana and throughout the United States.
Nickel was hired directly out of college to serve as State Field Director for the successful U.S. Senate campaign for then Congressman John Breaux of Louisiana. Jim worked for Senator Breaux in Washington, DC in a number of capacities including serving as National Events Director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee chaired by Senator Breaux. This work involved participating in U.S. Senate campaigns across the country.
In 1991, Nickel was selected to serve as Executive Director for the Louisiana Democratic Party and coordinated successful campaigns for dozens of statewide, legislative, parish and local offices. In 1995 Nickel was elected as Chairman of the Louisiana Democratic Party and directed the successful 1996 Clinton Gore campaign in Louisiana. Nickel was retained in 1997 as State Director and Campaign Manager for United States Senator John Breaux.
Called “the most effective political operative in Louisiana politics” by noted political commentator John Maginnis, Nickel has also served in leadership capacities for many of Louisiana’s statewide, federal and state legislative campaigns including U.S. Senator Breaux, U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, President Clinton, and Vice President Gore. Nickel has over two decades of experience in working with elected officials, businesses and community leaders, and the media throughout Louisiana. He is a regular political commentator on television and radio stations across the state. He was recently named to the Top 40 Under 40 in the Greater Baton Rouge area. Nickel serves on the Board of Advisors for the Academy of Politics at Louisiana State University and is a regular guest lecturer at universities throughout the state. He is a member of the Board of Louisiana Public Broadcasting, Board of WRKF Public Radio and the Louisiana Community College Foundation Board.
Nickel’s governmental relations clients have included: Murphy Oil Corporation, Northwest Airlines, Sempra Energy, Tunica Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana, 3M Corporation, Cleco Corporation, The Louisiana Psychological Association, Rite Aid Corporation, The American Advertising Association, BellSouth, The Louisiana Police Jury Association, Motorola, Murphy Oil and Stonehenge Capital.
Nickel is married to the former Susan Shaw of Houma and is the father of three daughters, Samantha, 15, Maggie, 11 and Isabella, 9. They are members of First United Methodist Church of Baton Rouge.
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Angela O’Byrne AIA, NCARB
President
Perez, APC
President/Co-Founder
City-Works
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Angela O''Byrne is President of Perez, APC, a 70 year old architecture, landscape architecture, planning, and interior design firm in New Orleans. Ms. O’Byrne has a Bachelor of Architecture from Tulane University, and a Masters Degree from Columbia University in New York City. She is board certified with the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). Prior to taking over the leadership of Perez,
Ms. O’Byrne was Operations Manager as well as Studio and Director at two multi-national Architecture and Engineering firms in New York City.
She has substantial experience in the design of various building types, including low income housing, justice, hospitality, transportation, corporate interiors, education, and others. Ms. O''Byrne has been the Principal in Charge on projects that include historic preservation and adaptive re-use of historic facilities. She has extensive experience with “The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings. She has also administered grant information to the National Park Service and the State of Louisiana.
Ms. O’Byrne is a registered architect in a dozen states and has won numerous awards. She was named one of the "40 under 40—the Power Generation" by City Business in 1999; 40 under 40 by Gambit in 2000; Woman of the Year by City Business in 2001 and 2006; Architect of the Year by New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial in 2002; and was selected for the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute (NORLI) in 2000. She is active in a number of civic, industry, and trade associations.
After Hurricane Katrina, she founded CityWorks, a non-profit organization that is dedicated to transforming New Orleans into a model city for the nation. Ms O’Byrne also serves as its current president. She is on the Boards of New Orleans CREW; Tulane University School of Architecture; New Orleans Neighborhood Development Collaboration (NONDC); Vice-president of AIA Louisiana; and Women’s Professional Council. In 2005, the year of Hurricane Katrina, she was President of the AIA New Orleans, having served on that Board for 4 years. In that capacity, she hosted a Smart Growth Summit in May 2005; she hosted and organized the Governor’s Louisiana Recovery and Rebuilding Conference in November 2005.
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Steven J. Oubre, AIA
President/Principal Architect
Architects Southwest
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Steven Oubre has practiced architecture since 1976, co-founding Architects Southwest in 1980. The firm specializes in the urbanist development of greenfield, infill, and brownfield places, cultural architecture, as well as educational and campus planning, with work throughout the Gulf South, and receiving design recognition on local, regional and national levels. Mr. Oubre holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where he served as an adjunctprofessor.
Mr. Oubre continues to serve as a visiting critic and lectures frequently on design, new urbanism, and smart growth planning. Recent speaking engagements on the “Smart Growth Movement” include Senator Mary Landrieu’s Smart Growth Coalition at University of New Orleans; AIA Louisiana 2005 Design Conference; The Independent Weekly 2006 Annual Lecture Series - Keynote Speaker; Louisiana APA Conference; APA Region III Conference – Biloxi, MS; University of Louisiana at Lafayette – School of Architecture; Texas Tech University - School of Architecture in Lubbock, Texas; CNU XV – New Urbanism and the Old City; AIA Baltimore 2007 – Rebuilding Smarter, Safer and Sustainably: The Aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; and Tulane Environmental Law Society’s Annual Environmental Conference on Law, Science and the Public Interest.; Prince’s Foundation in Poundbury, England – Theories & Practice of Traditional Architecture & Urbanism 2007; and most recently the Keynote Speaker for the Smart Growth Series in New Iberia, Louisiana.
Mr. Oubre helped pioneer the new urbanist movement in Louisiana beginning in 1993 with the award winning new urbanist project, The Village of River Ranch in Lafayette, Louisiana. Most recently, Mr. Oubre worked along with Duany Plater-Zyberk and the Louisiana Recovery Authority in its efforts to rebuild Coastal Louisiana. The Louisiana Recovery Authority is the planning and coordinating body that was created in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita to plan for the recovery and rebuilding of Louisiana. The authority is working with Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco to plan for Louisiana''s future, coordinate across jurisdictions, support community recovery and resurgence, and ensure integrity and effectiveness. Working in collaboration with local, state and federal agencies, the authority is also addressing short-term recovery needs while simultaneously guiding the long-term planning process.
As a member of the Congress for the New Urbanism, Mr. Oubre studied and worked during the nineties on creating spaces that re-address the art of building for people. Currently, Mr. Oubre’s planning focus is comprised of Urbanist projects in Louisiana (most notably--The Village of River Ranch in Lafayette, Louisiana), Mississippi, Texas, and Arkansas.
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Donald R. Phoenix
Southern District Director
Neighborworks America
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Donald R. Phoenix serves as NeighborWorks® America’s Southern District director. Prior to accepting his current position, he was executive director of the Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) of Savannah, a member of the national NeighborWorks network. Under Phoenix’s administration, the NHS of Savannah became known as a high producer of affordable housing. He pioneered a revitalization strategy through which the NHS, in partnership with the City of Savannah, purchased vacant and abandoned properties. These properties were rehabilitated and auctioned to the neighborhood residents.
For the past 30 years, Phoenix has served in several capacities in the community development field, including housing director for the City of Savannah, vice president of Carver State Bank of Savannah and assistant vice president of Great Southern Federal Savings Bank. He is a member and board member of the Georgia Community Development Association, Atlanta’s Alliance for Community Investment, Georgia State Trade Association of Nonprofit Developers and the Wachovia Bank Advisory Council. Phoenix is the past chairman of the Advisory Council of the Federal Home Loan Bank, and he is a member of several other community development organizations.
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Marva Porter
Systems Operations Manager
Southern Mutual Help Association
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Over 20 years’ experience in local government performing community development and revenue generating duties, including eight years of developing, coordinating and implementing programs to promote positive human relations
• Former executive director of a battered women’s program
• Former board member of the California State University Dominguez Hills Dispute Resolution Center and Girls Scouts of America Bayou Council.
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Marvin ”Buddy” Ragland, Jr., AIA
Principal
Coleman Partners Architects LLC
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Louisiana State University, Bachelor of Architecture
Professional Registration:
Registered Architect, State of Louisiana
License No. 3266
Louisiana Licensing Board Certified for Continuing Education
Professional Associations:
Gulf States Regional Director, American Institute of Architects Past President, AIA Louisiana Past-President AIA Baton Rouge Member, Sunrise Rotary Club of Baton Rouge Past Treasurer and Member Board of Directors, Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank Past President and Member Board of Directors, Boys and Girls Club of Baton Rouge Member, East Baton Rouge Parish, Department of Public Works, Board of Appeals, Baton Rouge, LA
Professional Experience:
In his years of practice, Mr. Ragland has developed a broad base of architectural knowledge and now serves as partner-in-charge of project construction administration and cost estimating for all of the projects of Robert M. Coleman & Partners, Architects, AIA. His experience has been gained by working on national as well as international commissions, ranging from substantial hospitality and commercial works to medical, institutional, educational, and religious complexes. The daily administration and on-site supervision, coordination and quality control of construction is his responsibility.
Some of the recent projects with which Mr. Ragland has been involved include the master planning and additions to St. Alphonsus Liguori Catholic Church, additions to Our Lady of Mercy School, and the Reilly Theater for Swine Palace Productions. Numerous other facilities are part of his work experience, the most recent being the Renovations to Catfish Town.
Through the years Mr. Ragland has actively participated in numerous commercial office building and retail developments. An example of such a development is the Bluebonnet Centre Multi-Use Complex, encompassing high-and-lowrise office buildings, as well as the Quality Suites Hotel of Baton Rouge, and "The Villas," a specialty retail center.
Institutional client contact is another area of specialized activity with which Mr. Ragland is experienced. The C.B. Pennington Foundation, the Mary Bird Perkins Foundation, and Louisiana State University are only three clients with which he maintains an on-going relationship, monitoring progress of facility conditions, upgrades, and new construction.
In conjunction with RMC&P, Mr. Ragland is an active participant in all levels of the American Institute of Architects. In addition, he has served as guest juror and lecturer at the School of Architecture at Louisiana State University, and continues to be involved in numerous local nonprofit boards and many other civic pursuits.
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James A. Richardson
Director
Public Administration Institute at Louisiana State University
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James A. Richardson is John Rhea Alumni Professor of Economics and Director of the Public Administration Institute in the E. J. Ourso College of Business Administration at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Dr. Richardson has also served as Chairman of the Department of Economics, Acting Dean of the College of Business Administration, and Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at Louisiana State University.
Dr. Richardson has served from 1987 through the present as the private economist on the Louisiana Revenue Estimating Conference, the panel with the constitutional authority and responsibility to provide official revenue estimates for the state. Dr. Richardson also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Public Affairs Research Council and as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Council for A Better Louisiana.
He organized and supervised a major tax study for the state of Louisiana which resulted in Louisiana Fiscal Alternatives: Finding Permanent Solutions to Recurring Budget Crises, published by the LSU Press in 1988. Dr. Richardson has co-edited a major book, Handbook on Taxation, which was published by Marcel Dekker in January 1999. Dr. Richardson also served on the Louisiana Law Institute’s Tax Study Commission, a group that was formed in response to Senate Concurrent Resolution 88, passed in 1999.
Dr. Richardson served as fiscal advisor to the Governor of Louisiana from 1988 through 1991. He contributed to the comprehensive tax study for the state of Kansas in 1995. He served as an advisor to the state of Alabama’s Department of Revenue in 1996. He has served as Associate Editor of the Journal of Education Finance and the Texas Business Review. His work has been published in numerous journals such as the National Tax Association Proceedings, State and Local Government, Public Finance Quarterly, Growth and Change, Natural Resources Journal, Journal of Energy and Development, and Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control.
Dr. Richardson also participates in the preparation of the Louisiana Economic Outlook, a two-year forecast of the Louisiana Economy published by the E. J. Ourso College of Business Administration at Louisiana State University. The Louisiana Economic Outlook has been published, and Dr. Richardson has participated in the publication, since 1983.
Dr. Richardson has provided analysis for the Plan Baton Rouge 2 study and is working with the planning process for East Baton Rouge and Ascension Parishes.
Dr. Richardson received his bachelors of art degree in economics from St. Mary’s University of San Antonio, Texas and his Master’s degree in economics and the doctorate in economics from The University of Michigan. Dr. Richardson specializes in regional forecasting, state and local tax policy, and energy economics.
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Chris Rinaudo
Managing Director
Cypress Realty Partners
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Chris Rinaudo is a Managing Director for Cypress Realty Partners, a real estate development firm headquartered in Baton Rouge, LA. Mr. Rinaudo has responsibility for managing Cypress’s affordable housing development projects as well as development of several hundred disaster-recovery homes for FEMA’s AHPP.
Prior to joining The Cypress Group in 2007, Mr. Rinaudo served as Deputy Director for the Shaw group in a joint venture with KB Home to build housing in the devastated areas of New Orleans and in Baton Rouge.
Prior to the 2005 hurricanes, Mr. Rinaudo served as a Finance Manager for American Eagle Communities, a Shaw Group subsidiary responsible for developing military housing as part of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative. Under his direction, the finance team funded the development of approximately 12,000 homes for a total of $1.3 Billion in bond financing.
Mr. Rinaudo is from Baton Rouge, La, graduated from the University of West Florida in 2000 with a M.B.A., and in 1996 from Louisiana State University with a B.S. in Biochemistry. He lives with his wife and three children in Baton Rouge.
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Mayor Randy Roach
City of Lake Charles
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Mayor Roach was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana and graduated from LaGrange High School in 1969. He earned his undergraduate degree in accounting from LSU and his law degree from LSU in 1976. He is married to Nancy Seger Roach and they have two children and three grandchildren - Jeremiah, Jude and Marie.
From 1985-1987, Mayor Roach served as the Assistant City Attorney for the City of Lake Charles and represented the City in all phases of the Chennault Consolidation project. He drafted and presented federal and state legislation and conducted negotiations with Boeing Aircraft, formerly located at Chennault.
Mayor Roach served two terms (1988-1996) as a State Representative in the Louisiana Legislature representing District 36, which included part of Calcasieu and Cameron parishes. In the Legislature, he served on:
>Civil & Law Committee
>Ways and Means Committee
>Chairman of the Natural Resources Committee
>Chairman of the Subcommittee on Coastal Restoration
>Member of the Advisory Panel on Louisiana Wildlife & fisheries Commission
>Member of the Governor''s Task Force on Judicial Selection
>Member of the Louisiana Drug Coordinating Council
In 1998, Governor Mike Foster appointed Mayor Roach to serve as Chairman of the Governor''s Task Force for the Continuation of the T.I.M.E.D. Program, to improve and expand projects for the four lane highways and related economic development matters
Mayor Roach was elected as Mayor of Lake Charles in 2000 to fill the unexpired term of the previous mayor. In 2001, he was re-elected and began his first full term on July 1, 2001. He was re-elected in 2005. As mayor, he has worked closely with city and parish governments and other agencies to form partnerships and pool resources that benefit not only Lake Charles, but also the entire Southwest Louisiana five-parish area.
Mayor Roach is a member of the following organizations:
>Louisiana State Bar Association
>Board of the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana
>University United Methodist Church
>Board of The America''s Wetland Foundation
Accomplishments of the Roach Administration:
Initiated a $90 million bond issue for projects within the City, which was approved by voters in November 2006
Initiated a downtown/lakefront development plan, which was overwhelmingly approved by voters in May 2007
Bond and Capital Improvements:
The City issued $35 million in bonds in May 2007 for Phase 1 of the $90 million capital improvement plan that was approved by Lake Charles voters. As of March, 2009, the City has spent $18 million of the bond proceeds and has an additional $13 million in outstanding construction commitments related to the bond issue. Local road projects, water and sewer extensions and recreation improvements make up the majority of the spending.
$50 million in capital improvement projects since 2005, including improvements to: streets; drainage; water line, sewer line and plant improvements; recreation; downtown/lakefront development; Mallard Cove Golf Course; Civic Center; and other city projects
Established the Regional Partnership for Economic Development
Established a joint partnership between the Louisiana Technology Park and the City of Lake Charles to build a strong technology infrastructure and provide economic opportunity.
Developed city sales tax exemption for aircraft manufacturers
State Roads: Worked with local elected officials and state legislators and secured approval and funding for state highway projects, connect I-10 service roads, Enterprise Boulevard resurfacing, I-210 enhancements and replacement of the median on Highway 14.
7 Parks Program bond issue project providing for the improvement/expansion of the 7 parks - one in each City Council district - including shade structures, fencing, and up-to-date playground equipment
Worked with City Council/others to design, develop and build the Ward 3 Multi-Sports Complex
Initiated development of Adventure Cove Park - which accommodates the physically disabled - at Ward 3 Sports Complex
Assisted in obtaining funding through Capital Outlay for the expansion of the SWLA Center for Health Services, the additions for women''s health center
Established a Ward 3 Recreation District
At the March 24, 2009 City Council Agenda Meeting, the City''s finance department and the City''s auditors, McElroy, Quirk and Burch, presented the City''s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year which ended September 30, 2008.
>The City''s net assets increased by $19 million or 5.6 percent during the year to a total of $358 million.
>Capital assets increased by $20.2 million
>The City reports $74.5 million in construction in progress.
>The unreserved, undesignated fund balance in the General Fund is $28.8 million.
At the March 10, 2009 Lake Charles Police Department press conference, the 2008 Annual Crime Report was presented, which showed:
>Overall Criminal Offenses down - 15.7%;
>and Major Crimes down - 9%
Worked with the Calcasieu Parish OEP and area municipalities toward a smooth evacuation of citizens prior to Hurricane Rita, a safe return following the hurricane and throughout the recovery process
Developed the Community Commitment awards to recognize exceptional young people
Established the Neighborhood Pride Committee
Worked with the Calcasieu Parish School Board and the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff''s Office through a joint services agreement to upgrade school signs throughout the City
Established a computer center at Martin Luther King Center
Installed online payment for water bills
Created a September 11th Memorial with beams from the World Trade Center and granite from the Pentagon
Opened 1911 Historic City hall as an Arts & Cultural Center
Honors and Awards
>1998 Best New House Member - Times Picayune
>Legislator of the Month - Louisiana Municipal Association
>Most Effective Legislator - Morning Advocate
>Citizen of the Year - Lake Charles Kiwanis Club
>1990 Representative of the Year - Louisiana Federation of Teachers
>2002-2003 President of Louisiana Conference of Mayors
>2004 "Shining Example" award for Governmental Tourism Leadership-Southeast Tourism Society
>2006 "Campion of Children Public Service Award" - Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana - from the Louisiana Public Health Association >2007 Governor''s Art Award for Leadership in the Arts
>2009 Patron of Landscape Architecture Award from Louisiana Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architecture
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Yolanda Rodriguez
Director
New Orleans City Planning Commission
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Michael Ronkin
Principal
Designing Streets for Pedestrians & Bicyclists
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Michael Ronkin was born in France, and lived in Geneva, Switzerland till early adulthood, where bicycling and walking were his main modes of transportation. He also used buses, trams and trains. This background had an influence on his future career, as he has first-hand experience of a sensible transportation system.
Michael moved to the USA in 1973, in New York City, where bicycling was not a viable option. He then attended the University of California at Davis, the most bike-friendly city in country, and went back to riding his bicycle everywhere. He now resides in Corvallis, OR, the most bicycle-friendly city in the state.
After obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in 1977, Michael Ronkin worked for the Soil Conservation Service and the Forest Service. He has been employed with the Oregon Department of Transportation since 1984. He worked in construction for five years, which enabled him to learn the basics of highway design and road building.
In 1989, Michael became ODOT’s “Bikeway Specialist.” This job was well suited for him, as he was able to apply both his practical engineering knowledge and his bicycle transportation background to improving bicycling in Oregon.
Mr. Ronkin was promoted to Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Manager in 1993. He quickly moved the focus of the program more towards pedestrian issues. His current activities include:
• Advocating for pedestrians - in 1994, ODOT adopted his recommended walkway policy, which requires the department to provide sidewalks on urban projects;
• Designing for disabled pedestrians - ODOT has developed detailed drawings to illustrate how to accommodate pedestrians with physical limitations;
• Proposing better intersection designs - intersections designed for high-speed, free-flowing motor vehicle travel can be obstacles for pedestrian travel;
• Proposing roundabout designs – to ensure that pedestrian and bicycle needs are met;
• Improving pedestrian crossings - wide roadways with high traffic speeds and volumes can be intimidating to cross;
• Studying the effects of access management on bicyclists and pedestrians - reducing the number of driveways and creating raised medians can be beneficial, but eliminating street connections can add travel distance to non-motorized users.
Other achievements include:
• The “Main Street Handbook” – a tool to help guide DOT’s and local interests when a highway runs through town.
• The Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan – a model for the nation, a document that lays out a strategy to make all the cities of the state better place to walk and bike, with great emphasis on proper design standards.
• Chaired NCHRP Panel – created to oversee the creation of an AASHTO Guide for the Design of Pedestrian Facilities
• Member, TRB Panel on Pedestrians – guide the national research agenda
Mr. Ronkin proposes that it is the responsibility of transportation agencies to provide for the most basic (walking) and efficient (bicycling) forms of transportation; he envisions transportation systems where people’s needs are considered first. The greatest challenge facing America is redoing the suburbs, where most new development has occurred in the last 50 years. Most of it was created with the automobile as the only travel mode considered; retrofitting the suburbs for walking and biking is a daunting but not impossible task.
On top of his duties at ODOT, Michael has been offering Bicycle and Pedestrian Design Courses around the US since 1994 in over 25 locations, including Ohio, Alaska, Pennsylvania, New York, Washington DC, Virginia, New Mexico, Wyoming, Hawaii, Hew Hampshire, Texas and South Carolina. His background enables him to communicate effectively with engineers, planners, elected officials and citizens.
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Kate Rube
Federal Policy Director
Smart Growth America
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Kate Rube is the Federal Policy Director for Smart Growth America. She leads and coordinates SGA''s federal advocacy, working on federal campaigns with Smart Growth America''s 100 coalition partners. Kate is also on the legislative team for the Transportation for America campaign, a new coalition of diverse groups pushing for significant reforms in our national transportation policy to strengthen our communities, our economy, and the transportation choices available to Americans. Kate previously worked as the Assistant National Field Director for U.S. PIRG, the federation of state Public Interest Research Groups, helping to coordinate grassroots campaigns on a range of federal environmental issues. She has a degree in Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia.
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Thomas Sammons
Professor
School of Architecture at University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Director of the
Community Design Workshop
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Master''s of Architecture, Cornell University, May 1987
Bachelor of Architecture, University of Kentucky, May 1982
Professor Thomas Sammons is a tenured professor at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette School of Architecture. Professor Sammons was named Distinguished Professor for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2005. He also is currently the director of the Community Design Workshop, in which he has directed six to nine faculty members and 15 to 20 students each year in urban design, landscape design, planning and architectural projects for the surrounding communities. He was awarded a Fulbright Hays Fellowship for study in China, of which he participated in 2004. In addition to his usual instruction in architecture, Professor Sammons has taught studios in Paris pertaining to Urbanism, Architectural History, and Contemporary Design during the Summer 2005. He teaches urban design studio and lecture classes dealing with urban form and site.
Professor Sammons has also secured a number of grants for the university’s Community Design Workshop, as well as numerous scientific equipment grants. The total amount of grants has exceeded 3.2 million, including a 1.5 million for a bike path that connects the research center with the university. The projects range from the small towns Breaux Bridge, Opelousas, and the current project of Delcambre to large-scale infrastructure projects including interstates, in-town boulevards, and bike paths. The range of work also includes master plans for University of Louisiana at Lafayette and LSUE.
During his tenure, Professor Sammons has presented a number of papers, including numerous presentations concerning the I-49 Corridor, which include “I-49 Final Public Meeting,” which he presented for the Federal Highway Administration, DOTD of Louisiana and the public. Professor Sammons also presented “I-49 Corridor Design Exhibition” for the 2001 American Planning Association Planning Conference. Additionally, Professor Sammons presented “Community Design Workshop: A Case Study of Collaboration” at the IDEC International Conference in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. At the 25th International Making Cities Livable Conference, Professor Sammons presented “Community Design Workshop: Processes and Projects.”
Professor Sammons is on a variety of public and civic committees including MPO advisory committee for the Lafayette Consolidated Government, Lafayette Metropolitan Expressway Commission, chair of the Campus Planning Committee, and an urban designer for the planning division of the Lafayette Consolidated Government. He also serves the Louisiana Recovery Authority as a Task Force Member for infrastructure and transportation, as well as the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce Executive Board investigating Smart Growth.
Publications: Community Renewal for Kaplan, Louisiana: Gateway to the Coastal Wetlands; Waterfront Development for Delcambre, Louisiana: Revitalizing through adaptive reuse to reflect and maintain the identity and features of this small town community; Hopkins Street Corridor Study; LINC Designated Neighborhood #7, Cameron: Redeveloping and Rebuilding a Small Louisiana Town Destroyed by Hurricane Rita, Washington Streetscape Proposal, The Master Plan for Jackson Parish: Urban Design for Small Towns, University Common, Opelousas: Urban Design for a Small Town, Carencro: Urban Design for a Small Town, Johnston Street: Challenging the Strip, Lafayette I-49 Connector Project, Breaux Bridge: Urban Design for a Small Town, The Simcoe Street Corridor Project, An Urban Framework for the Oil Center Lafayette, Louisiana
The Community Design Workshop has been funded by state, federal, and municipal grants and contracts in the last 12 years at over 2.8 million dollars. Currently Director of the Community Design Workshop completed 6 projects, directed faculty and students each year in urban design, landscape design, planning and architectural projects for the community.
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Gregory Saville
Co-owner
Alternation LLC
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Gregory Saville is an urban planner and is co-owner of Alternation LLC, an international consulting firm specializing in SafeGrowth through urban planning, community development, and emotional intelligence training. He is a former police officer and currently works as a criminologist consultant. He is also a co-founder and Distinguished Lifetime Member of the International Society for Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design. He is the developer of the SafeGrowth program, originally unveiled in 2007 at the United Nations Global Habitat conferences on Safe Cities in Monterrey, Mexico and the UN Habitat program in Santiago, Chile. He has published the most recent SafeGrowth success in turning a gang-infested high crime neighborhood back from the brink in an upcoming issue of the international Built Environment planning journal.
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Ann Vail Shaneyfelt
Marketing Director
Gulf South Solar
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In 1993, Ann graduated from LSU with a BA in Liberal Arts. After 7 years in Marketing for one of the top Home Health software companies in the country, Ann took time off to start a family. During this time, Ann became active in her community working to promote conservation, recycling and Smart Growth in Ascension Parish. Ann currently serves on the Ascension Parish Master Plan Advisory Group and is an active member of the Sierra Club. Ann is also the Chair of the Recycling and Lobby Day committees for the Delta Chapter of the Sierra Club and serves on the Baton Rouge Sierra Club’s Executive Committee. She is a Keep Ascension Beautiful Board Member and Chair of their Recycling Committee as well. On the 1st Saturday of every month, you can find her volunteering with Ascension Parish’s Recycling Road Show in Prairieville.
On the transportation front, Ann is currently working with DOTD to create a Transit Advisory group to facilitate communication between the DOTD and the Environmental community and begin a productive dialog on a variety of transit options in the state.
When she is not volunteering her time in Ascension Parish, Ann is the Marketing Director for the largest and most experienced Solar installer and distributor in Louisiana. Gulf South Solar has installed solar on over 85 homes and businesses including the largest commercial and residential PV installations in Louisiana. Since she began working at Gulf South Solar, she has completely overhauled their image and is working to refocus them into a customer centric organization that continues to dominate the solar market in the Gulf South.
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John Spain
Executive Vice President
Baton Rouge Area Foundation
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John Spain is the Executive Vice President of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation. The Foundation is a non-profit community foundation with assets of over $600 million dollars. The Foundation provides charitable gifts to organizations and is involved in civic projects in the areas of health care, urban renewal projects, education, and the arts. In his role as Executive Vice President he oversees all of the foundation’s community projects.
Prior to moving to the Foundation, John was the Managing Director of The Powell Group, a private holding company with thirteen diverse subsidiary companies. These included seven radio stations located in three different states, commercial timber, rice milling, real-estate development including home construction, subdivision development, and condominium construction along the Gulf coast. Other companies included a statewide network of travel agencies, commercial rice farming and the design and construction of biomass electrical power generating systems in the United States, South America and Asia.
John started his professional career in the field of broadcasting and worked at WBRZ-TV, the ABC affiliate in Baton Rouge for 23 years. He served in various capacities including investigative reporter, News Director and Station Manager. Under his leadership the station’s news operations received every major broadcast journalism award including two George F. Peabody awards, considered the Pulitzer prize of broadcasting.
John is the Past Chairman of the Greater Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce, Past Chairman of the Louisiana Arts and Science Museum and past Chairman of the Baton Rouge Convention and Visitors Bureau. He co-chaired the fundraising committees for the building of the new Irene W. Pennington Planetarium and the expansion of the Baton Rouge Convention Center. John served on the Accrediting Council for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications. Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco named him to serve on the Louisiana Recovery Authorities Health care Committee. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Shaw Center for the Arts.
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Christopher C. Theis, AIA, LEED AP
Professor
School of Architecture at Louisiana State University
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Christopher C. Theis, AIA, LEED AP has been actively involved in architectural education for 35 years. He taught at the University of Kansas for 14 years and he is currently a Professor of Architecture at Louisiana State University. He teaches a lecture course on issues in sustainability and design studios with a focus on sustainable design. He has been involved with sustainable design for over 30 years, having received one of the first National Passive Solar Design Awards in 1980. He has designed several award-winning buildings, consulted on numerous projects, and presented over 25 papers at meetings of the American Institute of Architects, the American Solar Energy Society, the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, and the Society of Building Science Educators (SBSE). He is the Immediate Past President of the SBSE and a consultant on the AIA/SBSE Carbon Neutral Design Project.
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Elizabeth “Boo” Thomas, ASLA
President & CEO
Center for Planning Excellence
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The Center for Planning Excellence (CPEX) is committed to providing models, tools and expertise for inclusive planning processes to assist in the creation of Louisiana community plans that demonstrate Smart Growth best practices. To achieve this mission, CPEX has been involved in local planning initiatives as well as regional planning projects post hurricanes Katrina and Rita. At the local level, CPEX has facilitated Plan Baton Rouge, a master plan to develop downtown into a thriving, walkable, 24- hour destination, and is facilitating the update, Plan Baton Rouge Phase 2. The Old South Baton Rouge Strategic Neighborhood Revitalization and Economic Development Plan, another local community planning effort, applied the lessons learned from Plan Baton Rouge to a disinvested neighborhood between downtown Baton Rouge and the campus of Louisiana State University, and plan implementation is well on its way. At the parish level, CPEX has been involved in an advisory role with parishes interested in excellent planning. CPEX will work with consultants to create a model development code that will be available for communities who are experiencing growth pressures. At the regional scale, under Ms. Thomas’ leadership, CPEX facilitated Louisiana Speaks Regional Plan, a long term plan that provides a vision for rebuilding Louisiana safer, stronger and smarter over the next 50 years. Louisiana Speaks Regional Plan has been endorsed in editorials in The Advocate (Baton Rouge), Times Picayune (New Orleans), American Press (Lake Charles), The Daily Advertiser (Lafayette), and the Houma Courier.
Prior to CPEX, Ms. Thomas was the first Executive Director of Mid City Redevelopment Alliance, a non profit agency that acts as the catalyst for the revitalization and redevelopment of neighborhoods surrounding the Baton Rouge General Medical Center. She held that position for 7 years.
After obtaining her Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture from LSU in 1989, Elizabeth was employed by Chenevert Soderberg Architects to participate in the development of the Horizon Plan, the Comprehensive Land Use and Transportation Plan for East Baton Rouge Parish.
Ms. Thomas is a member of the Urban Land Institute, American Society of Landscape Architects, and the Congress of the New Urbanism.
In addition to her professional responsibilities, Boo gives her time serving as a volunteer on many local boards and committees which provide for the betterment of the community:
• Rotary Club of Baton Rouge (2nd woman to be President of this 89-year-old club)
• BREADA (Main Street Market & Red Stick Farmers Market) Board of Directors (Secretary)
Ms. Thomas was named the first recipient of the Jensen Holliday Volunteer of the Year by the Chamber of Greater Baton Rouge in 2004. She was also named Volunteer of the Year for 2003 by the YMCA, and was named Volunteer Activist for 2002. Ms. Thomas was recognized as Marketer of the Year in 2001 by the Sales and Marketing Executives of Baton Rouge. She was also named to the first Top 25 Women in Greater Baton Rouge by the Business Report in 1997. In 2000, Ms. Thomas was recognized as an LSU Woman of Distinction. She received the 2001 Patron of Architecture Award by the Louisiana Architecture Foundation for a non-architect that has significantly exemplified leadership in design issues which enhance the quality of life and educate the public about the importance and influence of architecture.
Ms. Thomas is married to John A. Thomas, M. D., an orthopedic surgeon. Their daughter, Julie, is a graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Design in Architecture. She and her husband, Simon Hess, live and work in Chicago, IL with their two daughters, Caroline Elizabeth and Isabella Buckner. Both of their sons graduated from Stanford University, live in New York City, and work as financial analysts. Andrew and Ann have one daughter, Lucy Margaret; and John and Debra have a son, Hudson Fuselier and a daughter, Gracie Tyler.
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Dr. Robert R. Twilley
Professor
Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences
Associate Vice Chancellor of
Research and Economic Development
Louisiana State University
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Dr. Twilley is professor in the Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences and serves as Associate Vice Chancellor of Research and Economic Development to develop the ‘Coastal Sustainability Agenda’ at LSU. Dr. Twilley received his PhD in 1982 in plant and systems ecology from the University of Florida, and performed his post-doc studies at University of Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay. Most of Dr. Twilley''s research has focused on coastal wetlands both in the Gulf of Mexico, throughout Latin America, and in the Pacific Islands. Dr. Twilley has published over 100 articles including several documents on global climate change, coastal restoration, and ecosystem ecology. He is Distinguished Professor in Louisiana Environmental Studies at LSU and is fellow in the Northern Gulf Institute. Presently Dr. Twilley heads up a program sponsored America’s WETLAND Foundation entitled the ‘coastal sustainability studio’ to design resiliency in natural and built communities along coastal Louisiana. He presently serves on the National Research Council Committee on Independent Scientific Review of Everglades Restoration Progress (CISRERP), which serves to report on status of ecosystem restoration in that region.
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Vanessa Ulmer
Policy and Advocacy Director
Prevention Research Center
Tulane University
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Vanessa Ulmer is the Policy and Advocacy Coordinator with the Prevention Research Center at Tulane University. She works with community partners and decision makers to advance health-promoting policies. Vanessa has served as the coordinator of the multi-stakeholder New Orleans Food Policy Advisory Committee and provided support to the Healthy Food Retail Study Group of the Louisiana State Senate. A native New Yorker with a keen interest in public policy, Vanessa previously worked with policy research institutes in Washington, DC. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Policy Analysis and Management from Cornell University and a Master’s degree in Geography and Environmental Policy from the University of Oxford. Vanessa enthusiastically enjoys New Orleans’ neighborhoods and live music, Audubon Park, and Louisiana citrus season.
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David Waggonner, AIA
Principal
Waggonner & Ball Architects
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David Waggonner, AIA was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. Prior to his current practice he was employed by the Architect of the Capitol in Washington, D. C., Bechtel Corporation in San Francisco and DMJM Curtis and Davis in New Orleans. Mr. Waggonner has been responsible for projects of many types, including award-winning designs in planning, education, office, hotel, restoration, renovation, entertainment and retail categories.
Mr. Waggonner is familiar with government, institutional and corporate requirements from his work as principal-in-charge of numerous projects for the General Services Administration (Fort Worth, Atlanta and New Orleans offices) in Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas and Mississippi, for the U.S. Navy at the Naval Air Station in Belle Chasse, Louisiana, the Veterans Administration at Port Hudson, Louisiana, and for the Job Corps in New Orleans. He has completed projects for the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans and the State of Louisiana as well as for private businesses and industries.
Specific projects include: adaptive reuse of a historic building into the U.S. Courthouse in Natchez, Mississippi; multiple separate renovations to the National Landmark U.S. Custom House in New Orleans; multiple projects at the J.M. Wisdom U.S. Court of Appeals Building in New Orleans; sanctuary and steeple restoration at historic Rayne Memorial United Methodist Church, New Orleans; an Engineering/Laboratory Building for the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans; and the Saia Motor Freight Headquarters, Houma. For GSA he has completed Historic Building Preservation Plans for federal buildings in New Orleans, Texarkana, Amarillo, and El Paso.
In the educational category, Mr. Waggonner has served as principal-in-charge for multiple award-winning projects. These include the St. Mary’s Dominican High School Student Center and the Siena Center in New Orleans; Trinity Episcopal School’s Les Enfants Nursery complex in New Orleans’ Garden District; Tulane University’s theatre and dance facility, Elleonora P. McWilliams Hall on the Newcomb campus; and the Ridgley Arts and Athletics Center and the Meyer Mathematics and Science Building at Brother Martin High School in New Orleans. He has completed new graduate facilities for the Tulane Freeman School of Business (Goldring-Woldenberg Hall II), and master plans for the Academy of the Sacred Heart and Holy Cross High School in New Orleans. Other recent projects include comprehensive renovations to multiple buildings for Sacred Heart and the new St. Bernard Parish School Board Cultural Arts Center in Chalmette.
Mr. Waggonner has further experience in planning and programming. He has completed post-Katrina planning exercises for St. Bernard Parish and the Unified New Orleans Plan (UNOP) as well as an award-winning planning study for the Town of Beidaihe in the Province of Hebei, People’s Republic of China; three separate planning studies for Bossier City, Louisiana; a maintenance study and master plan for Longue Vue House and Gardens; and a master plan for the U.S. Custom House in New Orleans. He is presently involved in creating and sustaining the Dutch Dialogues, a process that through the Royal Netherlands government borrows Dutch expertise to inform the New Orleans region about ways of living with water. He has served on the Board and Architectural Review Committees of the Preservation Resource Center, the Historic Faubourg St. Mary Corporation, the Louisiana Preservation Alliance, the Garden District Association, and Smart Growth Louisiana. He has taught at Tulane University, lectured nationally and internationally, and is a registered architect in Louisiana and California.
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Kenneth Walker
Program Analyst
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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Kenneth Walker is a Program Analyst with NOAA’s Office of Ocean & Coastal Resource Management National Policy and Evaluation Division. He works on a variety of coastal community issues including smart growth, working waterfronts and waterfront revitalization. Kenneth’s background is in land use and environmental planning, and he holds a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Bachelors of City Planning from the University of Virginia.
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Melinda Walsh
Melinda Walsh Communications
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John F. Young, Jr.
Chairman
Jefferson Parish Council
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EDUCATION:
LOYOLA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW
Juris Doctor, May 1982
LOYOLA UNIVERSITY
Bachelor of Public Administration May 1979
EXPERIENCE:
JEFFERSON PARISH COUNCIL January 7, 2004
Inaugurated to first term of office as Councilman-at-Large, Division A, 2004
Inaugurated to second term of office as Councilman-at-Large, Division A, 2008
Council Chairman 2004 - 2005; 2006 - 2007; 2008 - 2009
Goals include economic development; improving education; fiscal responsibility; uniting Jefferson Parish; promoting regional cooperation
OF COUNSEL, HAILEY, MCNAMARA, HALL, LARMANN & PAPALE June 2004 - Present
DISTRICT ATTORNEY, PARISH OF JEFFERSON February 1997 – January 2004
Assistant District Attorney, Chief of Administration and Chief of Parish Courts responsible for supervision of all personnel and financial aspects of the organization as well as prosecution of DWI, misdemeanor and traffic offenses parish-wide
ATTORNEY IN PRIVATE PRACTICE 1982 – Present
AWARDS:
Recipient, ALLIANCE FOR GOOD GOVERNMENT, “LEGISLATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD” 2004
Recipient, CRIMEFIGHTERS “OUTSTANDING PROSECUTOR AWARD” 2003
Recipient, VICTIMS AND CITIZENS AGAINST CRIME “OUTSTANDING PROSECUTOR AWARD” 1998, 2001
Recipient, GAMBIT WEEKLY’S “BEST JEFFERSON PARISH COUNCIL MEMBER AWARD” 2006
CIVIC INVOLVEMENT:
Chairman, New Orleans Regional Planning Commission, June 2008 – December 2008
Treasurer, New Orleans Regional Planning Commission, January 2009 – present
Secretary, Jefferson Bar Association, January 2009 – present
Board of Directors, DeLaSalle High School Alumnae Association
N.O. Planning Commission Representative, Governor’s I-49 South Task Force November 2008 - present
Executive Board Member, Police Jury Association of LA – Region II 2007 - 2008
Chairman, Governor’s Vehicular Homicide – DWI Task Force 2001 – 2004
Vice-Chairman of Public Policy, New Orleans Regional Chamber of Commerce 1999 -2001
Board of Directors, New Orleans Regional Chamber of Commerce 1998 – 2000
Chairman, E.J. Council of the New Orleans Regional Chamber of Commerce 1998 - 1999
Member, NOAPAC 1996 - 2000
Chairman, Governmental Affairs Committee of E.J. Council Executive Committee 1996 - 97
Fellow, Jefferson Chamber Leadership Institute 1995
Fellow, Loyola University Institute of Politics 1991
Board of Directors, St. Thomas Moore Catholic Lawyers Association
Southeast Louisiana DWI Task Force
French-American Chamber of Commerce, Louisiana Chapter
PERSONAL:
Father of five sons
Life-long resident of Jefferson Parish
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