Women’s Coastal leadership breakfast
Presented by Jacobs
Thursday, May 22 at 8 a.m.
women’s Coastal leadership breakfast
Presented by Jacobs
Each year, more and more women become involved in Louisiana’s coastal issues. From elected officials, academics, engineers, public agencies to private firms and community organizers, women are playing prominent roles in various aspects of our land loss crisis.
The Women’s Coastal Leadership Breakfast presented by Jacobs offers a morning of reflective conversation with an inspiring set of panelists. This event recognizes the dedication, innovation and leadership of these women while providing inspiration and networking opportunities for women in the field.
Panelists:
• Katie Freer-Leonards
• Halle Parker
• Rosina Philippe
• Monica Stochl
Moderator: Chrissy Thom
Panelist
Katie Freer-Leonards
Assistant Administrator for Strategic Planning, Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority
Katie Freer-Leonards is the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority’s assistant administrator for strategic planning. A native of the D.C. suburbs, Katie inched her way south to Louisiana through undergraduate studies at James Madison University and graduate school at the University of South Carolina. Her passion for studying and working in Latin America expanded to include a deep interest in hazards and disasters while in graduate school. This opened the door to the first phase of her career: spending over a decade as an emergency management consultant, including leading major components of two large-scale local-state-federal catastrophic hurricane planning efforts and developing FEMA planning guidance for state and local jurisdictions. After focusing much of her work outside of Louisiana, in 2016, Katie was thrilled to shift her disaster planning and management skills to addressing the chronic challenges posed by coastal land loss here in her adopted home state. She served first as a CPRA project manager, integrating the efforts of engineers and scientists from within and beyond CPRA to design and construct projects like the restoration of Queen Bess Island. Katie now has the privilege of tying all of her previous professional experience together and continuing to expand it as she leads the team developing Louisiana’s 2029 Coastal Master Plan.
Panelist
Halle Parker
Environment Reporter, New Orleans Public Radio
Halle Parker is an ambitious multi-platform storyteller who informs the public about environmental and climate issues. Parker is a writer and photographer. Parker has a strong ethical grounding with a passion for sharing the stories of underserved communities and love of helping the public understand environmental challenges.
Parker reports on the environment for WWNO’s Coastal Desk. Before coming to New Orleans Public Radio, she covered Louisiana’s environment for the Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate, and down the bayou for the Houma Courier. She also worked for the National Audubon Society.
Some of Parker’s past reporting has centered on environmental justice issues and Louisiana’s coastal land loss crisis.
Parker is originally from Virginia.
Panelist
Rosina PhiliPpe
Council Elder and Traditional Knowledge Keeper of the Atakapa-Ishak/Chawasha Tribe
Elder Rosina Philippe is a lifetime resident of coastal Louisiana, a Council Elder and Traditional Knowledge Keeper of the Atakapa-Ishak/Chawasha Tribe. Elder Philippe serves as vice president of the Lowlander Center and is a Council Member and former President of the First People’s Conservation Council (FPCC).
Her work is focused on partnering with leaders from other communities and various organizations/groups to work for environmental sustainability, along with preservation and restoration of coastal, traditional and historied communities/territories. These alliances are forged to address issues of: climate change, economic instability, environmental justice, gentrification and coastal restoration/preservation, issues that are familiar to most of our communities and have plagued their people for generations.
Elder Philippe speaks on recognizing accountability and identifying contributing factors and entities in relation to these issues. She is a firm believer that people facing similar problems, through informed education and information sharing, have the power to affect positive long-term changes; and through collaboration, take charge of their own destinies, building toward more resilient and sustainable lifeways.
Panelist
Monica stochl
Water Resources Engineer/Project Manager, Jacobs
Monica Stochl is a water resources and environmental engineer with over a decade of experience in managing complex water projects across the United States and internationally. Currently serving as a project engineer and project manager at Jacobs, Monica specializes in flood risk management, stormwater management, green infrastructure design and emergency response. Her leadership in high-profile projects aimed at enhancing community resilience against climate-related challenges has established her as a trusted leader in the field. Monica’s innovative, cost-effective and equitable solutions prioritize community well-being and environmental sustainability. She holds a master of engineering in civil engineering from the University of Missouri Kansas City and a bachelor of science in civil engineering from Saint Louis University. Monica is actively involved in professional organizations such as the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Water Environment Federation and the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM). She also leads the Jacobs Women’s Network Louisiana Chapter.
Moderator
Chrissy thom
Executive Vice President and Global Environmental Market Director, Jacobs
Chrissy Thom is the executive vice president and global environmental market director at Jacobs. With a background in biology and ecosystem restoration, Chrissy has dedicated her career to working with clients to match environmental and infrastructure goals. At Jacobs, she leverages her extensive experience in operations, sales, project delivery and technology solutions to drive innovation and growth. For the past two years, Chrissy served as general manager for Jacobs’ Buildings & Infrastructure Americas East business unit, and recently was promoted to global environmental market director.
As a mentor and role model for many, Chrissy leads Jacobs’ global team of world-class experts across our environmental market. She is known for her impact on emerging technologies and new markets, always underpinned with a passion for inclusive leadership. She was recently awarded for Managerial Leadership for her contributions to business performance, as well as Inclusive Leader of the Year.