Gulf Restoration Network

United for a Healthy Gulf

 
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Mailing Address

Louisiana (Main Office)

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 2245
New Orleans, LA 70176

Physical Address:
541 Julia St., Suite 300
New Orleans, LA 70130

Phone: (504) 525-1528
Fax: (504) 525-0833


Florida (Satellite Office)

Cathy Harrelson
Florida Organizer
231 44th Avenue NE
St. Petersburg, FL 33703
(727) 415-8805

Mississippi (Satellite Office)

Andrew Whitehurst
Science and Water Policy Assistant Director
3141 West Tidewater Lane
Madison, MS 39110
(601) 954-7236

Staff Listing

Cyn SarthouCyn Sarthou, Executive Director

Phone: 504-525-1528 ext. 202
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Cyn is responsible for the day to day operations and staff management at the GRN. She is primarily responsible for foundation fundraising, and also works to elevate regional issues to a national level, and monitors federal agency action affecting coastal and marine endangered species in Gulf states. Cyn received her B.A. from the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, her law degree from the University of Mississippi in 1983, and her Masters of Law in Law and Marine Affairs from the University of Washington in 1992.

 

PROGRAM STAFF

aaron_viles
Aaron Viles
Aaron Viles, Deputy Director

Phone: 504-525-1528 ext. 207
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Aaron leads GRN’s response to the BP drilling disaster and the organization’s efforts to protect and restore coastal habitats throughout the Gulf.  Aaron began his work for the environment while studying biology at the University of Washington and worked for many years as a Regional Field Director for U.S. PIRG. Aaron serves on the Executive Committee of the Delta Chapter of the Sierra Club, and the Board of Advisors of the Gulf Coast Fund for Community Renewal and Ecological Health, and the Marine Fish Conservation Network.  He is a graduate of Green Corps: The Field School for Environmental Organizing, a fellow of the Loyola Institute for Environmental Communications, and served on Governor Bobby Jindal’s environmental transition team. He has appeared on CNN, the PBS NewsHour, NBC News, CNBC, and has been quoted in the New York Times, the Washington Post, USA Today and many other newspapers and media outlets.

 

Matt RotaMatt Rota, Director of Science and Water Policy

Phone: 504-525-1528 ext. 206
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Matt is the Director of Science and Water Policy for the Gulf Restoration Network.  Through his work with GRN, he advocates for healthy waters throughout the Gulf of Mexico region.  He also works with Mississippi River Basin organizations to promote policies that will reduce the Dead Zone-causing pollution flowing to the Gulf of Mexico.  Matt currently focuses on water pollution issues in Louisiana, the Mississippi River, and the Gulf of Mexico, working to ensure adequate policies regarding the BP oil drilling disaster, wetlands, water quality, and nitrogen and phosphorus pollution are adopted and implemented in order to protect and restore waters of the Gulf of Mexico region. He is co-Chair of the Nutrients Workgroup for the Mississippi River Collaborative and has given numerous presentations on water pollution issues including the Dead Zone, sewage pollution, wetlands, the BP Oil Drilling Disaster, at professional and technical conferences throughout the country.   He earned his B.S. in Ecology, Evolutionary, and Organismal Biology from Tulane University and his Masters of Earth and Environmental Resources Management from the University of South Carolina.

 

Dan FavreDan Favre, Communications Director

Phone: 504-525-1528 ext. 209
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Dan works to bring the story of the Gulf and Gulf Restoration Network's efforts to the public. Working closely with GRN staff, Dan drives the organization's communications strategy through media outreach, GRN publications, public presentations, web presence, correspondence with e-activists, and grassroots outreach. Before focusing on communications, Dan was GRN's Campaign Organizer and ran a campaign to successfully protect thousands of acres of cypress forests in Louisiana. He has also built GRN's summer outreach program, began the Healthy Gulf Krewe and student organizing efforts, and paved the way for starting our Florida program office. Dan holds a BA in Sociology from Brown University and is a graduate of Green Corps: The Field School for Environmental Organizing.

 

michelle_erenberg
Michelle Erenberg
Michelle Erenberg, Special Projects Coordinator


Phone: 504-525-1528 ext. 203
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Michelle works to empower the community response to the BP oil drilling disaster by organizing the coordinated Gulf Recovery Campaign. She has a B.A. in Psychology and Masters of Public Administration from the University of New Orleans. She has worked as an organizer for Environment California and Planned Parenthood.
 

Scott_headshot2               Scott Eustis

Scott Eustis, Coastal Wetlands Specialist

Phone: 504-525-1528 ext. 212
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Scott Eustis is our Coastal Wetlands Specialist. With an extensive background in wetlands and fisheries research, Scott will support GRN's Science and Water Policy team by analyzing wetlands restoration projects, providing scientific arguments against bad developments and wetlands destruction, and by representing GRN in many public forums.
Phone: 504-525-1528 ext. 203
 

Cathy HarrelsonCathy HarrelsonCathy Harrelson, Florida Organizer

Phone: 727-415-8805
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Cathy brings the healthy Gulf message to coastal and water issues in Florida, working with media, stakeholders, coalition partners and contacts within government to mitigate damaging coastal development, prevent drilling in Florida waters, and develop restorative water quality standards.  Cathy received a B.A. from the State University of New York at Potsdam, with a major in biology and minors in chemistry and physics.
 

Jonathan HendersonJonathan Henderson, Coastal Resiliency Organizer

Phone: 504-525-1528 ext. 211
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Jonathan is the Coastal Resiliency Organizer for GRN. Currently, Jonathan is managing GRN's BP drilling disaster field monitoring operations in the Gulf of Mexico and is the GRN liaison with the Gulf Monitoring Consortium. Jonathan is the current writer of GRN's bi-weekly on-line newsletter, GulfWaves and is advocating for better stormwater management with the Flood-Less New Orleans campaign. Jonathan received a bachelor’s degree in Theater from LSU, a Master’s of Business Administration from the University of Louisiana, and a law degree from Southern University Law Center. Jonathan has worked in government relations for many years including as a legislative assistant at the Louisiana State Legislature and as Director of Governmental Relations for the Brylski Company, a full-scale public relations firm.

 

Raleigh HokeRaleigh Hoke, Mississippi Organizer

Phone: 504-525-1528 ext. 204
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Raleigh works to protect the natural resources of the Mississippi Gulf Coast by empowering and organizing individuals and groups within the community to fight for the health of their environment.  He has a B.A. in Political Science from Tulane University and has worked with the GRN over the past year as a Campaign Associate and Assistant Canvass Director.

 

harry_canvassing2Harry LowenburgHarry Lowenburg, Fisheries Restoration Organizer

Phone: 504-525-1528 x208
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Harry works to engage and activate the Louisiana environmental, business, and fishing communities to support the Gulf Surface Longline Closure Campaign to transition surface longline fishermen to more selective gear and prohibiting surface longline fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. Harry began his career as a community organizer in 1977 working for Seattle Light Brigade. He subsequently served as a chapter organizer for Oregon Fair Share; Executive Director of the Council Bluffs Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement and a founding organizer of a congregation-based organization in Louisiana which later became All Congregations Together.

 

helen rose headshotHelen Rose Patterson, Outreach Team Manager

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Phone: 504-525-1528 ext 200 

Helen Rose leads the Outreach Team, working to unite and empower citizens to protect and restore the Gulf by approaching individuals and offering information and opportunities to engage through GRN's work. She also serves as the Mississippi Campaign Assistant, primarily working to expand GRN's presence and efforts by seeking the support of business and community leaders. She has worked with GRN intermittently since 2008. She has a BA in Cultural Ecology from Bennington College in Vermont and served in the Peace Corps in Morocco as an environmental education volunteer. 

 


jen headshotJennifer Myles, Outreach Team Organizer

Phone: 504-525-1528 ext 213
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Jen works with the Outreach Team to build and maintain GRN's membership base and develop public support for our campaigns through door-to-door canvassing and phonebanking. She also works with the administrative team to maintain our database system, supports the Development Director and Office Manage, and assists with special events, volunteer nights, and general office duties. She is a graduate of North Park University and worked as a Marine Biology Instructor at the Catalina Island Marine Institute on Santa Catalina Island, CA before moving to New Orleans. 

 
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Ayn Pivonka

Ayn Pivonka, Campaign Assistant


Phone: 504-525-1528 ext. 217
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As Campaign Assistant, Ayn is helping to restore and protect Louisiana's wetlands and the Gulf of Mexico by supporting our grassroots campaigns.  She is a graduate of Wagner College in New York.
 

Andrew WhitehurstAndrew WhitehurstAndrew Whitehurst, Asst. Director of Science and Water Policy


Phone: 504-525-1528 ext. 205
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Andrew works to develop and implement healthy waters campaigns in Mississippi, advancing GRN public policy positions through administrative comment writing, public education, and mobilization. Andrew has a B.A. in English from L.S.U. in 1982; a Master's Degree in Wildlife Ecology from Mississippi State University in 1990; and a J.D. from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at L.S.U. in 1997. His experience includes work in coastal fisheries research, law, and conservation outreach.
 

DEVELOPMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

 

Natasha Noordhoff
Natasha Noordhoff, Development Director

Phone: 504-525-1528 ext. 210
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Natasha is responsible for the GRN major donor campaign and fundraising.  She received her B.A. in Sociology, Women’s Studies, and French from Tulane University.  After working with the GRN as a field manager for the 2009 summer outreach campaign, Natasha continued her work on GRN's membership development and fundraising for two years before becoming development director.

 

irene_downling
Irene Dowling
Irene Dowling, Office Manager

Phone: 504-525-1528 ext. 201
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Irene is in charge of the GRN’s bookkeeping and day to day operations. Irene received her B.A. in History and A.S. in Computer Science from Southeastern Louisiana University. She has worked as a full charge bookkeeper for a CPA, in accounts payable for Hotel Management of New Orleans, and as an IT manger for the law firm of Jones, Walker.

 

jezelle headshotE. Jezelle Hebert, Membership Coordinator

Phone: 504-525-1528 ext 214
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Jezelle is responsible for the strategic development and implementation of the GRN’s membership recruitment and fundraising and assisting the development director with event fundraising.  Jezelle has a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Southwestern Louisiana. Jezelle has worked as a Director of Fund Development for Project Lazarus, Marketing and Public Relation Consultant for Felicity Harmony Development, Marketing and Sales Associate for Vaucresson Sausage, and Assistant to the Director of the Delta Festival Ballet.