Week 17: Gulf Coast Recovery

America’s Gulf Coast is one of our nation’s greatest treasures. It has also endured some of our nation’s greatest challenges. Americans from all walks of life demonstrated the resilience, determination and patriotic sense of community that makes our country great. From service volunteers to entrepreneurs, these Champions of Change are helping America’s Gulf Coast to recover, rebuild and grow.

Andy Brack

In addition to being extraordinarily engaged and helpful following the BP oil spill, Andy edits and publishes Charleston Currents and Statehouse Report, a weekly legislative forecast and syndicated newspaper column.

Beth Galante

Beth is responsible for the operation of Global Green’s New Orleans Resource Center and Office.

Byron Bishop

Byron is the director of Workforce Works, an organization that trains and develops the next generation of “green” builders in the New Orleans, specifically in the Lower 9th Ward region.

Colin Bishopp

Colin Bishopp is the Deputy Director of the Clean Economy Development Center (CEDC), a non-profit organization that helps public officials and community leaders create jobs with clean energy projects.

Daniel Hahn

Daniel is with the Santa Rosa Emergency Management Team and is the Santa Rosa County Plans Chief.

Dave Rabou

The Gulf Coast Energy Network is a nonprofit coalition of prominent business, government, and environmental leaders who promote the efficient use of energy and water resources to benefit consumers, the environment and economic growth.

Grace Scire

Grace works to help minority fishing communities build capacity and get back on their feet after the devastation from Hurricane Katrina and the oil spill.

Harlon Pearce

Harlon is a tireless advocate for gulf seafood. Since oil spill hit sections of Louisiana’s famed fishing, shrimp and oyster areas, Harlon has worked to coordinate between the fishing industry and marine/environmental experts to ensure that seafood brought to shore continues to be safe. For more information on Harlon, see Louisiana Seafood News and Harlon's LA Fish website.

Jason Stoltzfus

Jason is working to develop and diversity Charlotte County’s economy after the recession hit the community hard. Built primarily on the construction and tourism industries, the County’s job base dried up and many development projects stalled.

Julie Rexford

While teaching her middle school students about environmental awareness, students in Julie Rexford’s science class began asking her why there was no longer any recycling bins in the school and at home.

Katrina French

Katrina was an AmeriCorps*NCCC team leader at the time of the BP oil spill, and her team was the first deployed to assist the Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service (MCVS)’s volunteer coordination efforts.

LaTosha Brown

LaTosha is an award-winning community organizer with over 20 years of experience working on a wide variety of issues related to social justice and civil rights.

Tamara Jones

Tamara’s primary responsibility is administering a $20 million grant from the US Department of Energy under its BetterBuildings Program.

Vinny Cannatta

Vinny created the organization, Future Leaders of America's Gulf, in the wake of the spill. It is truly grassroots and youth-led.

Will Bradshaw

Will is the co-founder and president of Green Coast Enterprises (GCE), which provides a continuum of real estate services for urban areas in need of community renewal.