Join us on Thursday, August 18 (6pm) for a very special panel discussion, in partnership with the Center for Planning Excellence and in conjunction with BRG’s new exhibition, Cloudburst: The Work of Matt Kenyon.
Inspired by Kenyon’s piece, Tide, which addresses climate change and is inspired by the flooding Baton Rouge experienced in 2016, this panel discussion will dive into what climate change means for Louisiana as a whole. From wildlife to indigenous communities, to urban planning, this in-depth conversation about how our changing climate is impacting our state is one not to be missed. This event is free and open to the public.
About the panelists:
Camille Manning Broome
President/CEO, CPEX
A native Louisianan, Camille Manning-Broome is internationally recognized for her expertise in resilience and adaptation planning. Her leadership on issues of land loss, coastal community sustainability, climate change resilience and adaptation as well as resident-led community planning has contributed to the transformation of cities, towns and parishes throughout Louisiana and has created knowledge of interest to peers throughout the U.S. and the globe, from South Africa to Scotland to Denmark.
As President and CEO, Camille oversees CPEX’s multidisciplinary team as they develop plans and provide technical assistance, data and research, policy guidance, communications support and thought leadership to communities seeking to make thoughtful decisions about how they develop and grow. Camille works closely with the CPEX Board of Directors to set the organization’s vision and advance CPEX’s mission to bring people and planning together to make great places.
Chief Shirell Parfait-Dardar
Tribal Chief, Grand Caillou/Dulac Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw
Chief Shirell Parfait-Dardar is the Traditional Tribal Chief of the Grand Caillou/Dulac Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw, a traditional dressmaker/clothing designer and a song writer and musician in her spare time. She is one of the founding members of the First People's Conservation Council of Louisiana (2013) and was also an advisor to LA H.B.660 - Act #102, establishing the Native American Commission. She was elected the first Native American Chairwoman of the Louisiana Governor's Office of Indian Affairs Native American Commission (2019). She is an active advocate for coastal restoration and preservation, development and utilization of alternative energy sources, community resiliency, education and human rights.
In 2021, she was featured on National Geographic Presents: IMPACT With Gal Gadot, which consisted of six documentary shorts following the powerful stories of six women making an extraordinary impact on their communities around the world. The episode profiling Chief Shirell highlights how “her ancestors have lived on the land for hundreds of years, and they are now expected to be among the United States’ first climate refugees. Chief Shirell can’t stop the storms, but she is impacting the legacy of her ancestors, the lives of her community today and the future of her people.”
Jonathan Foret
Executive Director, South LA Wetlands Discovery Center
Jonathan Foret serves as the Executive Director for the South Louisiana Wetlands Discovery Center in Houma, LA. He is responsible for the day to day operations of the organization, including the implementation of the Center’s programs. He has over 10 years of nonprofit administrative, management and fundraising experience on international, national, state, regional and local levels. He holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration with a focus in Nonprofit Leadership and is a native of Chauvin, Louisiana.
Tide