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Mississippi River Cities and Towns InitiativeCopyright 2014 City of Dubuque ITEM# 21. ITEM TITLE: Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative SUMMARY: City Manager transmitting information from the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative annual meeting held September 16-18, 2014. SUGGESTED DISPOSITION: Suggested Disposition: Receive and File ATTACHMENTS: Description Type D Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative Supporting Oocumeniation MRCTI 2014 Annual Meeting, Sept. 16-18 THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, INLAND WATERWAY TO THE WORLD Mayors alon creating apace at the Mississ e tab s x Bemidji, MN Brainerd, MN Baxter, MN Sartell, MN Sauk Rapids, EN St. Cloud, MN Clearwater; MN_ Monticello, MN Dayton. MN Rams Minneapolis, MN St. Paul, MN Hastings, MN Prescott, WI Red Wing, MN Winona, MN Onalaska, WI La Crosse, WI Dubuque, IA Clinton, IA Savanna, IL ,.$ettendorf, IA East Moline, IL -Moline, IL bck Islaiid,'IL IZavenport, IA Muscatine, IA gurlirigton, IA Fort Madison, IA Canton, MO LaGrange, MO Quincy, IL Clarksville, MO Grafton, IL Alton, 1L Hartford, IL Prairie du Rocher, 1_I. Ste. Genevieve, MO Chester, IL Cape Girardeau_, MO Cairo, IL Wickliffe, KY - Columbus, KY • Hickman, KY =:Madrid, MO Tiptonville, TN - Osceola, AR Memphis, TN Helena -West Helena, AR Clarksdale, MS Rosedale, MS Greenville, MS Vicksburg, MS Natchez, MS Is your city Or; board Elsberiy, MO Prairie du Chien, WI Guttenberg, IA St. Louis, MO Sauge, IL St. Joseph. LA Baton Rouge, LA Port Allen, LA New Orleans, LA Mississippi River Traveling Photo Exhibit A Coordinatec Project of the Mayors & Arts Organizations along the Mississippi Listed here are the arts organizations that contributed to this exhibit. Photos were submitted by each entity depicting one of three themes: Beauty of the River Life on the River Challenges of the River OH 6 18 IN Gulf o f Mexico Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative T '-ONE. -ONGR_ESSIONA DISTRICTS. ONE 1iLINDftED ,VENTY-FOUR CITIES... ONE PJVE 7. 477.7- . -LN STATES. THIR_TY-ONE CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS. ONE HUNDRED & IN/VENTY-FOLIR_ CITIES... ONE RIVE Policy Platform 2014 Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative Capitol Meeting 2014 Policy Platform Create policy movement toward managing the Mississippi River as one unified system through the formation of a Mississippi River Management Plan that incorporates existing practices into a general management model; Foster the continued growth and increased state collaboration between mayors along the waterway and the bipartisan U.S. House & Senate Mississippi River Caucus; Establish a National Drought Council that builds off of the 2014 Farm Bill Managers Report calling for greater integration between local governments and the Federal National Drought Resiliency Partnership; Establish a multi -agency Federal initiative to develop and implement a coordinated strategy that aids local governments as they address aquatic invasive species in the Mississippi River Basin; Economic Development funding priorities: Pre -Disaster Mitigation program - $400 million Mississippi Valley Division Civil Works Budget - $5.43 billion Flood Operations & Mitigation/Assistance - $176.3 million USDA Conservation Innovation Grants - $1.6 billion for EQIP State Revolving Loan Funds - $2.4 billion USDA Rural Business & Cooperative Grants - $57.5 million Delta Regional Authority - $12.319 million Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative Celebrating success for America's Great Waterway Helped establish the first bi-cameral Mississippi River Caucus in the U.S. House and Senate; Executed the first Memorandum of Common Purpose between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a coalition of mayors along the Mississippi River; Reestablished the historic link between conservation compliance and crop insurance premium subsidies; Secured directive language in the Farm Bill Managers Report requiring that local governments be an integral part of national drought policy construction; Secured stakeholder commitment to pursue container shipping on the Mississippi; Preserved the Pre -Disaster Mitigation Grant Program N STATES, TI-IIRTY-ONL CONGRESSIONAL DIS I RiCTS, i NE K INDRED TWEI CITIES, I RIVE House Senate Tim Walz Ron Kind Rick Crawford Stephen Fincher Dave Loebsack Cheri Bustos William Enyart Sam Graves dward Whitfield arsha Blackburn Steve Cohen Tim Griffin Bill Cassidy om Harkin oy Blunt y Klobuchar f Franken ck Grassley £: ard Durbin ark Kirk e McCaskil Boozman ark Pryor fad Cochran ±tiger Wicker Landrieu Mississippi River Caucus Members N STATES, TE-CIR FY -ONE CONGRESSIONAL DIST CTS, C)NE I-ILINDRED TWENTY-FOUR CITIES, 1 RIVE MISSISSIPPI RIVER CITIES & TOWNS INITIATIVE Resolution 002-2013 Aligning Investment to Support Local Prosperity Whereas, the Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative (MRCTI) is an effort dedicated to making the Mississippi River ecology and economy more sustainable through a coalescence of local government influence within individual cities and at a regional level; Whereas, MRCTI co -hosted with the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) a Mississippi River Economy Summit in Memphis, TN October 16 and 17, 2013 to explore agreements and alignments of investment along the waterway that can support sustainable development; Whereas, the entire Mississippi River generates over $200 billion in revenue annually; Whereas, the lower River was responsible for generating $164 billion in revenue in 2011 and supported nearly 585,000 jobs in 2011; Whereas, manufacturing is responsible for a bulk of the revenue ($115 billion) followed by tourism ($16 billion) and then agriculture/aquaculture ($9 billion) for the southern stem; Whereas, the entire Mississippi River directly supports over one million jobs; Whereas, the Mississippi River supports over $400 billion in gross municipal product annually; Whereas, a significant portion of a city's gross municipal investment is driven by local inputs; Whereas, said local inputs are ultimately supported, in part, by the at -large community of near - water economies; Whereas, these near -water economies are most organically represented by the community foundations that reside within them; Whereas, seventeen community foundations that reside near the Mississippi River have formed a River Partnership housed and managed within the Funder's Network for Smart Growth and Sustainable Communities; Whereas, larger regional economies adjacent to the Mississippi River are represented, in part, by World Trade Centers; Whereas, the World Trade Centers next to the Mississippi River have foamed the World Trade Center Mississippi River Alliance; Whereas, the Alliance is currently Chaired by the World Trade Center of New Orleans whose CEO presented at the MRCTI Economy Summit October 17, 2013 in Memphis, TN; Whereas, MRCTI is pursuing agreements that bring stakeholders of the Mississippi River together in such a way that more investment at the local level can be structured to aid the ecological and economic sustainability of the waterway; Therefore,be it resolved, that the signatories to this resolution do hereby commit to foniiing a collaboration that creates an alignment of investment between the Alliance, River Partnership, and MRCTI member cities; Be it further resolved, that World Trade Center Alliance members agree to adopt a community foundation(s) as a client for the purpose of offering investment opportunities and/or technical assistance toward the completion of a sustainable waterfront development project agreed to by the participating community foundation(s) and sponsoring World Trade Center Alliance Member(s); Be it further resolved, that the participating community foundation(s) agrees to be a client of a World Trade Center Alliance member of mutual choice for the purposes of receiving investment opportunities and/or technical assistance toward the completion of a waterfront development project(s) of the Foundation's choosing agreed upon by the sponsoring World Trade Center Alliance member; Be it further resolved, the sustainable waterfront projects involved in pursuance of this resolution be within the city limits of a MRCTI member city; Be it finally resolved, that MRCTI will work with the Alliance, the Partnership, and participating cities as a coordinating entity providing validation, credibility, and promotion of the commitments enacted through this resolution. SIGNATORIES AC Wharton, Co -Chair Roy Buol, Co -Chair Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative Dominik Knoll, Chair Don Hickman, Chair World Trade Center Mississippi River Alliance River Partnership Speaker Bios MRCTI Annual Meeting Sept. 16-18, New Orleans, LA David Muth Director Mississippi River Delta Restoration Program National Wildlife Federation David Muth is a New Orleans native who has spent a lifetime in the Mississippi River Delta and on the Louisiana coast, studying its geology, ecology, plants, wildlife, history and culture. He took his degree in history at University of New Orleans and became professionally interested in the connection between culture and environment in the context of the delta. He worked for 30 years with the National Park Service at Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve in south Louisiana, eventually managing its natural and cultural resources programs. At the beginning of 2011, he joined the National Wildlife Federation and is the Director of the Mississippi River Delta Restoration Program. The program is part of a joint effort among the federation, Environmental Defense Fund and the National Audubon Society, along with local partners like the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, the Louisiana Wildlife Federation, and the Nature Conservancy of Louisiana, to bring about comprehensive, systemic restoration of the Mississippi River Delta. They are working to find and seek consensus and national support for an ecologically sound and sustainable program to restore the flow of the Mississippi River to its dying delta, and to do so in a way that preserves the communities and culture of coastal Louisiana to the maximum extent possible. Henry G. Cisneros Chairman of CityView Capitol Former U.S. Secretary of HUD Henry Cisneros is the founder and Chairman of CityView Capitol. Prior to founding CityView, Mr. Cisneros became the first Hispanic -American mayor of a major U.S. city, San Antonio, Texas in 1981. He was subsequently elected to four terms, In 1992, President Clinton appointed Mr. Cisneros to be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development ("HUD"). After leaving HUD in 1997, Mr. Cisneros became President and COO of Univision Communications, the Spanish-language broadcaster which has become the fifth -most -watched television network in the nation. Mr. Cisneros currently serves on Univision's Board of Directors. He has served as President of the National League of Cities and as Deputy Chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. He is currently a member of the Advisory Boards of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Broad Foundation and was honored by the National Housing Conference as the "Housing Person of the Year." Mr. Cisneros sits on each of CityView's Investment Committees. Mr. Cisneros graduated from Texas A&M with a B.A. and a masters of urban and regional planning. He earned an M.P.A. in Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard and a Doctorate in public administration from the George Washington University. Mr. Cisneros has received numerous awards and honors. In 1982, he was selected as one of the "Ten Outstanding Young Men of America" by the U.S. Jaycees. Four years later, City and State Magazine named him Outstanding Mayor, and in 1991, VISTA Magazine awarded him with its Hispanic Man of the Year honor. Born on June 11, 1947 in San Antonio, Mr. Cisneros married Mary Alice Perez in 1969. They have two daughters, Teresa and Mercedes, and a son John Paul. Mary L. Landrieu U.S. Senator for Louisiana 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 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security and a member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and Small Business and Entrepreneurship committees. 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 more than $120 billion in recovery dollars and has worked extensively to jumpstart recovery projects. She 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 the former chair of the Small Business Committee, Senator Landrieu led the effort 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 one of the chairs on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Landrieu is a strong and effective voice for Louisiana. In 2012, the Senate appointed Senator Landrieu chair of the Appropriations Committee's important Subcommittee on Homeland Security. This subcommittee is responsible for drafting legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security's 20 offices and seven sub -agencies. The Appropriations Committee 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 is married to Frank Snellings of Monroe, La, and has two children and one grandson. Virginia Burkett, PhD. Chief Scientist for Climate and Land Use Change U.S. Geological Survey Virginia Burkett is the Chief Scientist for Climate and Land Use Change at the U.S. Geological Survey. She was formerly Chief of the Forest Ecology Branch at the USGS National Wetlands Research Center in Lafayette, Louisiana. Burkett has also served as Secretary/Director of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Acting Director of the Louisiana Coastal Zone Management Program, and Assistant Director of the Louisiana Geological Survey. She has published extensively on the topics of global change and low-lying coastal zones. She has served as a Lead Author of the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Third, Fourth and Fifth Assessment Reports (2001, 2007, 2014) and the IPCC Technical Paper on Water (2008). She was a lead author of the First, Second, and Third National Climate Assessments (2001, 2009, 2014) produced by the United States Global Change Research Program. She has co-authored reports for The Wildlife Society (2004), the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity (2005), the Everglades Task Force (2007), the U.S. Department of Transportation (2008) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2012) that address climate change impacts and potential adaptation strategies. Burkett has been appointed to over 60 Commissions, Committees, Science Panels and Boards during her career. She serves on the Editorial Board of the journal Ethics in Science and Environmental Policy and is a Senior Editor of the journal Regional Environmental Change. Burkett received her doctoral degree in forestry from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas in 1996. Tim Osborn NOAA Central Gulf Coast Regional Manager Tim Osborn is a native of Tampa, Florida and presently resides and works in Lafayette, Louisiana. He received a B.S. in Marine Biology from Florida State University, an M.S. in Marine Sciences from Louisiana State University, and a Masters of Public Administration from Louisiana State University. He was a NOAA Sea Grant Fellow in Washington, D.C., a Staffer with the U.S. Senate, and did staff work on Senate Natural Resources, Appropriations, and Small Business Committees. He was a Manager for Government Affairs, Asea Brown Boveri, Inc., in Washington, D.C., and with NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service (Research Fisheries Biologist) and Office of Coast Survey. Tim has worked extensively in Silver Spring, Maryland and Lafayette, Louisiana as well as working for NOAA on a number of initiatives across the nation and internationally. He has been involved in many restoration projects, including the first Targe scale underwater coral reef restoration project implemented by NOAA in the Florida Keys. He has been engaged in coastal restoration projects, coastal navigation and port and waterways and coastal hurricane response for over 26 years. Mr. Osborn is currently the Regional Manager for NOAA's Office of Coast Survey, Eastern Gulf, in Lafayette, Louisiana. He is responsible for the implementation of surveying and mapping of the Gulf Coast, charting and navigation programs and projects, and responding to hurricanes and coastal incidents. He has been involved in Gulf Coast Height Modernization Initiatives for many years and has participated in the planning and implementation of new programs such as densification of NOAA's tides and water level programs and installations (including PORTS, and 1OOS related activities) and the installation and support of GPS based reference CORS stations in response to the need for enhanced positioning reference systems for the northern Gulf Coast. A big focus of his work today is the projection of Sea Level Rise and Subsidence of the coastal Gulf Coast and the impacts that will be seen in the near to mid to long term. Addressing the possible impacts on the Mississippi River and its ports, navigation and future is a critical concern to Louisiana and the region but also the country. Michael Marshall Alternate Federal Co -Chair Delta Regional Authority In April 2010, Michael G. Marshall was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as Alternate Federal Co -Chairman of the Delta Regional Authority. Prior to joining the Obama Administration, he served as Mayor of Sikeston, MO, from 2003 to 2009. Mr. Marshall is the former President of First State Bank & Trust, Inc. and served on the Board of Commissioners of the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority for thirteen years. While serving as the Mayor of Sikeston, he established the Sikeston Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority for both commercial and residential property, along with initiating the revitalization efforts for downtown Sikeston. He also served as the director of the Joint Transportation Commission of Sikeston's 1-55 Northern Interchange Project. Mr. Marshall has extensive background in farm management, and was a past president of the Sikeston Jaycees and Sikeston Area Chamber of Commerce. In 2009, Marshall was recognized as Citizen of the Year by the Sikeston Area Chamber of Commerce. Mike Marshall, a lifetime resident of Sikeston, Missouri, graduated from Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, with a Bachelor of Art in Economic and Business Administration and Psychology. He is also a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University. Mr. Marshall and his wife, Beth, have two adult children and attend St. Francis Xavier Church. Kenneth "Scott" Davies Program Manager Office of Marine Highways & Passenger Vessel Services U.S. Department of Transportation/Maritime Administration Scott Davies currently leads the operations development team in the Office of Marine Highways and Passenger Services at the Maritime Administration (MARAD) having recently transitioned from the Office of Infrastructure Development and Congestion Mitigation. Since joining MARAD in 2003, he has supported the agency's efforts in expanding its leadership role in seaport development, modernization, and expansion efforts. Prior to joining MARAD, Mr. Davies was with INNOLOG, Inc. where he was responsible for developing the logistics supply chain necessary to track and report on the training, issue, and deployment of TSA airport security screeners during the federalization of airport security. Prior to INNOLOG, Mr. Davies served as a logistics manager for Mark VII Transportation, Inc, of Memphis, TN managing all inbound and outbound freight as well as warehousing operations. Early in his career, he served as a Mate aboard oil rig supply vessels for Ensco Marine, Inc. based in Lafayette, LA. Mr. Davies is a graduate of the U. S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Transportation. He is also a licensed U.S. Merchant Marine officer with an unlimited tonnage Third Mate's license and is a Commander in the U.S. Navy. Mr. Davies is a native of Melbourne, FL and currently resides in Washington, DC. Gary LaGrange Chief Executive Officer Port of New Orleans Gary LaGrange has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Port of New Orleans since 2001. Under Mr. LaGrange's direction the Port made great expansions in spite of great adversity. During his tenure, the Port opened new, state -of -the art container, cruise and refrigerated terminals. LaGrange's leadership brought the Port of New Orleans back into operation two weeks after Hurricane Katrina, the most extensive natural disaster in U.S. history. With over a decade of investment and expansion, the Port of New Orleans is now recognized as the #1 Port for logistics in America. LaGrange serves on the Boards and Executive Committees of the Waterways Council, Inc., and National Waterways Conference where he is a past President. He also serves on the Board of the Gulf Ports Association of the Americas. He serves on the Executive Committee of the Transportation Research Board. A past Chairman, Mr. LaGrange still serves as a member of the American Association of Port Authorities Board of Directors. He is also past Chairman and past President of the Gulf Intracoastal Canal Association. In 2012, he was the recipient of the Transportation & Infrastructure Summit Excellence in Maritime Transportation Award and the C. Alvin Bertel Award in recognition for outstanding contributions to the advancement of the Greater New Orleans port area. Mr. LaGrange also received the 2012 International Achievement Award. LaGrange attended Louisiana State University. He received his B.A. in Geography/Economics from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He also completed a Master of Arts in Urban Planning, with honors from ULL, in addition to having earned the Professional Port Manager Certification (PPM) from the American Association of Port Authorities. Before taking leadership at the Port of New Orleans, LaGrange served as the Executive Director of the Mississippi State Port Authority in Gulfport, Ms., the Port of South Louisiana and the Port of West St. Mary. James Amdal Senior Research Associate University of New Orleans Transportation Institute Mr. Amdal has extensive experience and expertise in transportation infrastructure development, urban planning, historic preservation and community design. He served as Associate Project Manager and private -sector NGO President for the planning, design, construction and operation of Phase 1 and 2 of the New Orleans Riverfront Streetcar...; He also authored the Strategic Policy Plan for the New Orleans Riverfront, a project sponsored by the New Orleans City Planning Commission that encompassed the entire 26 mile riverfront corridor within Orleans Parish on both the East and West Banks. Immediately after Hurricane Katrina, Mr. Amdal staffed the District 5 Recovery Steering Committee and served on the District 1 Recovery Steering Committee during the Unified New Orleans Plan. In both capacities, he advised on strategic decisions that emphasized sustainability. In District 5, this area represented 7 distinct neighborhoods. In District 1, the emphasis was on the economic sustainability / viability for both the CBD (Central Business District) and the French Quarter. Mr. Amdal served as a consultant on the development and implementation of the Statewide Intermodal Transportation Plan and the Louisiana Statewide Transportation Plan in their evolution from 1993 thru 2006. He recently served on the UNO project team for various strategic plans and / or market assessments for Louisiana ports. Mr. Amdal currently serves as Chairman of the New Orleans Central Business District Historic District Landmarks Commission. Mr. Amdal also serves on the Board of Directors of the 2 local NFPs: Louisiana Steam Train Association (LASTA) and Bring Our Streetcars Home (BOSH). Nick Rowe Senior Vice President American Water, Central Division Nick O. Rowe is the senior vice president of American Water's Central Division, which includes the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri and Tennessee. Mr. Rowe is responsible for driving performance within the division, establishing consistent best practices and enhancing American Water's efforts to maintain and build external relationships. He previously held a similar role as senior vice president of American Water's Eastern Division, which included the states of Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Prior to that, Mr. Rowe served as president of Kentucky American, the largest investor- owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately half a million people. In this role, he reinforced and strengthened customer, regulatory and local government relationships, drove operational and financial results and was the principal external contact for American Water in Kentucky. Mr. Rowe serves on the board of St. Louis Regional Chamber of Commerce. He is involved with various regulatory agencies, civic organizations and professional associations and has held board positions with the Lexington Industrial Foundation, Commerce Lexington (past Chairman), the Central Bank Advisory Board and the United Way of the Bluegrass, all based in Lexington, KY. He also served on the Executive Board of the Kentucky State Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Rowe is a member of the American Water Works Association and the National Association of Water Companies. Mr. Rowe holds a bachelor's degree in engineering from Western Kentucky University and a master's in business administration from Lebanon Valley College. Dominik Knoll, Chair World Trade Center Mississippi River Alliance Dominik Knoll is the CEO of the World Trade Center New Orleans and is an active real estate investor. Knoll received his MBA from the Freeman School of Business and also studied at the Warwick Business School, as well as Purdue University. In addition, he holds a Master of Science degree in Management from the Business School at the University of Innsbruck, Austria. He has been a guest at conferences such as the Clinton Global Initiative and the World Economic Forum. Knoll is a regular contributor to the Huffington Post and has been featured in several national and international publications including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes Magazine, China Daily, and others. Knoll currently serves on the boards of Congressman Steve Scalise's Energy Advisory Group, French American Chamber of Commerce, Italy -America Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana, Loyola University International Business Council, and was recently appointed by Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal to the Louisiana Board of International Commerce. He also serves as an executive advisor on the Council on Competitiveness U.S. Manufacturing Competitiveness Initiative and a steering committee member for the Campaign to Fix the Debt. In 2013, Knoll was recognized as one of the 10 most distinguished Italians living and working in the U.S. by the Italy America Chamber of Commerce Knoll was also featured in New Orleans Magazine's 2010 "People to Watch" article. Don Hickman VP of Community & Economic Development Initiative Foundation Don Hickman is the Vice President for Community and Economic Development for the Initiative Foundation in Little Falls. In this capacity he administers approximately $1 M in grants annually, and supervises community leadership, workforce development, early childhood education and literacy, and environmental preservation programs. Since 1999 he has administered the Healthy Lakes and Rivers Partnership (HLRP) program to help Lake Associations develop and implement science -based, citizen -lead surface water management plans. Hickman is the chair of the River Partnership of Community Foundations, a consortium of 18 philanthropic organizations from the headwaters of the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico which seeks to bolster the capacity and impact of community foundations to improve the environmental, economic, and cultural vitality of communities along the Mississippi River and its tributaries. Prior to joining the Initiative Foundation, Hickman spent ten years as an environmental consultant in Minnesota and Utah. Hickman has served as a scientist and lobbyist with the Massachusetts Audubon Society, as a community organizer with the New England Rural Community Assistance Program, as a biologist with the National Park Service in Colorado, and as the water quality laboratory director for Gunnison County (Colorado). He received his undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Minnesota in 1982, and his master's degree in Water Chemistry from Western Colorado State in 1986. He was working on a Ph.D. in aquatic ecology at Utah State University until he met his wife, who made him a better offer. Christopher Masingill Federal Co -Chair Delta Regional Authority Christopher A. Masingill was appointed by President Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2010, and serves as the Federal Co -Chairman of the Delta Regional Authority, a federal -state partnership whose mission is to help create jobs, build communities, and improve lives in the 252 counties and parishes in the eight states of the Delta region. Chairman Masingill has extensive experience in community and economic development and developing strategic connections between the public and private sectors. Prior to leading the Delta Regional Authority, Masingill served the state of Arkansas as Governor Mike Beebe's Director of Intergovernmental Affairs and during that time as the Arkansas Recovery Implementation Director for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which totaled over $2 Billion in Arkansas. While in Governor Beebe's office, Chairman Masingill also served as the principal staff between the Governor's Office and the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, the National Governors Association, the Southern Governors' Association, the Delta Regional Authority, and the State Coordinators for Economic Recovery. In his three years with the Delta Regional Authority, Masingill has worked with the Governors of the Delta states to leverage $66.3 million into more than $1.1 billion in private and other public sector investment; helping to create and retain 17,000 jobs within the region. During a time of economic duress in our nation, Chairman Masingill has placed a greater emphasis on supporting small business and entrepreneurship ventures as well as investing in workforce training and education efforts. His priority to increase economic development in the business sector with a focus on entrepreneurship has tripled prior DRA investment from $2.1 million to more than $7 million in three cycles. Additionally, the DRA has invested nearly $12 million in workforce development, more than doubling similar investments in the previous eight cycles. Chris and his wife, Melissa, have two daughters, Mia and Ava, and reside in Little Rock. Alison Dorsey Volunteer Marketplace Linkedln Alison Dorsey is the Social Impact Manager at Linkedln, focused on connecting Linkedln members with nonprofit and government service opportunities as skilled volunteers and board members. She also leads Linkedln's Veterans Initiative, supporting Veteran job seekers. Previously, Alison worked in early stage social venture support in North Carolina, where she founded an incubator and a student recruiting platform. Since working with the city government in Durham to support social entrepreneurs there, Alison has been very passionate about connecting more professionals with opportunities to serve their cities; Paul N. Jaenichen, Sr. Administrator Maritime Administration, U.S. DOT Paul "Chip" Jaenichen was appointed by President Obama and sworn in as Maritime Administrator on July 25, 2014. Before his appointment, Administrator Jaenichen served as Acting Administrator beginning in June 2013. He joined the U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration in July 2012 when he was appointed Deputy Maritime Administrator. Captain Jaenichen was a career naval officer, retiring in 2012 after serving 30 years as nuclear trained Submarine Officer in the U.S. Navy. His final assignment was as Deputy Chief of Legislative Affairs for the Department of the Navy from October 2010 to April 2012. He served as Commanding Officer of USS ALBANY (SSN 753), a Los Angeles Class Fast Attack Submarine, from September 1999 to June 2002 and as Commander, Submarine Squadron ELEVEN in San Diego, California from April 2007 to September 2008. His shore tours included assignments as Director, Submarine/Nuclear Officer Distribution; and as Chief, European and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Policy Division on the Joint Staff where he was responsible for military -to -military engagement on security cooperation and involvement in coalition operations with all 26 NATO member nations. Captain Jaenichen's hometown is Brandenburg, Kentucky. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Ocean Engineering from the United States Naval Academy and a Masters in Engineering Management from Old Dominion University. His personal military awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (four awards), Meritorious Service Medal (three awards), Navy -Marine Corps Commendation Medal (five awards) and the Navy -Marine Corps Achievement Medal (two awards). His wife, Paula Auclair Jaenichen, is a retired National Board Certified teacher and is currently a small business owner in Vine Grove, KY. Cedric S. Grant Executive Director Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans Cedric S. Grant is the new Executive Director of the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans. In this role, he oversees the $3.3 billion capital improvement program comprised of over 600 projects that will create 20,000 construction jobs. He is also the immediate past Deputy Mayor of Facilities, Infrastructure and Community Development for the City of New Orleans. In that role he oversaw capital development related to the New Orleans recovery valued at over $1 Billion. Previously, Mr. Grant served as Chief Administrative Officer of Ascension Parish, Louisiana where he was responsible for management and oversight of all governmental operations for this Parish. Mr. Grant also served as Deputy Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. As Deputy Secretary, he was responsible for the daily operations of the department, public-private partnerships and major economic development capital projects and he managed a workforce of 5,000 people and a $1.4 billion budget. Mr. Grant has worked in several other distinct appointments in local government and public agencies. He has served as Chief Administrative Officer, for the City of New Orleans; Director of Capital Projects, for the New Orleans Downtown Development District; and Planning Manager, for the Port of New Orleans. A New Orleans native, Mr. Grant is a certified City Manager and holds a Master's Degree in Public Administration from the University of New Orleans and a Bachelor's of Arts Degree in Political Science from Xavier University of Louisiana. Michael Hecht President & CEO Greater New Orleans, Inc. Michael Hecht is President & CEO of Greater New Orleans, Inc., the economic development organization for southeast Louisiana. GNO, Inc.'s mission falls broadly into two categories: business development — attracting and growing businesses — and product development — creating better business conditions. Under Michael's leadership, GNO, Inc. was recently named the #2 economic development organization in the United States by Business Facilities magazine. Before coming to GNO, Inc. Michael led the quarter -billion dollar Katrina Small Business Recovery Program for the State of Louisiana. While with the State, Michael also established the $90 million Louisiana Revolving Loan Fund, the first of its kind in the nation. In the years following 9/11, Michael worked for Mayor Michael Bloomberg in New York City as an Assistant Commissioner. Michael also served as inaugural Director of Business Development for the Food Bank for New York City, the largest in the country. Michael's entrepreneurial experience includes co-founding a conglomerate of restaurant ventures, including "Foreign Cinema," named Restaurant of the Year 2000 in San Francisco. He began his career as a strategic management consultant. Michael holds an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he was a member of the Public Management Program, and an undergraduate degree from Yale University, magna cum laude. Recently Michael was recognized as "One of the 25 Most Powerful People in the 10/12 Corridor," a New Orleans "Innovator of the Year," and one of "Ten People Who Made a Difference" in the South. With family roots in Louisiana back to the 1830s, Michael now lives in New Orleans with his wife, Marlene, an ESL professor at Delgado, and his two sons, Dexter and Kaj ("K "). Steve Cochran Director Mississippi River Delta Restoration Project Environmental Defense Fund As Director of EDF's Mississippi River Delta Restoration Project, Steve has the overall responsibility for EDF's restoration efforts in therMississippi Delta. Since joining EDF in 1997, he has served in a number of roles there, including: Legislative Director, Director of Strategic Communications, Executive Vice President and Political Director of EDF's 501 c(4) organization, the Environmental Defense Action Fund (EDAF); Director of the National Climate Campaign, and Vice President, Climate and Air. Before joining EDF, Steve served in government and NGO roles at the state and federal levels, including: Senior Policy Analyst for the Office of Air and Radiation at the U.S. EPA (1992-1997), Executive Director at the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation (1990-1992), Chief of Staff for Governor Buddy Roemer of Louisiana (1988-1990),Field Director for the Roemer for Governor Campaign (1987-1988), and Legislative Director for Congressman Roemer (1984-1987). A Louisiana native, Steve received his B.S. from Louisiana State University in 1976. He began his career in the private sector in Louisiana, spending five years negotiating oil and gas leases for an independent energy exploration firm. He also serves on the Campaign and Elections Committee of the League of Conservation Voters. Charles D. McVean Chairman and CEO McVean Trading & Investments, LLC Memphis, TN McVean graduated with honors from Vanderbilt University in 1965. He began his trading career in the grain industry, first with Cook Industries of Memphis, TN, and then with the Louis Dreyfus Corporation of New York City, both major international trading firms. Subsequently, McVean spent a number of years with Refco Inc., a large Chicago based futures trading organization. He was one of three principals of the firm. McVean founded McVean Trading and Investments, LLC in 1986. The company conducts extensive research in three broad and interrelated areas: 1) livestock and meats, 2) grains and oilseeds, and 3) global macroeconomics. McVean is a global organization with foreign operations centering in Beijing, Osaka, and Geneva. In the U.S., McVean Trading is nationally recognized as a leading authority on the beef cattle industry. The company manages investments for over 5,000 clients. Based on breakthroughs in lithium battery technology, a new McVean company is now introducing its Aerobic Cruiser Hybrid Cycle. The patented Cruiser is billed as "The World's Most Sophisticated Electric Bicycle," and "The First Truly Capable Human/Electric Hybrid Vehicle." McVean founded what is now The Peer Power Foundation in 2004. The organization's mission is to prepare socioeconomically challenged youth to be professional, productive, and competitive contributors to our society. The concept is to create and implement new processes based on personal accountability, discipline, competition, and incentives, very much like that of the American Free Enterprise System. Peer Power now operates in eleven schools, employing, for pay, over 150 college and high school honor students to tutor and mentor over 1,000 students a day. The improvement shown by foundation "Scholars" is truly exciting. McVean was also instrumental in the founding of The McVean Learning Center at Christ Methodist Day School. McVean is particularly proud of two recent developments. The Memphis City Council recognized him with its Humanitarian of the Year award in 2007 for his successful efforts to improve public education. Very recently, in September 2009, the Peer Power program in Shelby, Mississippi was awarded a $600,000 competitive grant from the 21st Century Foundation. Dr. Michael Strain Commissioner LA Department of Agriculture & Forestry Dr. Michael Strain graduated with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Louisiana State University in 1983, and has been co-owner and operator of Claiborne Hill Veterinary Hospital along with his wife for nearly a quarter century. On top of his veterinary and commissioner duties, Dr. Strain continues to work in family cattle ranching business. Prior to becoming Commissioner, Dr. Strain served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 2000-2008, and was elected Chairman of the Rural Caucus for two consecutive terms. As Louisiana's Commissioner of Forestry and Agriculture, Dr. Strain has ended the department's long-term construction programs, which involved the substantial use of LDAF employee manpower and financial resources; reduced the department budget by 20% from $106 million to $85 million; and reduced the debt load of the department and the Louisiana Agriculture Finance Authority by almost 36% from $97/ million to $62.8 million Dr. Strain also streamlined the overall workforce by eliminating over 300 positions (35%), with additional duties absorbed by current personnel. During his time as Commissioner, Dr. Strain has reduced fuel consumption by 42% while maintaining services, and reduced the aviation fleet by 30%. He has consolidated departments which cut program areas and cabinet level positions, while simultaneously creating jobs in rural Louisiana. In addition to his work as Louisiana' s Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry, Dr. Strain is a member of the Rural Legislative Task Force, a Parish Officer for Louisiana Cattlemen's Association, and currently serves as President of the Southern United Trade Association. William H. McAnally Sr. Hydraulic and Sedimentation Engineer Dynamic Solutions, LLC Knoxville, TN Dr. McAnally is also Research Professor Emeritus at Mississippi State University. He specializes in sedimentation issues of inland and coastal waterways, teaching and advising on methods to reduce maintenance dredging costs for ports and channels. He previously served as Technical Director, Navigation, at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center in Vicksburg, MS. At MSU he taught Civil and Environmental Engineering and served as Co -Director of the 5 -university Northern Gulf Institute. Dr. McAnally is chair of the Navigation Engineering Task Committee in the Coasts, Oceans, Ports, and Rivers Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers and President of the Mississippi Water Resources Association. He is a Registered Professional Engineer and a board-certified Diplomate in Navigation Engineering. He edited and coauthored ASCE Manual 116, Navigation Engineering Practice and Ethical Standards. BiII and his wife Carol have four children and seven grandchildren and live in Columbus, MS. Edward E. Belk, Jr. Director of Programs U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley Division Mississippi River Commission Vicksburg, Mississippi Mr. Edward E. Belk, Jr., is the Director of Programs for the Mississippi Valley Division (MVD) and Mississippi River Commission (MRC), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He was selected to the Senior Executive Service in May 2012. In this position, Mr. Belk serves as principal advisor to the Commander, MVD, and President, MRC, for the development, defense, and execution of the Civil Works Program across the twelve states served by the Mississippi Valley Division. He provides leadership and supervision for the Programs Directorate and has regional staff oversight for programs, planning, operations, real estate, and project management activities in the Division's six district offices located in St. Paul, Rock Island, St. Louis, Memphis, Vicksburg, and New Orleans. Mr. Belk also completed two tours in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom where he served as the senior U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civilian in the seven Provinces of northern Iraq and senior advisor to the Commander, Gulf Region North District. His awards and honors include: LTG J.W. Morris Civilian of the Year, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (2012); Bronze Order of the deFleury, Army Engineer Association (2009); Meritorious Civilian Service Award, Department of the Army (2005, 2009); Global War on Terrorism Service Medal (2009); Outstanding Executive of the Year, Federal Executive Association (2006); and Commander's Award for Civilian Service, Department of the Army. Norma Jean Mattei, PhD, PE Member Mississippi River Commission Norma Jean Mattei, PhD, PE, currently is Professor at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of New Orleans (UNO). In recent years she has been Chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and has acted as interim Dean of Engineering at UNO for two years. She now serves as one of two civilian civil engineer Commissioners on the Mississippi River Commission, nominated by President Obama. She recently completed a three year term as a Region 5 Director on the society Board of Direction for the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and is on the Executive Committee of the ASCE New Orleans' Branch Structural Engineering Institute. Her current national ASCE committee assignments are the Leadership Training Committee, the Program and Finance Committee, the Committee on Licensure and the Committee on Sustainability's Subcommittee on Formal Engineering Education. A member of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) in 2006, the Norma Jean has served on several NCEES committees and task forces and just completed her term as chair of the NCEES Education Committee. Dr Mattel is now an Emeritus Member of NCEES. She was named by the Governor of Louisiana to Louisiana's licensing board for professional engineers, LAPELS, and completed her service on that board, also recently. She served as Chairman of the LAPELS Board in 2011-12. Her research areas of interest include management of large watersheds, public policy, mitigation of repetitively flooded structures, engineering ethics, diversity in engineering and engineering education, experimental testing of large parts, residual stress measurement using laser interferometry, and materials testing. She is a lifelong resident of New Orleans where she lives behind the Mississippi River levee with her husband, Richard, and two daughters. James L. Cummins, Jr. President Mississippi River Trust James L. Cummins, a certified fisheries and wildlife biologist by training, is president of the Mississippi River Trust. His professional interests include developing and maintaining private, voluntary, incentive, tax and market-based solutions to environmental problems, especially those involving the Lower Mississippi River Valley and the Gulf of Mexico. He conceptualized legislation for the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, the Healthy Forests Reserve Program, the Emergency Forest Restoration Program and the Endangered Species Recovery Program. He has been a strong supporter of the Wetlands Reserve Program since 1991. He worked with Congress to authorize and fund the Theodore Roosevelt National Wildlife Refuge and the Holt Collier National Refuge. Jerome "Zee" Zeringue Executive Assistant to the Governor for Coastal Activities Chair, Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Jerome Zeringue has extensive experience advocating for coastal protection and restoration matters on a federal, state and local level. Before his appointment as the governor's executive assistant for coastal activities, he served as executive director of the CPRA, having already served that agency as deputy executive director and as a coastal activities advisor in the governor's office. A native of Thibodaux, he previously served as director of the Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District. He holds a bachelor's degree in zoology and a master's degree in fisheries biology, both from Louisiana State University. Mr. Zeringue—or Zee, as his friends call him—worked as a fisheries biologist at LSU Sea Grant and assisted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on seafood regulations. He then became the coastal resources director for the Nature Conservancy of Louisiana, and also helped to establish the Mandalay National Wildlife Refuge. Despite his heavy workload in Baton Rouge, his primary residence is, and will remain, the city of Houma in Terrebonne Parish. Martin Hettel Chairman Inland Waterway Users Board Martin Hettell started in the Inland Waterways Industry as a deckhand in 1980. He has held positions in Logistics, Purchasing, Operations, Insurance/Claims, Personnel, Shipping & Receiving, Freight Sales, and Regulatory. The last 18 years of his career have been with AEP River Operations in the Capacity of Logistics, Sales, and most recently Regulatory. He has held and continues to hold several positions with advocacy groups within the Inland Waterways Industry, including the Illinois River Carriers Association (Secretary: 2004-2007; President: 2008 — 2010), the Ohio River Basin Alliance (Steering Committee 2010-2014), the Waterways Council, Inc. (Board Member 2011-2014; Executive Committee Member 2012-2014), the Inland Waterways User Board (Board Member Since 2012; Elected Chairman for 2013-2015), and the River Industry Executive Task Force (Board Member 2014). Sean Duffy, Sr. Executive Director Big River Coalition Sean M. Duffy, Sr. assumed the duties of Executive Vice President - Maritime Advocate with the Louisiana Maritime Association in 2011 and was hired to promote improvements beneficial to maritime stakeholders along the Lower Mississippi River. He was also chosen to lead the Big River Coalition and accepted the role of Executive Director. Mr. Duffy served as the President and Chief Executive Office for the Gulf States Maritime Association from 2005 to 2011. During his previous tenure, Sean became a proponent for local industry and specialized in lobbying Capitol Hill for supplemental funds for maintenance dredging and waterway maintenance and on efforts to fix the broken Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund mechanism. Or "Taxation Without Channelization." As the third generation of his family to work in the maritime industry, Sean began working on the docks in the Port of New Orleans in his early teen years during breaks from school. Previous employment experiences include various management duties, Boarding Agent, Deckhand, Stevedore General Superintendent and Marine Surveyor. Mr. Duffy is intimately familiar with obstacles faced by the maritime industry, both nationally and those specific to Louisiana, and he has become an expert on coastal restoration and maintenance dredging. The Big River Coalition under his tutelage has grown and now represents navigation interests across the entire Mississippi River Basin. He continues in this role to passionately represent the economic engine of navigation on the largest and most dynamic river system in the world. The term he prefers is the "world's economic superhighway." Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative Participating Cities Celebrating the River 2014 These cities have joined the MRCTI. All ten Mississippi River states are represented. Bemidji, ION Brainerd, MN Baxter, MN Sartell, MN Sauk Rapids, MINT St. Cloud, MN Clearwater, MN Monticello, MN Dayton, MN Ramsey, MN Minneapolis, MN St. Paul, MN Hastings, MN Prescott, WI Red Wing, MN Winona, MN Onalaska, WI La Crosse, WI Lansing, IA Prairie du Chien, WI Guttenberg, IA Dubuque, IA Clinton, IA Savanna, IL Bettendorf, IA East Moline, TT , Moline, IL Rock Island, IL Davenport, IA Muscatine, IA Burlington, IA Fort Madison, IA Canton, MO LaGrange, MO Quincy, IL Clarksville, MO Grafton, IL Alton, IL Hartford, IT East St. Louis, IL St, Louis, MO Sauget, IL Prairie du Rocher, IL Ste, Genevieve, MO Chester, IL Cape Girardeau, MO Cairo, IL Wickliffe, KY Columbus, KY Hickman, KY New Madrid, MO Tiptonville, TN Osceola, AR Memphis, TN Helena -West Helena, AR Clarksdale, MS Rosedale, MS Greenville, MS Vicksburg, MS St, Joseph, LA Natchez, MS Vidalia, LA Port Allen, LA Baton Rouge, LA New Orleans, LA MRCTI is a local government -driven effort of mayors along the main stem Mississippi River from the headwaters to the Gulf of Mexico. If you have any questions, or wish to learn more, please do not hesitate to reach us at the contact information listed below. Colin Wellenkamp, Director Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative 1520 Market Street, Suite 2000 St. Louis, MO (314) 657-3863