Meet local decision-makers who are making a positive impact on brown and green initiatives

Trey Hess,
Brownfields Program Coordinator for the Mississippi Dept. of Environmental Quality (MDEQ)
A 15-year veteran of MDEQ, Hess was instrumental in the development of the program's tiered approach to determining realistic, site-specific cleanup options. While working in the Uncontrolled Sites Section, he managed soil and groundwater cleanups at industrial and commercial facilities. His career started in the Groundwater Division where he provided oversight of the design and operation of solid waste management operations at industrial and commercial facilities. Holding a Bachelor's degree and an MBA from Mississippi State University along with a Master's degree from the University of Mississippi, Hess is a registered Professional Engineer and a Board Certified Environmental Engineer (BCEE). He said that "an ideal work environment would allow me to manage a small group of highly skilled individuals—engineers, geologists, attorneys, and developers—with the objective of developing and implementing plans for assisting communities, industries, special interest groups, and regulators in their efforts to meet their respective goal, which would include cleaner environment, better quality of life, and economic development."

David Miller,
Principal, Renaissance Property Group, LLC, a real estate development company specializing in tax-advantaged finance programs
Based in New Orleans and St. Louis, Miller became a developer in 2001 after practicing law for years in St. Louis. "When I was in law school, my primary area of interest was environmental law," he said. "I was drawn to the potential social good that it represented, as well as to the fact that the statutes were ripe for creative use, due to their relatively recent enactment." After an internship at the Environmental Crimes Task Force of the U.S. Attorney's Office in 1994, Miller figured his career path was set—"and then life intervened," he said. It wasn't until Hurricane Katrina struck his adopted hometown in 2005 that things came full circle. "The redevelopment of the old Falstaff Brewery in New Orleans (see Projects) was really something I had to do—it was a personal imperative," said Miller. "And because it was a brownfield site, there is a special satisfaction in seeing it reborn."

Ronnie Harris,
Mayor Gretna, La.
In 1985, Harris was elected mayor of the City of Gretna and is presently serving his sixth term in office. He has been a leader in the municipal affairs of the State of Louisiana through his service on the Executive Board of the Louisiana Municipal Association, serving as its President in 2003-2004. He was a charter member and co-founder of the Mid Size City Conference, a roundtable organization of Louisiana cities. Mayor Harris was appointed by Governor Kathleen Blanco to the Louisiana Board of Commerce and Industry and is the Chairman of the State of Louisiana Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations. On the local level, he is a member of the Executive Board of the Jefferson Council on Aging, serving the elderly population of Jefferson Parish. An early proponent of Brownfields redevelopment, Mayor Harris successfully sought funding for the City of Gretna with the EPA Brownfield Pilot and the Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund grant programs. With these funds, the City of Gretna continues to work on the remediation of the Malter property, a former janitorial chemical manufacturer, with the goal of returning this industrial site to commerce. Harris has been a featured speaker at Brownfields conferences focusing on the community impact of Brownfields redevelopment. A graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 1975, Harris went on to receive his Master's of Business Administration from Tulane University in 2003.

Roger W. Gingles,
Brownfields Coordinator for the Louisiana Dept. of Environmental Quality
Gingles oversees and coordinates the Louisiana Voluntary Remediation Program, Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund, and the Brownfields Investor Tax Credit Programs, as well as brownfields technical assistance and outreach and other state brownfields initiatives. Serving for 23 years with the Louisiana Dept. of Environmental Quality, Gingles has 27 years of service in the field of environmental protection and was formerly Assistant Administrator in the LDEQ Solid Waste, Water Quality Management, and Remediation Services Divisions. He is a former president of the Louisiana Environmental Health Association and earned a Master of Science in Public Health from Tulane University and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Louisiana State University in Shreveport. Gingles is married with two children and lives in Baton Rouge.

Duane Wilson,
Brownfields Project Manager/Staff Scientist, Environmental Technology Division
Wilson began his career with the Louisiana Dept. of Environmental Quality in 1989 in the remediation section. Most of his early sites were NPL sites such as Bayou Bonfouca, Southern Shipbuilding, Louisiana Army Ammunition Plant, and American Creosote Winnfield. Wilson started working on Brownfields in 2000 and helped develop the Voluntary Remediation Program regulations. He manages the Targeted Brownfields Assessment services contract for the department as well as assists his customers to redevelop properties by guiding them through the investigation and remediation processes.

Are there local decision-makers that you know who are making a positive impact on brown and green initiatives? Please forward your recommendations on these difference-makers so we can recognize them in future Regional Reports. Go to: www.brownfieldrenewal.com/editor