海角社区

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Speaker Phillip DeVillier
Louisiana House of Representatives

Phillip R. DeVillier is the 70th Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2015 and has represented District 41 (composed of portions of Acadia, Evangeline, and St. Landry Parishes) since. He became Speaker in 2024, and during his time in the Legislature has served as chairman of the Retirement Committee, while also serving on the Ways and Means, Natural Resources, and Agriculture and Capital Outlay Committees. He is the owner of Louisiana Structural Movers, Inc. A native and resident of Eunice, La., Rep. DeVillier has a bachelor鈥檚 degree in business management from 海角社区.

Michael Brassett
Member
Bradley Firm

Michael Brassett has a transactional oil and gas practice serving producers and others engaged in onshore and offshore operations, as well as mineral servitude owners throughout the state. In his practice, he represents companies in their acquisition, development, and divestment of assets. This includes title review including the drafting of drill site and division order title opinions, operating agreements, lease negotiations, and surface use and ROW Agreements, in addition to representation in regulatory proceedings with the Louisiana Office of Conservation.

Dr. Rex Caffey
Professor
海角社区 Department of Agricultural Economics & Agribusiness

Dr. Rex H. Caffey is a Professor of Natural Resource Economics at Louisiana State University with a joint appointment in the 海角社区 Agricultural Center and the Louisiana Sea Grant College Program. He is the founding director of the 海角社区 Center for Natural Resource Economics & Policy - a research and extension cooperative with more than 30 active members from 12 institutions across the U.S. The center鈥檚 campus-based projects, funded at $13.6 million by 47 public and private sources, have led to its emergence as a primary source of socioeconomic expertise in coastal systems. Dr. Caffey also serves as Director of Marine Extension for Louisiana Sea Grant. This team of 18 coastal agents and specialists has been the state鈥檚 primary network for marine advisory programming since 1968. For the past 25 years he has conducted applied research and extension programming related to the economic and policy challenges of fisheries and coastal wetlands in the northern Gulf of Mexico region.

Paige Carter
Chief Business Development Officer
Louisiana Economic Development (LED)

As Chief Business Development Officer at Louisiana Economic Development (LED), Paige Carter is responsible for leading and expanding LED鈥檚 business development, expansion, and retention activities to drive economic growth and prosperity across Louisiana. She has previously served as Executive Director of Industry Engagement at the 海角社区 Foundation鈥攈elping to secure historic philanthropic and corporate investments in the university鈥攁s well as Director of Business Development during a prior stint at LED. She has been recognized for her contributions to development with an Area Development Silver Shovel award, named to the Baton Rouge Business Report鈥檚 40 Under Forty, and awarded Employee of the Year while at the 海角社区 Foundation in 2022. Carter is also a member of the board of directors at the Junior League of Baton Rouge. She holds an M.B.A. from 海角社区 Shreveport and a bachelor鈥檚 degree from Arizona State University.

Rep. Kimberly Coates
Louisiana State Representative
District 73

Kimberly Coates is the State Representative for District 73, representing Tangipahoa Parish. Elected in 2023, she brings a background in business marketing to her legislative work. Rep. Coates earned her B.A. from Southeastern Louisiana University. She currently serves on the House Appropriations Committee as an elected member, as well as the Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development Committee, the Natural Resources and Environment Committee, and the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget. She is also a member of the House Select Committee on Women and Children. Rep. Coates is an active member of the Louisiana Legislative Women's Caucus, the Louisiana Republican Legislative Delegation, the Louisiana Rural Caucus, and the Northshore Delegation.

Dustin Davidson
Secretary
Louisiana Deparment of Conservation and Energy

Dustin H. Davidson currently serves as the Secretary for the Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy, where he leads initiatives to drive sustainable energy solutions and manage natural resources effectively across the state. His role focuses on advancing Louisiana鈥檚 energy strategy, promoting environmental stewardship, and overseeing regulatory frameworks that ensure resource efficiency and resilience. Before joining the department, Dustin advocated for an advanced inland waterways and ports system at the Waterways Council, Inc. His career in public service includes work as a professional staff member on the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis and as a legislative assistant to Congressman Garret Graves, contributing to legislation in energy revenue-sharing, conservation, and ecosystem protection. Earlier, he was a legislative correspondent for U.S. Senator David Vitter and held a staff position on the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Davidson holds a B.A. from Tulane University.

Michael DiResto
Director
海角社区 Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs

Michael DiResto is Director of 海角社区鈥檚 Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs. Before his current position, he served as Executive Vice President of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber after being promoted from Senior Vice President for Economic Competitiveness, overseeing the organization鈥檚 public policy, research, and advocacy efforts. He also worked as Assistant Commissioner for Policy and Communication in the Louisiana State Government鈥檚 Division of Administration, and before that as Communications Director for then-Congressman Richard Baker (LA-6). DiResto volunteers as President of the board for the University Hills Civic Association and as a member of the Forum 225 Advisory Council. He holds Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees in English from the University of Dallas and pursued doctoral studies in English (ABD) at 海角社区 with a goal of becoming an English professor before being lured away to a career in public affairs.

Dr. Kimberly Gramm
Chief Innovation & Entrepreneurship Officer
Tulane University

Kimberly Gramm, MBA, PhD is the inaugural David & Marion Mussafer Chief Innovation & Entrepreneurship Officer at Tulane University, where she leads the Tulane Innovation Institute and is the managing director of Tulane Ventures. Since joining Tulane in 2022, her focus has been on strengthening the university鈥檚 innovation pipeline, building capacity for new venture creation, and driving economic growth and sustainability in New Orleans and beyond. With more than 16 years of early-stage technology venture development experience, Kimberly has overseen the creation of 325+ startups that collectively raised over $470M in capital. She has secured $12M in federal and economic development grants and helped secure the $160M National Science Foundation engine grant, FUEL, to support energy transformation. She also founded two university accelerators, FAU Tech Runway and the Texas Tech University Accelerator, and co-founded the Texas Tech Research Park. A strong advocate for venture funding, Kimberly launched Seraph Fuel Fund and Tulane Ventures, a $10 million seed fund that invests in biotech, energy, and AI. She holds degrees from the University of South Florida, UT, and Texas Tech. Under her leadership, Tulane鈥檚 Innovation Institute won the 2024 Outstanding Emerging Entrepreneurship Center Award from the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers.

Keith Hall
Nesser Family Chair in Energy Law, Campanile Charities Professor of Energy Law, and John P. Laborde Endowed Professorship in Energy Law 3 and 4
Director of the Energy Law Center; Director of the Mineral Law Institute; Professor of Law

Keith B. Hall is the Nesser Family Chair in Energy Law at 海角社区, where he serves as Director of the Mineral Law Institute and as Director of the John P. Laborde Energy Law Center. He teaches oil and gas law courses, other energy law courses, and property law. Professor Hall is the co-author of three books on oil and gas law and an editor of 鈥淭he Regulation of Decommissioning, Abandonment and Reuse Initiatives in the Oil and Gas Industry,鈥� a book on decommissioning regulations around the world. Before joining the 海角社区 faculty in 2012, Professor Hall practiced law in New Orleans for 16 years, and before that he worked for eight years as a chemical engineer. He earned a law degree from Loyola University New Orleans.

Sen. Bob Hensgens
Louisiana State Senator

District 26

Bob Hensgens is the State Senator for District 26, composed of Vermilion Parish and portions of Acadia, Lafayette, and St. Landry Parishes. He currently serves as chairman of the Senate Natural Resources Committee and is also a committee member on Senate Health and Welfare, Senate Retirement, Senate Environmental Quality, and the Select Committee on Coastal Restoration and Flood Protection. He is a member of the Louisiana Republican Legislative Delegation. Before his election to the Senate in 2018, Senator Hensgens was mayor of Gueydan and then a State Representative, serving as vice chairman of the House Committee on Health and Welfare. Additionally, he built his own successful healthcare management business. Senator Hensgens earned a B.B.A. degree from ULL.

Colleen Jarrott
Partner

Hinshaw Law

With two decades of litigation experience, Colleen Jarrott represents energy companies in oil and gas, mineral law, carbon capture and sequestration, transportation, and other industries in complex commercial litigation, transactional matters, commercial contracts, and regulatory issues. In addition, she is well-versed in developing state regulatory and legislative initiatives related to the Louisiana Geologic Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide Act. She regularly represents oil and gas companies before the Louisiana State Mineral and Energy Board, the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. She also currently serves on the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources' Ad Hoc Committee on Carbon Capture, the Louisiana Oil & Gas Association鈥檚 Carbon Capture Committee, and the Carbon Committee of the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil & Gas Association. Colleen is a member of Hinshaw's  Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) group. Her focus on renewable energy and ESG underscores that the energy transition in Louisiana is underway, even as traditional oil and gas exploration and production will continue well into the future on a parallel track. 

Jordan Losavio
Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer

Encore CO₂

Jordan Losavio is the Co-Founder and COO of Encore CO鈧�, a climate-tech company transforming carbon emissions into valuable products through cutting-edge electrochemical converison. She previously worked in upstream oil and gas at Occidental Petroleum and California Resources Corporation, where she managed high-value assets and led the development of the company鈥檚 first AI-driven tool for optimizing production. With expertise in chemical engineering and industrial operations, she is bridging the gap between legacy industries and next-generation sustainable manufacturing. Under her leadership, Encore CO鈧� has secured competitive funding and advanced breakthrough CO鈧� utilization technologies. Jordan holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and an M.S. in Nutrition and Food Science from 海角社区.

Rep. Shane Mack
Louisiana State Representative
District 95

Shane Mack is a State Representative representing [District Number]. A graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University, he has served two terms as Parish Councilman and is currently in his first term as State Representative. He brings 25 years of industry experience in both logistics and operations to his legislative work. Rep. Mack serves as a Deacon at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Albany, Louisiana. He has been married for 26 years and has two children, both currently in college.

Stephanie Malin
Public Affairs Manager
Dow

Stephanie Malin is a public relations practitioner with 20 years of experience in corporate communications, media relations, public affairs, crisis management, community engagement, writing, social media, and workforce development. She currently serves as public affairs manager for Dow Louisiana, and she brings experience developing communication strategy for Fortune 500 companies, 海角社区鈥檚 Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 海角社区鈥檚 Manship School for Mass Communication, national non-profit organizations, political advocacy groups, small businesses and more. Stephanie has earned more than $330 million worth of positive earned media on behalf of her organizations. A former television reporter and forever news junkie, her passion is helping people and businesses develop their storytelling, communication and media relations strategies to reach the audiences that matter to them.

Justin Marocco
Partner
Jones Walker LLP

Justin Marocco is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group at Jones Walker and a member of the Energy, Environmental & Natural Resources Industry Team where he co-leads the clean energy and energy transition team. Justin is also a co-leader of Jones Walker鈥檚 commercial disputes team. Justin focuses on advising clients on legal and regulatory issues in connection with carbon dioxide sequestration, storage, and enhanced recovery projects, as well as other large energy infrastructure and renewables projects. He is regularly asked to provide advice regarding both the current EPA regime for Class VI wells and Louisiana鈥檚 Class VI regulations. Justin routinely provides regulatory guidance regarding the Class VI permitting process, construction standards applicable to Class VI wells, operational and reporting requirements during the lifespan of the Class VI well, and the operator鈥檚 post-injection site care and site closure obligations. He has also testified on multiple occasions before the Louisiana state legislature regarding proposed changes to the state鈥檚 carbon sequestration laws, and he has assisted clients with reviewing proposed carbon sequestration legislation in other states to provide insights and best practices. Mr. Marocco also regularly provides guidance to companies seeking to construct and operate carbon dioxide and natural gas pipelines in Louisiana, regularly providing guidance on the legal and regulatory landscape related thereto. Mr. Marocco also focuses on assisting clients with lithium extraction projects. This includes assisting with drafting the first-of-its-kind legislation in Louisiana to facilitate the establishment of direct lithium extraction from brine in the state. He also has a wide-ranging practice focused primarily on handling a broad array of complex commercial litigation in the energy, maritime, construction, and environmental sectors. As part of his practice, he has significant experience litigating cases in federal and state courts.

Dr. Michael Mazzola
Executive Director
Future Use of Energy in Louisiana (FUEL)

Dr. Michael S. Mazzola is currently the executive director of FUEL (Future Use of Energy in Louisiana), a National Science Foundation innovation engine led by 海角社区鈥檚 Office of Innovation and Ecosystem Development. Previously, Dr. Mazzola was the executive director of the Energy Production and Infrastructure Center at the University of North Carolina Charlotte and the Duke Energy Distinguished Chair of Power Engineering Systems. Before that, he served as associate director for advanced vehicle systems at the Mississippi State University Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems. As a tenured professor of electrical and computer engineering, Dr. Mazzola led research in high-voltage engineering, power systems modeling and simulation, the application of silicon carbide semiconductor devices in power electronics, and the control of hybrid electric vehicle power trains. While at MSU, he cofounded SemiSouth Laboratories, a company that commercialized intellectual property originating from his research at the university.

David Mitchell
Staff Writer and Reporter
The Advocate

David Mitchell is a staff writer and reporter for The Advocate with 25 years of experience in the newspaper industry as both a reporter and editor. He covers stories across Louisiana, including energy and industry, with a passion for digging into records, connecting with people, and telling meaningful stories. In addition to his reporting, Mitchell has experience leading media training, helping others understand and engage with the press effectively.

Dr. William M. Moe
Professor, 海角社区 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Dr. Bill Moe is a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and holder of the Marvin Rex Clemmons Professorship in the 海角社区 College of Engineering where he has been on the faculty since 1999. He is a licensed professional engineer in environmental engineering and has more than 25 years of experience in the areas of wastewater treatment, water quality, hazardous waste management, and bioremediation. Dr. Moe is currently leading a multidisciplinary research project aimed at filling knowledge gaps and proactively mitigating potential adverse environmental impacts associated with the deployment of amine-based carbon capture systems.

Dr. Jyotsna Sharma
Associate Professor, 海角社区 Department of Petroleum Engineering

Adjunct Professor, 海角社区 Department of Electrical Engineering

Dr. Jyotsna Sharma holds an interdisciplinary appointment as an Associate Professor of Petroleum Engineering and an Adjunct Professor of Electrical Engineering at Louisiana State University (海角社区). She also currently serves as a Program Director at the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) at the U.S. Department of Energy. Her research has driven breakthrough innovations in fiber-optic sensing, enhanced oil recovery, and machine learning applications for energy systems. Prior to joining 海角社区, she was a Subject Matter Expert at Chevron, leading production optimization projects across U.S. and international assets in Indonesia, Venezuela, Canada, and Kuwait. Dr. Sharma began her career as a Field Engineer at Schlumberger in Canada. A licensed Professional Engineer, Dr. Sharma holds five pending patents and has authored over 70 refereed journal and conference publications.

Dr. Tara Smith
Executive Associate Vice President and Director, Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service

Research Coordinator, Sweet Potato Research Station

Dr. Tara P. Smith is currently serving as Executive Associate Vice President and Director of the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service. Smith also serves as research coordinator of the Sweet Potato Research Station. Smith obtained a B.S. in Biology degree from the University of LA at Monroe in 2000, a M.S. in Biology from Louisiana Tech University in 2001 and a Ph.D. from 海角社区 in 2006 (entomology). Smith was hired in 2006 as the state sweet potato specialist for Louisiana and has 17 years of experience in research and extension working with the Louisiana and National sweet potato industries. Prior to becoming extension director, Smith served for 10 years as a Regional Director in the Northeast and Central Regions of the state. As director of extension, Smith serves as a member of the senior leadership team with the 海角社区 AgCenter, supporting all aspects of extension programming, including 4-H, nutrition, and agricultural and natural resources programs throughout the state. Dr. Smith has been an active member of the 海角社区 College of Agriculture Alumni Association throughout her career.

Dr. Robert Twilley
Vice President

海角社区 Research and Economic Development

Dr. Robert Twilley is 海角社区 Vice President for Research and Economic Development, the founder and former director of the 海角社区 Coastal Sustainability Studio, and has been a professor in the Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences for nearly two decades. He also served as the Vice President for Research at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and as Executive Director of Louisiana Sea Grant.  He is an accomplished and experienced researcher, having brought in more than $25M in grants and producing nearly 200 publications. Twilley holds a bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degree in biology from East Carolina University, a Ph.D. in systems ecology from the University of Florida, and conducted his post-doctoral studies in coastal oceanography at the University of Maryland. He has received numerous awards for his teaching and research, has published extensively on wetland ecology and global climate change, and has been involved in developing ecosystem models coupled with engineering designs to develop coastal and wetland ecosystem restoration projects.

Dr. Greg Upton
Executive Director & Associate Professor - Research
海角社区 Center for Energy Studies

Dr. Greg Upton is Executive Director and Associate Research Professor at 海角社区鈥檚 Center for Energy Studies. His research interests are related to the analysis of economic, environmental and public policy issues in the energy industry. During his tenure at 海角社区, he has addressed topical energy issues of significance to Louisiana, including state mineral taxes, solar tax credits, and net metering policies, the impact of the oil price collapse on Louisiana鈥檚 budgetary challenges, and implications of the crude oil export ban鈥檚 lifting on the Louisiana economy, among others. He has presented research to more than 200 industry, governmental, and academic audiences, and has been quoted or cited over 250 times in local and national media, including the Wall Street Journal and NPR鈥檚 Marketplace. Dr. Upton holds a Ph.D. in economics from 海角社区, where he also received both an M.S. and B.S. in economics.