The Water Institute

?? Funding Opportunity for Forestry Projects! ?? River Network has announced a new grant opportunity for community-based nonprofit organizations working on small forestry projects in disadvantaged communities. Grants range from $75K to $200K, over a 1-3 year period, thanks to Urban & Community Forestry Program?of the Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Total funding available is $1.8M. ?? Deadline: October 23, 2024, 11:59 PM ET Free technical assistance is available to support organizations new to federal funding throughout both the application process and grant period. Interested? Reach out to [email protected] to discuss your project, see if it may be a good fit, and receive free technical assistance. More information on the grant at https://lnkd.in/eBtEerJZ #GrantOpportunity #Forestry #CommunityResilience #UrbanForestry

We are thrilled to announce the hiring of nonprofit leader Jennifer Winstead as our Vice President of Mission Advancement, a newly established position. “The creation of the Mission Advancement role reflects The Water Institute's continued growth and readiness to scale our impact to the communities we serve, and we are pleased Jennifer Winstead is bringing her proven expertise to lead this effort,” said Beaux Jones, President and CEO of The Water Institute. "Jennifer’s deep connections within Louisiana’s philanthropic and business communities combined with her experience advancing research-driven organizations will be critical in this next phase of The Water Institute’s development." Winstead brings more than two decades of experience advancing organizations through strategic capacity building and fundraising. Her past work includes a 10-year tenure CEO of the Pennington Biomedical Research Foundation, the American Heart Association Virginia Affiliate and the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. “As a Louisiana native, I feel a deep connection to the Institute’s work to help solve the issues facing our coastal and river communities,” said Winstead. “I look forward to working with this purpose-driven team by expanding resources and philanthropic investments to help drive solutions that benefit even more people and environments.” Since its founding, The Water Institute has led or been involved in the development of large-scale, integrated research, assessment, modeling, planning, prioritization, and decision making. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/ghGsuqJP #nonprofit #fundraisingprofessionals #philanthropy #researchinstitute #nonprofitmission

The Water Institute is proudly partnering with the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana to bring you the largest interdisciplinary forum to exchange timely and relevant information on the dynamic conditions of Louisiana’s coastal communities. Many of our staff have submitted session and poster proposals – and you can do the same! Proposals for sessions are due October 7 and poster proposals are due October 15. Join over 1,200 coastal stakeholders May 20-22, 2025 in New Orleans as we advance the movement to create a thriving, sustainable coast for all! Visit stateofthecoast.org to learn more.

The Water Institute was named one of Baton Rouge Business Report’s Best Places to Work 2024! The award is based on a third-party assessment of company policy, benefits, role satisfaction, work/life balance, leadership attitude and training. We are proud to be recognized as a workplace equally dedicated to our mission as we are the culture our employees help create. Congratulations to all this year’s honorees. See all 2024 Best Places to Work in the special issue out this month. Several of our Baton Rouge team attended the celebration honoring all the businesses who received this award. Pictured from left to right: Beaux Jones, President and CEO; Jared Falcon, IT Manager; Brandy Rush, Director of Human Resources; Jeni Page, Human Resources Manager; Jennifer Winstead, Vice President of Mission Advancement; and Garvin Pittman, Senior Project Manager.

Our dashboard, FloodID, is in action for Hurricane Helene thanks to the work of Zach Cobell and many other scientists at The Water Institute and our partner organizations. This tool will help state and federal leaders make more informed decisions on positioning supplies, identifying access restrictions, and prioritizing search and rescue — better information can save lives. Thank you to the many, many people that have worked tirelessly to get this tool up and running.?

Preparedness and resilience are a collective effort that crosses communities, sectors, and boundaries. Our thoughts are with those in the path of #HurricaneHelene as it approaches the Florida coast, and we’re thinking of all the individuals and organizations collaborating to support decision makers and communities. Stay safe out there, friends.

Join us at The Water Institute! We're looking for an IT Systems Administrator to join our team. ??? Responsibilities: ? Tech support (on-site & remote) ? Server, network, and software management ? Monitor the IT ticketing system and resolve employee technical issues ? IT project assistance ?? Qualifications: ? 3+ years experience ? Proficient in Microsoft Windows, Linux, MacOS, Active Directory, Microsoft Entra, Office365 administration ? Experience with installing and maintaining firewalls, switches, and virtual server environments. More information and application here: https://ow.ly/35aG50TvsEM

We had the privilege last week of collaborating with NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, National Water Center, and NOAA National Ocean Service in a two-day session in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. ??? The NWC and The Water Institute teams shared innovative research and discussed opportunities to leverage the incredible weather and water prediction products produced by NOAA, which are integral to the development and operation of tools like FloodID to support state and local flood emergency preparedness and response needs. Together, we explored how our collective efforts in statistical hydrology, modular software development, total water level predictions during tropical and nontropical events, and model data management can support NOAA and state and local emergency managers in achieving their missions. It's inspiring to discover more opportunities for collaboration in addressing some of our most pressing weather and water prediction related challenges! For more a behind the scenes view of FloodID, check out https://ow.ly/ELor50TupT6

Our CEO Beaux Jones and Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana's Brian Lezina presented at the CPRA Board meeting this morning to emphasize the critical need for quantifying #coastalcarbon in Louisiana. This isn't just about creating a carbon credit system on Louisiana’s coast — it's about valuing our #wetlands, one of our most vital resources. Wetlands offer immense environmental, economic, and social benefits. By deepening our understanding of the the dynamics of coastal carbon, we can: ? Conduct Benefit-Cost Analyses ? Incentivize private investment ? Improve coastal management strategies ? Recognize the global significance of our wetland ecosystems Thanks to research from The Water Institute, CPRA, and many other scientific leaders across the Gulf and beyond, we're making significant strides in our understanding and protection of coastal ecosystems — and we're excited to keep moving forward.

It's been anything quiet here the past couple of days, but we know brighter days are ahead especially when a community like ours is on the scene. Read the message from our CEO below ??