We’re lucky to have these amazing people supporting the Institute’s activities from programming to mentoring to fundraising and more!
Steve Cochran
Steve Cochran, now mostly retired in New Orleans, spent most of his professional life working on public policy, including the last 33 years advocating for progress on clean water, clean air, climate change and coastal restoration and protection. His work included staffing Congressman and then Governor Buddy Roemer in Washington D.C. and Baton Rouge; serving as the first Executive Director of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation (now Pontchartrain Conservancy) in New Orleans; 26 years in senior legislative and policy roles with the Environmental Defense Fund in Washington DC and New Orleans; and finally as Director of Restore the Mississippi River Delta in New Orleans.
Lisa Kaas Boyle
Lisa Kaas Boyle is a Passionate Activist for Environmental and Social Justice, using Legal Policy, Writing, Speech, and Film to Create a More Sustainable and Just Civilization. She earned her JD, cum laude, from Tulane University Law School in 1990 and her BA from Vanderbilt University in English and Art History in 1986. Lisa was a Deputy District Attorney in Los Angeles for seven years before joining the nonprofit world of environmental organizations as a legal policy director and co-founding Plastic Pollution Coalition, an international nonprofit. Lisa and David Boyle, also Tulane Law Class of 1990, split their time between Santa Monica, CA, where David leads his entertainment law firm, Nashville, Lisa’s hometown, and NYC. Find more about her work at www.LisaKaasBoyle.com
Kristin Tracz
Kristin runs KCT Strategies, a boutique consulting firm which partners with non-profit organizations, foundations, and academic institutions to support collaboration, strategy and programs that build climate resilience.
Prior to starting KCT Strategies, Kristin served as a program officer and senior program officer for the Walton Family Foundation for eight years, managing the coastal restoration program in Louisiana and the Mississippi River initiative, which seeks to support healthy soils, clean water and a restored and resilient Mississippi River system.
Previously, Kristin was a program officer for the Blue Moon Fund, a private family foundation based in Charlottesville, and an energy policy specialist for the Mountain Association, a community development financial institution in Kentucky, working to support clean energy in the coalfields of Central Appalachia.
Kristin has a master’s degree in environmental management from the Yale School of the Environment and a bachelor’s degree in political and social thought from the University of Virginia. She lives in New Orleans, LA.
Daniel Noroña
Daniel is a dynamic and insightful human rights professional with 10 years of experience in the field. His work builds on a foundation of collaborative engagement with policymakers, civil society, and international organizations to address critical issues affecting the Americas.
Daniel was previously in the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and benefited from contributions aimed at advancing environmental and economic rights. His background informs current efforts at Amnesty International, where government advocacy, leadership, and fundraising are leveraged to align USG foreign policy with pressing human rights concerns.
As an adjunct professor at The George Washington University Law School, Daniel currently teaches Human Rights Lawyering complements this advocacy mission.
Emily Werkmann
Emily Werkmann advises and represents clients as a member of the firm’s Environment and Natural Resources Group. Her practice focuses on regulatory counseling and litigation involving major environmental statutes, including the Clean Air Act (CAA), Clean Water Act (CWA), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Emily has significant experience representing clients in complex civil litigations, regulatory investigations, and enforcement actions brought forward by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and various state agencies.
Emily graduated from the University of Miami in 2014 with a B.A. in Ecosystem Science & Policy and Political Science, then continued her career at Tulane Law School, where she graduated with her J.D. in 2019.
Additionally, she is an advisory board member of Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law & Policy, as well as an active member at the New York City Bar Association and the American Bar Association.
Harry Vorhoff
At Plauché and Carr, Harry provides counsel on issues regarding environmental, climate, and water law, utilizing his extensive background in public service, policy development, and litigation.
Harry’s career includes serving as the Deputy Director and Executive Counsel of Coastal Activities in the Office of the Louisiana Governor under Governor John Bel Edwards, where he chaired the Governor’s Climate Initiatives Task Force and supported the development and approval of the state’s first Climate Action Plan – a landmark initiative in the Gulf South. In this role, he also represented the governor on boards such as the State Mineral and Energy Board and advised the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority on legal and policy matters regarding the implementation of the state’s $50 billion Coastal Master Plan.
Prior to his tenure in the governor’s office, Harry served as the Assistant Attorney General and Chief of the Environmental Section in the Louisiana Department of Justice under Attorney General Jeff Landry, where he managed significant litigation and advised on legal matters impacting the state’s environmental and natural resources policy. He also represented the State of Louisiana in state and federal hearings and provided counsel to numerous governmental agencies, such as the Office of State Lands, the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and the Department of Environmental Quality.
Before his tenure in public service, Harry was a senior research fellow at the Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law & Policy, where he cultivated his wide-ranging knowledge of stewardship policies and procedures.
Katherine Van Marter
Katherine was born and raised outside Atlanta, Georgia. She attended Georgia State University, graduating with degrees in political science and public policy. After, she relocated to New Orleans, Louisiana, where she attended Tulane University and received her M.S., as well as her Juris Doctor.
Katherine began her practice in Louisiana as a policy fellow analyzing coastal restoration finance, climate adaptation policy, and private water and mineral rights in the Mississippi River Delta region. A passion of hers, she continues to serve on the Advisory Board of the Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law & Policy. She later moved to Asheville to be closer to family and pursue a more traditional legal career, litigating in federal court and handling both residential and commercial real estate transactions before forming her own firm.
Katherine combines a strong work ethic and organized mind with a drive to find solutions for even the most complex issues, providing clients with seamless service and advocacy in transactional matters. She is admitted to practice in New York, North Carolina, and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina. Additionally, she is an active member of the Buncombe County Bar Association, serving as Vice President of its Executive Committee, and serves on the Board of the Asheville Buncombe County Land Trust.
Liz Russell
Liz Russell is the Louisiana State Director at Environmental Defense Fund. She leads the development and implementation of political and advocacy strategies that move to stabilize the global climate, build defenses against extreme weather, and reduce exposure to air pollution and toxic chemicals.
Prior to her current role at EDF, Liz was the Climate Justice Program Director at Foundation for Louisiana, working to build people power and advance just policies. Also, having previous experience in coastal restoration.
Liz has held a range of academic positions, having taught within the Tulane School of Architecture, the School of Architecture at Louisiana State University, the Department of Architecture and Landscape within the University of Greenwich in London, the London College of Contemporary Art, and Birmingham City University. She attended Louisiana State University in 2005, receiving her Bachelor of Architecture in Architecture and Landscape Architecture.
Liz is also a Professor of Practice at the Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment.
Manisha Patel
Manisha is a former Deputy Executive Director for the Permitting Council and led the development and implementation of federal law for over 25 years. Patel led WSP’s Environmental Process and Policy Practice Team. She has done this through working with public agencies, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations. Before joining WSP, a global engineering services firm, Ms. Patel served as the Deputy General Counsel for the White House Council on Environmental Quality. With nearly three decades of experience and expertise, Ms. Patel offers strategic guidance on positioning infrastructure projects for expedited environmental reviews and permitting approvals under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and related environmental regulations. She has extensive experience in establishing and implementing national environmental, energy, and natural resources policies as they relate to transportation. Her mastery of NEPA and acumen for solving complex multi-jurisdictional problems, including working with a broad and diverse range of stakeholders, has yielded some of the fundamental federal environmental and energy efficiency regulations and policies of the last decade.
Manisha has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Northwestern University and a Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center. She is also an alumnus of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Executive Energy Leadership Academy.
Marietta Lizano
Marietta attended Universidad de Costa Rica, then Tulane for her Master of Law in Environmental Law. She is also an ISO 140001 Lead Auditor, with more than 20 years of professional practice, with remarkable pioneer work in the field of Environmental Law in the country. As a Principal at Siel Siel Environmental Consulting, along with her Co-Founding Principal, Priscilla Vargas, a highly regarded environmental engineer, she and her colleagues created the only environmental firm owned by two women that now has over 18 years of experience in Costa Rica and Latin America. Marietta is also a member of the American Chamber of Commerce and of CINDE, a non-profit organization dedicated to attracting direct investment.
Steve Dawson
Steve is the highest-ranking executive in Dawson & Associates and the CEO. Prior to being CEO, Steve also had held several positions at the firm, including Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and General Counsel. His deep expertise in federal policy and environmental law established a foundation of trust and reliability for Dawson & Associates’ network of experts, enabling them to deliver accurate, timely, and legally sound advice.
Steve attended Tulane University, where he earned a B.A. in History. Additionally, he earned his LL.M. in Environmental Law from George Washington University Law School and a J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law. He is a proud member of the Virginia State Bar Association.
Tad Bartlett
Tad Bartlett is a member of Jones, Swanson, Huddell & Garrison LLC, where he practices in the fields of complex commercial litigation, land damage and property rights litigation, and appellate advocacy. He directs Jones Swanson’s appellate-related matters for both the commercial and environmental litigation groups and worked with Ms. Daschbach on the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority–East case.
Ted clerked for the Hon. James L. Dennis of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and practiced in the environmental law group at the law firm of Liskow & Lewis, in the surety litigation firm of Krebs, Farley & Pelleteri, and as a solo appellate practitioner, before joining Jones Swanson in 2009.
Ted Bartlett received his JD magna cum laude from Tulane Law School in 2000. He also holds an M.F.A., summa cum laude, from the University of New Orleans and a B.A., magna cum laude, from Spring Hill College in Mobile, AL.
James R. Nieset
Jimmy Nieset is a graduate of Tulane University (Physics 1964). He graduated from Tulane Law School in 1967, where he was a member of the Board of Student Editors of The Tulane Law Review and was elected to Order of the Coif. After service in the United States Air Force in the Judge Advocate General Corps, he practiced as a member and partner in the law firm of Plauche’ Smith & Nieset in Lake Charles, Louisiana. In 2013 he became Of Counsel with the firm and in 2016 he and his wife moved to New Orleans. His practice focused on trial and appellate work in products liability, professional liability, construction, environmental and oilfield legacy matters. In addition to his practice in the state courts of Louisiana, he has been admitted to the United States District Courts for the Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of Louisiana and the Eastern District of Texas, the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court.
He has been active in alumni matters at Tulane University and at Tulane Law School, where he serves on the Dean’s Advisory Board. As a Corresponding Advisor to the Institute, he advises students on research and writing assignments, mentors, does individual research, and provides summaries of information pertinent to the work of the Institute.
Ashley M. Liuzza
Ashley was born and raised in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana. She is a Partner and the Chief Operating Officer of Stag Liuzza, LLC. Her practice centers on litigating complex environmental pollution claims and toxic exposure claims. Ashley represents a variety of impacted individuals, landowners, and municipalities throughout the country.
In the national PFAS MDL, Ashley has worked closely with leadership to investigate scientific causation and defendant liability. She also assists municipal clients in gathering information and data for their PFAS lawsuits and settlement claim applications ensuring that no stone is left unturned, and maximum recovery is obtained. Along with her firm, Ashley represents over 300 municipal entities across 40 states and thousands of individuals in PFAS litigation.
Notably, Ashley has successfully resolved numerous mass tort cases involving environmental exposure and pollution. She represented hundreds of residents impacted by industrial air pollution following Hurricane Katrina in In re Bertucci Contracting Co., LLC as Owner of the M/V Sharon Gail, 2:12-cv-0664, United Stated District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Ashley also represented hundreds of residents in Nolan, et al. v. Exxon Mobil Corp., et al. who suffered damages from air emissions from a refinery in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Ashley has successfully litigated numerous oil pollution cases for private landowners resulting in property remediation and restoration throughout Louisiana.
Recently, Ashley was appointed co-lead class counsel in Wheeler, et al. v. Arkema, et al., on behalf of a class of over 28,000 members outside of Houston, Texas for their damages following fires at the Arkema facility during Hurricane Harvey which resulted in a class settlement. As part of the class settlement obtained by her, a fund for site characterization and remediation in the community was set up. A special master is implementing the approved plan at this time.
Ashley’s hope is to make her community a little bit better case by case.
Inactive Members:
Bessie Daschbach
Bessie is the Executive Director of the Center for Asset Retirement Accountability (CARA), where she leads efforts to hold the industry accountable for the retirement of aging and abandoned oil and gas assets. Prior to launching CARA, Bessie accumulated more than twenty years of experience as a recognized trial and appellate lawyer, including more than a decade of experience representing Louisiana landowners seeking cleanup of oil and gas contamination and equipment, as well as restoration of coastal land loss. Her experience in coastal land loss litigation forms the basis of the course on coastal wetlands law and policy she co-teaches at Tulane Law School. She also spearheaded the establishment of a full-scale Sustainability & Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) legal practice for a national law firm. She holds a certificate in Sustainable Capitalism & ESG from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, and she designed the Tulane Master of Jurisprudence Course on sustainability and ESG. Over the course of her career, Bessie has practiced with law firms in New Orleans and New York City and worked with the International Labor Organization (Bangkok), the United Nations Legal Affairs Codification Division (New York City), and the Open Society Justice Initiative (New York City). She holds a JD from Tulane and an LLM in International & Comparative Law from Columbia University Law School.
Former Members:
R. King Milling
King Milling, retired bank executive and lawyer, is a graduate of Tulane Law School in 1965. Milling attended Washington and Lee University to earn his Bachelor of Science in European History. He began working as a legal assistant with the firm of Milling, Saul, Sanders, Benson & Woodward in 1965, then went on to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1979. Since 1984, he worked as the president of Whitney National Bank and Whitney Holding Corporation until retiring in 2007.
Milling was the founding and longest-serving board member of the Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, and the longtime chairman of the board of directors of America’s Wetland Foundation. He served as Chairman of the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Coastal Restoration and Conservation in Louisiana and is now the namesake of the King Milling Distinguished Coastal Service Award, given annually to honor individuals or organizations that reflect his unwavering support for Louisiana’s coastal program. Additionally, Milling was a member of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana and served on the Board of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. King has been an active supporter of the Institute since it’s founding in 2007.
