Feb. 14, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – PHOTOS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST
CONTACT: Ann Edelman, Zehnder Communications, (225) 242-9000, aedelman@z-comm.com
Water Institute Begins Operations
Dr. Charles “Chip” Groat Named Founding President
and CEO
BATON ROUGE, La. – The Water Institute of the Gulf (TWIG) officially launched
operations today as an independent, applied research organization dedicated to research
advancing the understanding of coastal and deltaic systems and applying this knowledge for
the benefit of society. Early efforts of the organization will revolve around world-class,
independent science to inform and solve deltaic problems in Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico
with a long-term vision that the science and solutions that are developed here in Louisiana and
on the Gulf Coast by TWIG will be used to improve water management issues for the benefit of
other coastal regions.
The Water Institute of the Gulf board of directors named Charles “Chip” Groat, Ph.D., as the
founding president and CEO. Groat is a globally recognized expert on earth sciences, energy,
resource assessment, groundwater issues and coastal studies.
“Dr. Groat’s decision to join TWIG as president and CEO is a huge win for the foundation of
this organization, and it’s an even bigger win for Louisiana and the very serious challenges the
Gulf Coast faces both now and in the future,” said board Chairman Kevin Reilly Jr. “Along with
the decades of experience he brings from the United States Geological Survey, academia and as
a world-class scientist whose recent research has focused on energy and water resources, Dr.
Groat spent many years developing an acute understanding of the needs of our coastal areas in
Louisiana. On behalf of the board of directors, we look forward to establishing this institute
under Dr. Groat’s leadership and advancing its mission.”
Most recently, Groat has served as the director of the Center for International Energy and
Environmental Policy and associate director of the Energy Institute at The University of Texas
at Austin, where he has held the John A. and Katherine G. Jackson Chair in Energy and
Mineral Resources at the Jackson School of Geosciences. He served as director of the U.S.
Geological Survey under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. He has extensive
experience as an educator and government scientist, including time spent at Louisiana State
University and the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources.
Groat says that in addition to addressing land loss and coastal erosion, TWIG will develop
cutting-edge technology that protects lives and property when hurricanes strike U.S. coastlines.
“The institute will break new ground in the study of coastal and deltaic systems with
independent, world-class science to inform ongoing coastal protection and restoration efforts
led by the state of Louisiana, and we’ll do it by working in cooperation with the many talented
researchers already studying the field,” Groat said. “We’ll gather the best scientific minds to
build what we believe will become one of the world’s premier coastal and deltaic research
facilities, and it’s going to be located right here on the Gulf Coast.”
“It’s no secret we face a critical challenge along the Gulf Coast as it relates to needs for both
protection and restoration,” Groat said. “By locating TWIG in Louisiana, we are able to use the
perfect laboratory to learn and advise efforts for Gulf Coast protection and restoration, and
leverage the information across the world to help other areas facing similar challenges.”
Groat added that the organization is currently forming a Science and Engineering Advisory
Council that will outline a strategic science plan for the institute, including program elements
and priorities, and staffing needs.
“I’d like to thank my fellow board members for their commitment to the mission of this new
organization and commend them for all their previous efforts to build a stronger and more
resilient Gulf Coast,” Reilly said. “I am confident in the leadership of this board as we move
forward, and I would like to acknowledge and thank the founding partners, the Baton Rouge
Area Foundation and the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority. Additionally,
we acknowledge U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, whose early collaborative efforts to develop a shared
vision for the institute were most helpful in getting us to the point at which we are today.”
Reilly has served as president of Lamar Advertising Co. since 1989 and served as CEO from
1989-2011. He also serves as board chairman for Lamar Advertising, which has more than 200
locations across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. He is past chairman of the
Outdoor Advertising Association of America and a board member for the Traffic Audit Bureau.
Reilly serves on the board of several not-for-profit organizations, including the National World
War II Museum, the Nature Conservancy of Louisiana and the Pennington Biomedical
Research Foundation. He is joined on the board by Groat and the following members:

Charlotte Bollinger is executive vice president of Bollinger Shipyards Inc. and a member
of its board of directors. A native of Lockport, La., Bollinger currently serves as vice
president of the Louisiana Board of Regents and co-chairwoman of the Blue Ribbon
Committee for Educational Excellence. She is the past president of the Lafourche
Chamber of Commerce and founding president of the Lafourche Education Foundation.
She serves as a board member for Restore or Retreat, a not-for-profit organization
established to identify, expedite and aggressively engage solutions to achieve
comprehensive coastal restoration. She is a recipient of the Harvey Peltier Award for
service from Nicholls State University.

Ambassador James A. Joseph is a professor of Duke University’s Practice of Public
Policy Studies program and serves as executive director of the university’s U.S. Southern
Africa Center for Leadership and Public Values. A former U.S. ambassador to South
Africa appointed by President Clinton, Joseph is a Yale University graduate and
Louisiana native. He serves as board chairman for the Louisiana Disaster Recovery
Foundation. He has served four U.S. presidents and founded the Emerging Leaders
Program, which operates through a partnership between Duke University and
the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Ambassador Joseph also served as
president and CEO of the Council of Foundations, an international organization with
members from five continents.

Mary Matalin is a respected author, former host of CNN’s “Crossfire” program and a
recognized political strategist with frequent appearances on television. Matalin has
served as a political consultant to President Ronald Reagan, campaign director for
President George H.W. Bush and assistant to President George W. Bush. She moved
with her family to New Orleans in 2008 and serves on the board of Tulane University’s
President’s Council. She is co-chairwoman of New Orleans’ 2013 Super Bowl Host
Committee.

Retired Maj. Gen. Thomas Sands is an attorney and senior advisor with the Washington,
D.C.-based firm Dawson & Associates. Sands is a civil engineer who spent more than 30
years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. His 11 years of command experience
include heading the New Orleans District, the North Atlantic Division and the Lower
Mississippi Valley Division/Mississippi River Commission where he was responsible for
all federal water resources activities in the Lower Mississippi River Valley.

Thomas Strickland served as assistant secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks as well
as chief of staff to Sec. of the Interior Ken Salazar from 2009-11. Before joining the
Department of the Interior, Strickland was executive vice president and chief legal
officer of UnitedHealth Group and served as U.S. Attorney for Colorado. He is
currently a partner in the Washington office of WilmerHale. Strickland earned a
bachelor’s degree in English literature with honors from Louisiana State University,
where he was an All-Southeastern Conference Academic Football selection. He
received a law degree with honors from the University of Texas School of Law.

Jacqui Vines, senior vice president and general manager for Cox Louisiana is
responsible for an $80 million payroll and a workforce serving 511,000 customers in 18
parishes, including the metropolitan areas of Baton Rouge, Lafayette and New Orleans.
Vines served as an executive with Time Warner Cable in San Diego and Dublin, Ohio,
before joining Cox. Vines has received several awards for leadership and distinguished
community service, including the prestigious Brotherhood/Sisterhood Award in 2006.
She currently serves on numerous boards, including Greater New Orleans Inc. and the
Tiger Athletic Foundation.
Strickland serves as The Water Institute of the Gulf’s vice chairman, and Vines serves as
secretary/treasurer.
About The Water Institute of the Gulf
The Water Institute of the Gulf was formed in 2011 as a not-for-profit, independent research
institute dedicated to advancing the understanding of coastal and deltaic systems and applying
this knowledge for the benefit of society. In collaboration with public, private and academic
partners, The Water Institute of the Gulf studies coastal and deltaic systems to preserve and
protect the U.S.’s Gulf Coast environment, a major source of natural and industrial resources,
while developing and sharing cutting-edge technology with the goal of advancing water
management efforts worldwide. For more information, visit www.waterinstitute.com.
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