NEW ORLEANS, LA -- 09/09/09 --
Levees.org, a New Orleans-based non-profit
formed after Katrina with a mission of raising awareness about the nation's
levee systems, today announced the opening of its sixth chapter. The New
York chapter joins existing chapters in Louisiana, Florida, California,
Illinois and Oregon, boasting in total over 24,000 supporters.
"Forty three percent of the American population lives in counties protected
by levees," said Sandy Rosenthal, Founder and Executive Director of
Levees.org. "The failures that occurred during Katrina could happen
elsewhere. With over 300 supporters in New York, a chapter there, which is
vulnerable to storm surge, has been a priority since our inception in
2005."
Levees.org's Board of Directors has appointed Brian H. Schaffer as Director
of its New York Chapter. Schaffer brings with him over ten years of
corporate communications experience, encompassing a wide range of
communications disciplines. He has worked on behalf of not-for-profit,
publicly traded and private clients, designing and implementing
comprehensive and award-winning communications programs. Schaffer's counsel
and leadership will be instrumental in helping levees.org increase its
national presence and educational outreach efforts.
"The opening of a New York chapter will be critical in helping us to raise
awareness that the flooding caused to the New Orleans metro area during
Hurricane Katrina was not merely the result of the hurricane itself, but
the worst civil engineering failure in our nation's history," said
Schaffer.
The Board of Directors of Levees.org has also appointed Gabrielle Foss to
the position of Assistant Director who will aide Schaffer in both
recruitment of new membership supporters and the establishment of an
infrastructure for the new chapter. Foss is a New Orleans native and her
experiences after the levees failed will lend a unique perspective on the
issues of levee protection.
www.levees.org
Contact:
Sandy Rosenthal
Executive Director
(504) 722-8172
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