FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 26, 2010
Contact: Amy Kay, Public Relations Coordinator
Hanson Professional Services Inc.
(217) 747-9283
akay@hanson-inc.com
Bonfert joins Hanson Professional Services Inc. in New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS — Gretchen Bonfert recently joined Hanson Professional Services Inc. as the firm’s manager for Gulf Coast initiatives, establishing a presence in New Orleans for Hanson. She serves as a liaison for environmental and engineering consulting needs in the Gulf Coast region, working with federal, state and local agencies and organizations.
Bonfert combines an understanding of the diverse communities working on the restoration of coastal Louisiana with a systemic perspective on the Mississippi River to bring critical value to Hanson’s Gulf Coast program. She currently is doing outreach regarding Hanson’s collective skills in areas such as flood wall, pump station and levee design and assessment; maritime and inland river consulting services; engineering, architecture, planning and environmental services; construction management services; as well as Hanson’s previous experience working on disaster recovery and hurricane protection in the Gulf Coast region.
She has been involved in river and coastal restoration, water quality and other environmental issues for more than 25 years. Her experience encompasses federal and state policy initiatives while working with environmental leaders in the public and nonprofit sectors at national, regional and local levels.
From 2000 to 2010, she served as program officer and later as a program director for the McKnight Foundation in Minneapolis, Minn., working with charitable organizations to maintain and restore the Mississippi River in the 10 states through which it flows. From 1993 to 2000, Bonfert was an independent environmental consultant, and from 1984 to 1993, she served in various Illinois state government positions dealing with land and water issues.
She has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Wittenberg University and a master’s degree in botany from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She is a member of the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, Atchafalaya Basinkeeper, Gulf Restoration Network, and Society of American Military Engineers’ New Orleans and Mobile, Ala., posts.
Hanson is a national, employee-owned consulting firm providing engineering, architecture, planning and allied services. Bonfert may be reached at 5500 Prytania St., No. 505, New Orleans, LA 70115, by phone at (504) 355-8107, or at gbonfert@hanson-inc.com.
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