Brett Davis - Founding Director
Brett is a native New Orleanian and graduate of Trinity Episcopal School, Isidore Newman, the College of Charleston and the Louisiana State University Master of Landscape Architecture program. While receiving his secondary degree, he was a research assistant in the Coastal Sustainability Studio, an interdisciplinary laboratory focused on reducing the causes and effects associated with coastal land loss. In 2013 he started a design business, Land Cover, to help clients revitalize buildings and vacant lots in historically significant neighborhoods around New Orleans. Eventually, his lifelong passion for nature and travel lead him to attempt to solve an environmental problem unique to his hometown, Mardi Gras waste, and in 2018 Grounds Krewe was formed. Brett lives in the building where he grew up, formerly his family’s African Art Gallery, on Magazine street in uptown.
Tricia Travis - Operations
Tricia was raised in New Orleans and attended Ben Franklin High School and Tulane University. Her passion for sustainability was sparked while living near the beach in Los Angeles, where she witnessed a daily influx of trash wash up on the shores. This experience, combined with her love for music festivals and Mardi Gras, inspired her to envision how a sustainable events culture in New Orleans might come to be. Currently pursuing an MBA in Sustainability at Bard College, Tricia is dedicated to equipping herself with the skills to drive meaningful change. She is excited to support Grounds Krewe's mission and make a lasting positive impact on our city. Outside of her professional endeavors, Tricia enjoys traveling, live music, yoga, soccer, and exploring nature.
Jeffrey Schwartz - Secretary
Jeff is the Director of Economic Development for the City of New Orleans. Previously, he served as founding Executive Director of Broad Community Connections, a non-profit community development organization that promotes the revitalization of Broad Street and its surrounding neighborhoods in New Orleans. He has a Master of City Planning degree from MIT, where he studied City Design & Development and Housing & Community Economic Development. He is actively involved with planning and transportation issues, serving on the boards of the Regional Planning Commission, Industrial Development Board, Ride New Orleans, the Trust for Public Land, and the Friends of Lafitte Greenway. Jeff loves his hometown and works to promote its long-term sustainability and vitality, especially when it involves innovating on local traditions and assets.
Joe Marin - Treasurer
Joe grew up in Algiers, studied mechanical engineering at the University of Maryland, and returned to New Orleans to work locally for a product design consultancy based in Silicon Valley. From engineering design to closet organization, he's passionate about finding creative solutions to challenging problems. Joe believes we should be good stewards of the planet through smart and responsible decision making and resource management. He's excited to support the mission of the non-profit in bringing about a positive shift in local traditions to reduce their environmental impact, while building on the positive feelings that come with festival culture. In his spare time, he enjoys playing soccer, supporting his neighborhood breweries, and do-it-yourselfing.
Blainey Kern - Board
Blainey Kern is a New Orleans native and daughter of the famous float builder, Blaine Kern. Blainey grew up immersed in Mardi Gras culture. As a child she played among the floats with painters, sculptors and builders and learned how to build papier-mâché props and work with fiberglass. Blainey studied art at Loyola University in New Orleans, then earned her Masters degree in Sculpture from Rhode Island School of Design. She currently owns and operates a gallery on Magazine St., Blainey’s World, of her clay sculpture, jewelry, painting, drawings and collage work. She is passionate about improving the parade experience and reducing the waste they create.
Theresa Young - Board
Theresa Young is the founder of GreenGenuity, a sustainability services and consulting company. After 20 years of event, film, TV and commercial production experience, she started the company in response to a growing need for better sustainability solutions in those industries. Working on music festivals all over the United States, including 18 years at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Young has gained a unique insight into the challenges of implementing recycling efforts at large events. She continues to put her experience to work providing real solutions to the urgent threat entertainment productions pose to the environment.
Suzannah Powell - Board
Suzannah Powell, professionally known as Boyfriend, has spent the last decade writing and producing music for Big Freedia, Pussy Riot, The Revivalists, Galactic, Slayyyter, Charli XCX, and Rebecca Black to name a few. She's co-produced original music commissioned by Lady Gaga and for major motion pictures like Space Jam 2. Her over the top live shows have earned her critical acclaim from Rolling Stone and a feature in Sony Pictures' Grammy Award winning Jazz Fest Documentary. She was appointed as Sustainability Adviser to the Krewe of Freret, an annual musically themed parade that includes a Mardi Gras float constructed in her likeness. This honor provides her with a unique perspective on the traditions and celebrations that make Mardi Gras so special, and the importance of addressing the severe sustainability issues entrenched in current Mardi Gras culture.
Kristin Gisleson Palmer - Board
Kristin Gisleson Palmer is a seventh generation native New Orleanian and graduate of Ursuline Academy and St. Louis University. She was the Executive Director of Rebuilding Together New Orleans, which assisted in post-Katrina housing recovery and Founder of Confetti Kids which improved Algiers point through park renovations. Kristin served as New Orleans City Council District “C” Representative from 2010 to 2014 and 2018 to 2022. She currently works to combat blight in Old Algiers through her mill shop, Bargeboard, which specializes in historic mill work, custom cabinetry and furniture. Throughout her career Kristin has built in sustainability by implementing innovative building techniques and salvage materials, bringing back recycling, promoting sustainable transportation and zoning laws, and incorporating mass tree plantings and stormwater management.
