Charles Sutcliffe, Chief Resilience Officer, Louisiana Governor’s Office: Coastal Activities
Charles Sutcliffe is in his tenth year in the Governor’s Office Coastal Activities. He began with a strict policy focus related to the implementation of the Coastal Master Plan and now seeks to integrate an understanding of coastal change into other departments across state government. He coordinates closely with other state agencies, non-governmental organizations, and philanthropies as the State of Louisiana broadens its approach to managing the many implications of coastal change and positioning itself to capitalize on the opportunities that may arise. Charles is also one of three members of the Governor’s Office team working on the Climate Initiatives Task Force which will make recommendations for how Louisiana can reach net zero emissions by 2050.
His other responsibilities and areas of interest include serving as the lead staff member for the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Coastal Protection, Restoration and Conservation and its Diversion Sub-committee; and pursuing alternative delivery and alternative financing options applicable to the implementation of the Coastal Master Plan.
In his time at the Governor’s Office he also served as the project manager for a coast-wide economic evaluation of Louisiana’s working coast, a project that quantified the economic risks of the land loss crisis. He also contributes to the communications efforts of the Governor’s Executive Assistant for Coastal Activities and the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.
Mr. Sutcliffe has a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Humanities and Social Thought from New York University, a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in History and a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Animal Sciences from Louisiana State University. Before coming to the Governor’s Office he worked as a science teacher in Baton Rouge and Pittsburgh; with the Allegheny County Department of Human Services; and with Louisiana State University’s Economics & Policy Research Group.
