Executive Director's Report

I hope everyone’s Spring Season was a lovely one, and your summer season coming up is a quiet and enjoyable one. Hurricane Season will be upon us soon, so make sure you are prepared and your families are safe and sound. ”MAKE A GAME PLAN”, know what's is going on, where you plan on evacuating to, what to bring with you, pet plans, medications, money, older family member arrangements, important documentation, food and water for all of the individuals traveling with you. We want to make sure everyone is safe this season.

It’s Back, the 2026 Louisiana Floodplain Management Conference was a HUGE Success. Last year we missed having our own conference due to the National Conference of ASFPM in New Orleans, LA. I want to thank everyone who contributed and volunteered for the event. I know Melonie will go into more detail in her report. I just wanted to mention a few things. The Venue of the Baton Rouge Downtown Hotel was perfect, and our Thursday night Social at the Old State Capital with Chef John Folse providing the food was just a top off to the conference. I met some wonderful new members who were so excited about attending and had all positive comments about the conference to me. Keep an eye on the www.lfma.org website for all upcoming workshops and the 2027 LFMA Conference in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Also, please don’t forget, as I mentioned at the conference, please make nominations for the Rod Emmer, Ted DeBaene, and the Outstanding Community Awards each year. You can review these on the website as well. We have to many opportunities being missed not showing our appreciation to individuals, companies, and communities who are making a difference.

 LFMA is moving forward and its because of the leadership we have over the past few years, and Melonie Ellzey has been voted to remain as our amazing Chair, with Michelle Gonzales as a Past Chair Board Member. We now have a new Vice Chair, Lauren Brinkman LeBlanc, Kara Moree will remain as our wonderful Secretary, and Melissa Becker will remain as our very talented Treasurer. Your Regional Representatives are as follows:

Region 1         Angie Albrecht CFM Primary
                        Jamelyn Trucks, CFM Alt

Region 2         Marcia Shiver-James CFM

Region 3         Lisa Ledet, CFM Primary
                        Marrill McKarry CFM Alt

Region 4         Clay Budreaux CFM Primary
                        Bonnie Anderson CFM Alt

Region 5         Dianna Nichols CFM

Region 6         Melissa Becker CFM

Region 7         Amanda Gordon CFM Primary
                        Victor Bivens CFM Alt

Region 8         Larry Walters CFM

We cannot forget all of our committees. Our committees keep information flowing through the organization and keep LFMA on track with our day to day administrative functions. Conference: Clay Boudreaux, Awards: Colin Sternhell, CAP-SSSE: Kara Moree, Education: Tammy Vincent, DRT: Evelyn Cade Campo, Membership: Diane Procchi, Newsletter: Stacie Kerry, and Workshop: Danielle Honor-Young. If you have the time, please join one of our committees, we can always use your help.

God Bless you and your families,

Michael D. Hunnicutt, CFM
LFMA Executive Director

Back to top

Chairman's Corner

Greetings from a very rainy and wet Southeast Louisiana!  As some of us prepare to travel to Milwaukee for the ASFPM Annual Conference I’m pleased to report that over 50 people from Louisiana are registered to attend, and 11 of them will be presenting during the concurrent sessions.  If you are going and would like to know who those speakers are so that you can attend their presentations, please reach out to me at [email protected].  

I find that it is a very busy time for many of us in the floodplain field and many of my colleagues that I speak to are feeling the strains of a volatile political climate, funding uncertainties, and increasing workloads.  If you fall into this category, I encourage you to make time in your schedule to attend our upcoming workshops in July and October.  Spending a few hours networking and learning from/alongside those who are also being impacted can have a rejuvenating effect both personally and professionally and I hope you are able to take advantage of these events that are free to our members. 

Thank you for being a part of what makes LFMA so great and I look forward to seeing you all soon! 

Melonie Ellzey, CFM – Bryant Hammett & Associates, LLC

Back to top

A Message from our Vice Chairman

Serving on the LFMA Board since 2016 has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my professional career. Over the past 10 years, I have had the privilege of building relationships that have grown far beyond professional networking. The friendships, mentorships, and partnerships formed through this organization have become invaluable, and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue serving alongside such dedicated professionals.

 When reflecting on how far LFMA has come, there is much to be proud of. Together, we have expanded our membership and strengthened our presence across Louisiana. We have supported disaster response efforts during some of our state’s most challenging times and adapted quickly during COVID by providing online training opportunities to keep education and engagement moving forward. Our conferences have continued to evolve through the addition of breakout sessions that provide more focused learning opportunities for attendees. We also successfully hosted the national ASFPM conference, showcasing Louisiana’s leadership and resilience on a national stage. In addition, our conference exhibitor participation and sponsorship donations have continued to grow, helping us strengthen the organization and deliver greater value to our members.

 As we look ahead, I believe LFMA has an exciting future filled with opportunity. I would love to see the development of a scholarship program that helps students attend LFMA or ASFPM conferences and encourages the next generation of floodplain management professionals. I also believe it is important for the organization to establish a long-term financial outlook plan that includes placing reserves into interest-bearing accounts to strengthen LFMA’s financial sustainability.

 Training and preparedness should also remain a major focus. Conducting regular trainings that connect floodplain managers with building officials and related disciplines can help create a stronger, more prepared network for post-disaster assessments and recovery efforts. Finally, continued engagement with state and federal partners regarding non-structural mitigation solutions will be critical as we work toward more resilient communities across Louisiana.

 LFMA’s success has always been driven by the dedication and passion of its members. I am thankful to be part of this organization and excited for what we can continue to accomplish together in the years ahead.

Michelle M. Gonzales, CFM | Director
Environmental Affairs
Jefferson Parish Government
[email protected]

Back to top

Calendar of Events

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

LFMA Summer 2026 WORKSHOP

Friday, July 17th

8:30AM - 12:30PM

Origin Bank Community Room
308 Market Street
Shreveport, LA 71101

Local Host: Victor Bivens, CFM - Halff Associates, INC.

More information to come! 

REGISTER NOW

Back to top

How You Can Get Involved

LFMA has seen huge successes because of the support and participation of it's members. As we continue to grow, the board is always looking for ways to enhance the LFMA member experience and to be sure we're offering quality information and education mixed with a little fun.

We want to give our members an opportunity to participate in all LFMA does and not just be a spectator. We are inviting everyone to consider joining a committee. You can help in a big or small way, whatever your time allows. We need your ideas, knowledge, and experience to continue to make LFMA a great organization. 

Here is a list of the committees you can be a part of:

SIGN ME UP

We want to see your projects!

If you have a project your currently working on you can email pictures and information to Stacie Kerry at [email protected]. We'll add your project to Facebook and the next newsletter. 

Back to top

Association Updates

LFMA IS NOW ON LINKEDIN! FOLLOW US!

LIKE US on FACEBOOK

Back to top

Region 1

Region 1 Communities recently received FEMA grant funding approvals

Jefferson Parish received 60 elevations for Hurricane Ida under HMGP 4611 as well as 7 reconstructions for Hurricane Zeta under HMGP 4577.

City of Mandeville received 2 FMA 2023 Elevation grants and 33 FMA 2022 elevation grants. 

CPRA's West Grand Terre Project in Jefferson Parish was named 
2026 ASBPA Best Restored Beach 

Located in Jefferson Parish, West Grand Terre Island serves as a critical barrier island along Louisiana’s coast, helping reduce storm surge impacts, maintain estuarine habitat, and protect wetlands and fisheries within the Barataria Basin. The award recognizes the project’s successful restoration of 295 acres of beach and dune habitat, 144 acres of marsh, and 5,160 linear feet of shoreline stabilization features.

Back to top

Region 2

Livingston Parish is now a CRS Class 7 as of April 1st

Livingston Parish was removed from the CRS program after 2016; they have now re-entered the program as a Class 7 community which provides a 15% discount on NFIP Premium costs. 

Back to top

Region 3

Improvements made at Terrebonne Parish

Terrebonne Parish just received a 4/4 BCEGS, improving from the 4/5 received in 2021. Terrebonne is also waiting for their CRS cycle visit. 

St. James Parish started producing commercials for Floodplain Management Outreach with different mascots for TV distribution. The first video is for Hurricane Preparedness Week and features Floody the alligator and La'Costa the rabbit. 

St. James is waiting for their CRS Certification. 

Westshore Levee Connect Project

St. James Parish has received its permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to begin construction of its connector levee, which will tie together the town ring levees previously authorized for construction under the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain (WSLP) Project.

The project consists of approximately 2.7 miles of earthen levee constructed to an initial elevation of +7.0’ NAVD88. The levee will be located adjacent to the M-2 Canal corridor, beginning in Lutcher, Louisiana, and extending to Grand Point, Louisiana.

Included in the project are environmental water control structures and gates designed to maintain the area as an open drainage system during non-flood conditions. Once completed, the levee system will provide flood risk reduction protection to approximately 625 residential properties and 40 commercial structures, including St. James Parish Hospital.

Parish crews have already begun clearing and grubbing operations along the existing spoil bank in preparation for levee construction.

A pump station and backwater gate closure at the Lateral 4 Canal are planned as part of a future phase of the project.

Back to top

Region 4

Lafayette City and Parish has officially passed a new flood damage prevention ordinance. All New Construction will be required to be elevated 1ft above the highest of the centerline of the road, base flood elevation, community determined elevation, and sewer manhole cover. This includes properties located entirely in Flood Zone X. All structures that are allowed to be built below this height and wet-floodproofed will be required to sign a Non-Conversion Agreement that must be notarized and filed at the clerk of court. The new regulations will take effect Nov 1, 2026 to allow time for the builders to be made aware and budget for the coming changes.

 Congratulations to the City of Youngsville for officially joining the CRS program as a Class 8 community. Residents officially received their 10%  discount on their flood insurance premiums on April 1, 2026.

Back to top

Membership

Our total membership is 230 members. 

Please be sure you can log into the new website and while you're there, check your contact information: name, email address, phone number, employer, and address to be sure it's up-to-date. Don't forget to add a photo of yourself too! 

You can access the membership portal here: Louisiana Floodplain Management Association - Member Area

If you renewed please be sure your membership fee was paid. If you need assistance with your account, please contact the Membership Chairperson – Diane Procchi [email protected].

Back to top

Disaster Resources Team

Storm season is here, so we are gathering information on people who may be interested in volunteering for the DRT or communities who would like volunteer support from the DRT. Please click the link here to share your insight or volunteer to help neighboring communities if a disaster hits. Thank you to all who have volunteered with the DRT on past events and continuing education.

Or scan the QR code below to sign up. 

Back to top

Conference Committee

Join Us for the ASFPM Conference in Milwaukee May 31 – June 4^th

This conference is a milestone conference celebrating 50 years of floodplain management and we're looking forward to making new connections and reconnecting with old friends.  We hope everyone can bring back some fresh insights that they can implement in their community and region.  Hope to see you there! Click here for Conference information. 

ASFPM is conducting a Flash Feedback Survey to better understand what types of tools and resources you find the most useful. Feedback will help shape the development of future ASFPM tools and resources. 

The questionnaire takes just 2-5 minutes to complete. Please respond by June 5, 2026. 

TAKE THE SURVEY

Back to top

In the News

The FEMA Review Council has released their Final Report, dated May 7, 2026.  The Council adopted this report at a meeting held yesterday.  The full meeting recording and the presentation can be reviewed online. 
Public comments are now being accepted until June 8, 2026.   We encourage participation and submission of comments by CSFI members - please email comments to [email protected] with "Docket No. DHS-2025-0712" in the subject line. 

The adopted Final Report is largely identical to the leaked Draft Final Report.  However, the recommendation of "renaming FEMA" as “FEMA 2.0" has been removed.  Also, the recommendation that "FEMA remain housed within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)" has been excluded.  The Final Report is silent on whether FEMA should become a cabinet-level agency or be housed within a department.  Rather than the Draft Report's aim to "reduce overall staffing by approximately 50%," the Final Report suggests that FEMA “conduct a strategic review of requirements to determine appropriate staffing levels and address a recent surge in headquarters-based personnel by rebalancing their headquarters vs. field personnel ratio."

 The current version affirms that "the transformed agency should shift training execution to states, expand and leverage existing successful partnerships, continue support of Emergency Management Assistance Compact agreements, empower states with expedited funding, and limit federal on-the-ground response to only incidents that exceed the capabilities and capacities of SLTT stakeholders."  The Council advises "rather than replacing successful programs, the future agency should double down on those with a proven track record of effective federal-state-local partnership."  

 In the Final Report, recommendation #7 proposes to "Reform the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) for Financial Stability and Risk Resilience."  The Council has noted legislation will be required in order to implement most NFIP-related recommendations.  Sub-recommendations, as copied from the report, include:

• Empower Communities (Better Land-Use Policies): Enhance NFIP participation standards administratively to support intuitive land use choices that result in predictable post-flood outcomes for communities.  FEMA could explore ways to modernize the Community Rating System incentives to reward integration of property-level resilience activities; align floodplain standards with this proposal’s modernization of mapping data; and provide support to states to promote risk communication with local land-use planning.
• Modernize Risk Assessment (Update Risk Rating 2.0 & Improve Maps): The NFIP's updated pricing methodology, Risk Rating 2.0, leveraged advanced technology and data sources to deliver fairer, more individualized rates, must continue to be implemented and updated based on better information and science...The program must also improve the accessibility, transparency, and quality of flood risk data and communication tools for all stakeholders.
• Implement Risk-Based Pricing & Actual Costs: A key to enabling the private market shift is to charge policyholders the actual costs of their policies. FEMA should continue to refine Risk Rating 2.0 implementation. The Council recommends exploring existing subsidies and working with Congress to address affordability challenges for select homeowners.
• Revise ‘Write Your Own’ Compensation: FEMA provides an expense allowance to Write Your Own (WYO) private insurance companies of roughly $1 billion annually to sell, write, and service standard flood insurance policies under the National Flood Insurance Program...The compensation methodology is dated and doesn’t reflect improvements in FEMA’s systems, automated premium pricing methodology, or the expanded use of the direct-to-customer servicing platform
• Shift to Private Market through Depopulation of Existing NFIP Policies: A core component of the solution is a gradual, structured transition of certain existing NFIP policies to the private market in areas where private capacity exists and are consistent with state regulatory frameworks. This would be accomplished by pursuing a voluntary "take-out" program, which would allow FEMA to assess the feasibility of transferring eligible policies to qualified private insurers under existing statutory authority.
• Evaluate Development of Flood Insurance Marketplace: To modernize and enhance the capacity of the national flood insurance system, it is recommended that FEMA evaluate the development of a flood insurance marketplace designed to provide consumers with access to both NFIP and qualified private insurance options when purchasing a new flood policy.  The marketplace could leverage private sector capacity through a centralized clearinghouse model, allowing private participating insurers opportunity to offer coverage prior to placement with NFIP. 
• Pricing Alignment: The marketplace's pricing mechanism could reference FEMA’s Risk Rating 2.0 framework as an actuarial benchmark.  In addition, the marketplace could encourage depopulation by requiring the insured to select a private flood insurance policy from a marketplace approved insurer that is priced at no more than 10 percent above the NFIP Risk Rating 2.0 actuarial rate for comparable coverage for the same property. 
• Address Repetitive Loss Properties: Manage repetitive loss properties through targeted mitigation planning and accountability measures, such as those proposed in the "Repeatedly Flooded Communities Preparation Act" (S.1545).  This legislation provides a structured plan to address the highest-risk properties and ensures mitigation is a priority in these areas, thereby reducing the financial burden of repeated claims.
• Reduce Duplicative ESA Burden on the NFIP: The Council recommends that National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) be directed to 1) rescind all Biological Opinions (BiOps) relating to FEMA’s implementation of the NFIP and 2) statutorily exempt the NFIP from the ESA. FEMA should focus on a national ESA solution for the NFIP through a renewed partnership with NMFS.

Back to top