Celebrated as the “coastal crusader” that he is, Marty Mayer, CEO of Stirling Properties, was the cover feature for Biz New Orleans’ August 2017 issue, just two months after the Louisiana legislature passed the $50 billion 2017 Louisiana Coastal Master Plan.
Declared a federal emergency by both the state and federal government, Louisiana’s land loss is severe — 2,006 square miles of coast between 1932 and 2016 according to a U.S. Geological survey.
Spurred by a problem that affects business just as much as everyone else, Mayer said it was during a conversation with Michael Hecht and Robin Barnes — president and CEO, and executive vice president and COO of Greater New Orleans, Inc. — that the importance of raising awareness of coastal issues in business came up. The idea of creating a business group was raised.
“We felt we could help in two ways,” said Mayer. “First, we can spread the word. Our goal has been to use our voices and connections in a way that will hopefully protect funding that has already been earmarked for coastal restoration; for example GOMESA (Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act) gives us royalties from offshore oil and BP fines. Second, we are in a position to advocate for other legislative policy issues that may end up expediting the permitting process of these projects that are designed to help.”
The Coalition for Coastal Resilience and Economy (CCRE) was formed in 2014. Chaired by Mayer, it represents a diverse group of leaders that range from banking and finance, to hospitality, manufacturing, law and energy.
Following the passage of the master plan — of which the CCRE was a fervent supporting force — the group has turned its attention to finding creative ways to help secure long-term sustainable financing for the projects included in the plan.
“Right now the funding has a lifespan of about 15 years,” said Mayer, “but these projects are going to go on a lot longer than that.”
The CCRE has also created an education task force, with the goals of partnering with schools and children’s organizations to educate the next generation about Louisiana’s coastal situation, as well as coordinate curriculum for the jobs that will be created by the master plan’s projects.
“It’s a whole new industry for South Louisiana,” he said.
