MARRERO, La. – The Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority – West (SLFPA-W) has announced that Mitch Kirkland, P.E. has joined the Board of Commissioners. Kirkland was sworn in during the March board meeting, after being appointed to the board by Governor Jeff Landry.
“Mitch brings a strong combination of technical expertise and public service that aligns directly with our mission,” said Scott Burke, president of the SLFPA-W Board of Commissioners. “His experience will help ensure we continue delivering the highest level of flood protection for the families, businesses and communities we serve on the West Bank.”
Kirkland, a native of Laurens, South Carolina, earned a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from The Citadel in 1999. He served on active duty in the United States Marine Corps from 1999 to 2008 as a UH-1N “Huey” helicopter pilot, completing one deployment to Afghanistan and two to Iraq. He later retired from the Marine Corps Reserve as a lieutenant colonel in 2021.
He has lived in New Orleans since 2006 and has worked as a civil engineer since 2009. His experience includes major regional infrastructure projects such as the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal surge barrier at Lake Borgne and the new terminal at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. He also earned a Master of Business Administration from Tulane University in 2017.
Kirkland currently works as a forensic engineer with U.S. Forensic and resides in Algiers Point with his wife and daughter.
“The West Bank has been home for two decades, and I’m proud to support the work that protects our communities,” said Kirkland. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to bring my engineering experience and service background to the board’s important work.”
As commissioner, Kirkland will support the Flood Authority’s mission to protect approximately 250,000 residents and more than $41 billion in property values inside the flood protection system on the West Bank.
The Flood Authority manages 80 miles of levees, floodgates and floodwalls in the most populated areas of the West Bank of Jefferson Parish and in all of Orleans Parish on the West Bank, including 47 miles of levees that are part of the Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System and 33 miles of Mississippi River levees.
Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority – West (SLFPA-W) Overview
SLFPA-W oversees flood protection infrastructure on the west bank of the Greater New Orleans region, including levees, floodwalls and pump systems in portions of Jefferson and Orleans parishes. The authority was created after Hurricane Katrina as part of Louisiana’s levee board consolidation reforms.
