NEW ORLEANS – After 20 years as executive director of the Urban Conservancy, Dana Eness will step down at the end of 2026. Board president Meghan Garhan will take over as interim executive director as the New Orleans nonprofit begins a search for its next leader in 2027.
“It’s been the honor and privilege of a lifetime to meet, listen to, and get to know New Orleanians of all ages, neighborhoods and walks of life,” Eness said.
The Urban Conservancy’s board and staff began planning for the leadership change two years ago, ultimately selecting Garhan to serve as interim executive director during the search for the organization’s next leader.
“Many thanks to Dana for her strong leadership; we owe much of our success to her steadfast commitment to our organization’s mission,” Garhan said.
Eness expressed confidence in the organization as it prepares for the transition.
“I assure you the organization is in very caring and competent hands,” Eness said.
Two Decades of Urban Conservancy Work
The Urban Conservancy was founded in 2001 in response to concerns about suburban-style, auto-oriented development being introduced into New Orleans’ historic urban neighborhoods. The nonprofit initially focused on land use and preservation of the city’s built environment, with its work later expanding to include locally owned businesses, stormwater management and the relationship between the city’s built and natural environments.
During Eness’ tenure, the Urban Conservancy developed a range of programs reflecting that broader mission:
- The Front Yard Initiative was created in response to excessive yard paving in New Orleans and works with property owners to replace impervious surfaces with landscaping and other measures designed to improve stormwater management, safety and neighborhood appearance.
- StayLocal, the organization’s Greater New Orleans independent business alliance, works to increase the visibility and viability of locally owned businesses and advocates for policies intended to help them compete with national chains.
- BASIN, or Building Active Stewardship in New Orleans, is the Urban Conservancy’s environmental literacy and stewardship program for middle school students, who learn about water and other environmental issues through field trips, talks with experts and hands-on activities.
Beyond its own programs, the Urban Conservancy has supported a number of other New Orleans initiatives.
“It’s also been both humbling and inspiring to play supporting roles in the launch of such important mainstays of New Orleans’ culture as the Lafitte Greenway, The Lens, and the Water Collaborative,” Eness said.
The organization helped secure funding and other resources and provided organizational support for the Lafitte Greenway planning process from 2007 to 2014, and later participated in the core planning team for the Greater New Orleans Water Collaborative. It also played a supporting role in the launch of The Lens, a nonprofit newsroom covering government, criminal justice, the environment, land use and other issues affecting New Orleans and the Gulf South.
“This isn’t an easy decision (colleagues who have walked this path before me tell me it never is) — there are always projects to wrap up, new projects to develop — but it is the right decision, and at the right time, both for me and for the Urban Conservancy,” Eness said.
Leadership Transition
Eness said she will remain available to the Urban Conservancy’s board and staff to help ensure a smooth transition.
“I’m also looking forward to devoting more time to projects and people in my life that never get the attention they deserve,” she said.
Garhan said she is happy that Eness will remain active in the New Orleans community.
“While we are sad to say goodbye to Dana, we are also thrilled for her and her next chapter, where we know she will continue to serve our community in new and exciting ways,” Garhan said.
Garhan also credited the organization’s staff, board and community partners with supporting its work.
“We are beyond grateful for both our current and past staff and board for their committed support of our organization, as well as our many cherished community partners, who continue to show up, working alongside us in a multitude of ways,” she said.
The leadership change will not alter the Urban Conservancy’s focus on the relationship between New Orleans’ built and natural environments, Garhan said.
“The Urban Conservancy continues to believe that maintaining the historic urban fabric of New Orleans is in the best interest of all New Orleanians, and that to do so requires solutions that acknowledge and respond to the intricate interplay between our built and natural environments,” Garhan said.
