BATON ROUGE, La. (May 1, 2018) – Following decades working at the intersection of water management, science, and policy, former Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Senior Economist Dale Morris joined The Water Institute of the Gulf Institute on May 1 as the Director of Strategic Partnerships.
“Having worked with Louisiana since the devastation caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, I’m excited to join the Institute and bring the lessons learned to other communities in the United States and around the world,” Morris said. “I have a strong affinity for Louisiana, its people and its water challenges and opportunities, and I’m delighted to come and work with the Institute.”
“Dale’s service as the senior economist with the Royal Netherlands Embassy has taken him all over the world helping communities as they strive to think differently about how they manage water,” said Justin Ehrenwerth, President and CEO of The Water Institute of the Gulf. “His experience and passion for creating more resilient communities fits perfectly with the Institute’s mission.”
Morris grew up in Pittsburgh and served six years in the U.S. Air Force, with more than half of those served in the Netherlands where he became fluent in Dutch. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science and then a master’s degree from University of Virginia in international law, economics, and theory. After college, Morris worked as legislative director in the U.S. Congress, working on tax, budget, trade, agriculture, appropriations, and water issues. He later moved to the embassy where he served as Congressional Liaison and worked on macro-economic, trade, regulatory, and energy issues.
When Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands immediately engaged Louisiana officials and offered to help in the recovery. Morris directed this post-Katrina activity for the Dutch and managed the embassy’s liaison to Louisiana and other U.S. states, including California, Florida, Texas, Virginia, and New York, as they worked on flood, water, and adaptation challenges.
Morris also worked closely with Sen. Mary Landrieu as she and others repeatedly visited the Netherlands and Deltares to see where Dutch expertise meshed with Louisiana’s needs. After her 2009 trip, the Senator concluded that Louisiana needed a Deltares-type institute and asked Morris to help the state understand the Deltares-model, its benefits, and relevance to knowledge-creation in deltaic and coastal areas. Morris also worked with New Orleans-based architect David Waggonner, co-founding the “Dutch Dialogues,” which organized detailed workshops about living with water in post-Katrina New Orleans. The Dutch Dialogues have been used elsewhere in the U.S. and are in demand in other flood-prone and flood-recovering communities.
“My aim is to help connect the Institute to opportunities that help communities and allow the Institute to engage projects – on the edge of knowledge creation. It’s good for the state, it’s good for the economy and it’s good for knowledge growth,” Morris said.
Media Contact: Amy Wold | awold@thewaterinstitute.org | 225-236-6425
About The Water Institute of the Gulf
The Water Institute is a not-for-profit, independent applied research and technical services institution with a mission to help coastal and deltaic communities thoughtfully prepare for an uncertain future. Through an integrated and inter-disciplinary approach, our work helps to create more resilient communities, thriving economies, and a healthy environment. For more information, visit www.thewaterinstitute.org.