SLS 23RS-1992 ORIGINAL
2023 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 118
BY SENATORS BOUDREAUX AND HENSGENS
CONDOLENCES. Expresses condolences on the death of Justin Reid Ehrenwerth.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To express the sincere condolences of the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana upon the
3 death of Justin Reid Ehrenwerth and to recognize and commend his outstanding
4 contributions.
5 WHEREAS, it is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we mourn the loss of Justin
6 Reid Ehrenwerth; and
7 WHEREAS, Justin was born September 5, 1978, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and
8 was one of two children of David H. Ehrenwerth, a prominent Pittsburgh attorney and the
9 late Charlene "Kandy" Reidbord Ehrenwerth, a Pittsburgh litigator and activist who died in
10 a car crash when Justin was thirteen years old; and
11 WHEREAS, Justin was a devoted and loving husband to Dana Dupré and father to
12 sons Louis and Charles, and a loving older brother to sister Lindsey Ehrenwerth Herman;
13 and
14 WHEREAS, Mr. Ehrenwerth graduated summa cum laude from Colby College and
15 held an MA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Oxford and a J.D.
16 from the University of Pennsylvania Law School; and
17 WHEREAS, early in his distinguished career, Mr. Ehrenwerth was active in the
18 nonprofit sector having worked at the University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics, Northern
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SLS 23RS-1992 ORIGINAL
1 California Grantmakers, Pennsylvania League of Young Voters, the American Jewish
2 Committee, and he also served as a Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Teaching
3 Fellow, as well as a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs; and
4 WHEREAS, Mr. Ehrenwerth served in the United States Department of Commerce,
5 Office of General Counsel where he assisted with the management of over three hundred
6 lawyers in fourteen offices and ultimately received the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
7 Administration (NOAA) General Counsel's Award for Excellence for work related to the
8 response to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill; and
9 WHEREAS, Justin then served as assistant counsel to President Barack Obama,
10 where he took the lead on BP Deepwater Horizon litigation for the White House working
11 with the United States Department of Justice and subsequently served as the inaugural
12 executive director of the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council; and
13 WHEREAS, Mr. Ehrenwerth then served as chief of staff to the deputy secretary of
14 the United States Department of Commerce where he assisted in overseeing issues of policy,
15 budgeting, and strategic planning and focused on matters impacting NOAA, including
16 complex regulatory and management challenges; and
17 WHEREAS, he served as the inaugural executive director of the Gulf Coast
18 Ecosystem Restoration Council (Council), which was created in the aftermath of the
19 Deepwater Horizon oil spill and charged with directing billions of dollars in penalties to
20 restore the Gulf Coast's economy and environment, and adapt in the face of climate change;
21 and
22 WHEREAS, Mr. Ehrenwerth successfully established the Council as an independent
23 federal agency and oversaw all aspects of its programmatic, technical, and operational
24 activities; and
25 WHEREAS, in 2017, he was appointed the second president and chief executive
26 officer of The Water Institute of the Gulf, which is an independent, nonprofit, applied
27 research institution developing integrated methods to address environmental and societal
28 challenges that was established in 2011 to advance our knowledge of natural and human
29 aspects of deltaic, coastal, and water management systems; and
30 WHEREAS, in recent years Mr. Ehrenwerth's commitment to service continued as
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1 a member of the Board of Directors of Touro Synagogue as well as the Anti-Defamation
2 League's South Central Region, where he was an active voice on the Civil Rights
3 Committee, and he was a member of Louisiana's Committee of 100 for Economic
4 Development; and
5 WHEREAS, Mr. Ehrenwerth, who has called Louisiana home since 2013, was a
6 nationally recognized expert in coastal policy and applied science at the national and Gulf
7 of Mexico level and throughout his career and personal life he worked tirelessly to make a
8 more resilient Gulf Coast and a stronger Louisiana; and
9 WHEREAS, when asked about his favorite things, they included walks with his boys
10 on the levee near his house, attending Jazz Fest with his family, traveling both
11 internationally and locally often by kayak to explore Louisiana, playing the harmonica, and
12 his hometown sports team, the Pittsburgh Steelers; and
13 WHEREAS, left to cherish the untold memories of Justin Reid Ehrenwerth are his
14 children, his loving wife, his father, a host of friends, colleagues, and communities he served
15 by his generous work and his dedication to, and enthusiasm for, protecting the Gulf.
16 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
17 does hereby extend full-hearted and fervent condolences to the family of Justin Reid
18 Ehrenwerth on the occasion of his death and does further acknowledge his substantive
19 contributions to the state of Louisiana, the Gulf Coast region, and the world's pursuit of
20 greater environmental sustainability and resilience; as well as his commitment to applying
21 the best available science to guide and develop policies and projects capable of protecting
22 people, the economy, and the environment from natural hazards.
23 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
24 family of Justin Reid Ehrenwerth as a token of our heartfelt sympathy and appreciation for
25 his extraordinary contributions, inspiring us all to be stewards of our natural world.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Tyler S. McCloud.
DIGEST
SR 118 Original 2023 Regular Session Boudreaux
Expresses condolences upon the death of Justin Reid Ehrenwerth.
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