![[logo] US EPA](../gif/logo_epaseal.gif){kind=logo}
Gulf Guardian Award Winners 2007
Individual Category - 2nd Place
| Individual Name: | Gaye S. Farris |  Click on the picture to view a larger size. |
|
| Company | |||
| Location: | Lafayette, Louisiana | ||
| Category: | Individual |
Gaye Farris is a woman who is tied to the gulf coast by birth and who has made a career of more than effectively communicating information about the coast and its natural resources. She has physically lived at so many locations that were affected by the storms of 2005: grew up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and the lower 9th Ward of New Orleans, raised her children in Slidell, La., and now lives in western Louisiana. Her lifelong experience of 30 years in communicating--first as a reporter, then teacher, then leader of USGS communications and publications—was poignantly challenged when she had to be detached enough to communicate the effects of the storms and plans to recover as well as take care of family members who had evacuated from New Orleans. She had to view countless photographs and videos showing the destruction of her beloved landscapes, and then help get science information and proposals ready for users and decision makers. Her lifelong achievements, as well as her tireless commitment to communicating during a time of chaos, make her worthy of this Gulf Guardian Award.
