“We have a vision of a city that embraces water while also creating urban ecosystems that can improve the quality of life for a community. ”
Luisa Abballe hails from bustling New York and is a graduate of Fordham University where she studied sociology and visual arts with a concentration in painting and drawing. While at Fordham she got involved in service work and diversity peer education and continued to do both when she came to New Orleans in 2011 serving in AmeriCorps and then as a carpentry manager at SBP. Permaculture techniques and stormwater managment became a focus as flooding posed a constant problem for homeowners in the field. Luisa joined on the Evans + Lighter team as a project manager where she gained much knowledge and expertise installing stormwater management systems and landscapes. Luisa is a licensed horticulturist and has a passion for teaching the skills of the trade in stormwater and ecological systems.
Arien Hall is a Baton Rouge native who attended Loyola University New Orleans with a focus in Arts in Music. After leaving school she taught music with several orchestra programs around the city, including Ellis Marsalis Center for Music and the Make Music NOLA program. During her work with various non-profits, Arien learned of the Americorps program and the great benefit assisting in rebuilding New Orleans could provide. While working with SBP, she gained hard skills in carpentry and building. After leaving the non-profit sector, Arien retained a job with Evans + Lighter Landscape Architecture where she received training in permaculture practices and sustainability as well as construction of stormwater management systems. She now holds six years of experience in the field of construction and stormwater management.