T’bonne coastal restoration recommendation readied

Terrebonne Parish President Michel Claudet has confirmed that he will recommend Nicholas Matherne to become the next director of coastal restoration and preservation tonight at the Terrebonne Parish council meeting.

Matherne is expected to leave his post as director of coastal energy and environment in Lafourche Parish upon ratification to the Terrebonne post by the council, which is expected to come with a vote on Jan. 26. He would fill the position vacated by Leslie Sauzo when she left the job to enter private sector environmental work on Dec. 10, 2010.

Matherne has worked in coastal management with Lafourche Parish since December 2007. Prior to that he was an assistant manager at Wal-Mart and a youth minister.

Matherne completed professional studies with the Department of Homeland Security in 2009, and has been trained by the Environmental Systems Research Institute and the U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Coastal service Center. He is also a 2006 graduate of Nicholls State University.

“It has been an absolute joy and blessing for me to serve the resident of Lafourche these past three years,” Matherne said. “President [Charlotte] Randolph is not only very passionate about coastal issues, but also has a contagious for this love for this parish and its people. Terrebonne’s coastal area offers very unique challenges, and I’m grateful to President [Michel] Claudet for affording me the opportunity to face these challenges on behalf of the people of Terrebonne. I hope the council can recognize my determination, and that we can all get to work protecting our wetlands.”