LAPB Executive Board
President
Dr. John Foret
Dr. Foret joined Fenstermaker in the fall of 2016 as their Vice President of Environmental. He supervises all environmental staff activities as they relate to industry permitting; wetland delineations; consultation on mitigation banking and wetland habitat restoration; and environmental and biological assessments. Previously, he served as a Research Fisheries Biologist with DOC/NOAA/NMFS Galveston Laboratory. He was the Team Leader within the Fishery Ecology Branch in Lafayette, and managed all activities associated with CWPPRA related to coastal fisheries habitat restoration in Southwest Louisiana.
President-Elect
Elliott Boudreaux
Elliot Boudreaux is an Environmental Specialist and the Environmental Office Manager for the Shreveport branch of C.H. Fenstermaker & Associates, where he leads multidisciplinary teams in project management, permitting, biological assessments, and environmental technology operations. With over five years of experience in private consulting, he has developed specialized expertise in wetland delineation, GIS integration, and unmanned aerial systems for environmental data collection. He is a graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where he earned a degree in Environmental Science with a concentration in Environmental Quality and a minor in Geology.
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Past President
Dr. Heidi Adams
Heidi is an Associate Professor of Wildlife Habitat Management at Louisiana Tech University. As a faculty instructor in the Louisiana Tech Forestry program, she teaches courses related to wildlife biology, ecology, and habitat management. Her research interests include avian and mammalian habitat conservation and management and increasing female participation in the forestry profession via mentorship, community outreach, and experiential learning.
Treasurer
Max Cox
Max is currently the NRCS Area Biologist for North Louisiana, where has been in employed for 10 years. Prior to moving to LA, he completed his MS in Wildlife Biology at the University of Tennessee. His research focused on Bat Community Response to Prescribed Fire and Overstory Thinning on the Cumberland Plateau. While in graduate school, he was active at the State, Section, and the National levels of TWS. He also served as the Graduate Student Representative for the UTK student chapter of TWS. Prior to graduate school, he completed his B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Science at UTK where he served two terms as Treasurer for the student chapter of TWS and he served as the Quiz Bowl Committee Chair for the 2012 Southeastern Wildlife Conclave. Max currently resides in Rayville, LA with his son and 15 year old lab.
Secretary
Dr. Anastasia Couvillon
​Dr. Anastasia Couvillon is an Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Louisiana at Monroe whose research focuses on conserving threatened and endangered species through spatial ecology and decision analysis. She integrates ecological data, modeling, and structured decision‑making to create tools that connect science and policy. Her work includes habitat prioritization, spatial decision‑support systems, and large‑scale conservation planning across North America. She previously worked with the USGS on waterfowl habitat management and the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, with publications emphasizing the integration of biological and social objectives in conservation planning.
Co-Communication Chair/Co-Newsletter Editor
Owen Best
Owen is currently the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) Coordinator for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. After receiving a B.S. of Forestry from Stephen F. Austin State University in 2016, he spent a season on a banding crew in Saskatchewan, 5 years working for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on the Justin Hurst WMA, and has worked for LDWF since 2021. At LDWF, he is responsible for public land wetland development, management, and reclamation, as well as private land assistance, recommendations, and several private land habitat incentive programs.
Co-Communication Chair/Co-Newsletter Editor
Darby Simmons
Darby received a B.S. in Natural Resources Ecology and Management from Louisiana State University in 2019 and has worked as a Private Lands Biologist in the Farm Bill Program for Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries for the last 5 years. Her work focuses on restoration and monitoring of private land enrolled in the Wetland Reserve Easement program, and assisting landowners through NRCS cost share programs.
Webmaster
Joshua Soileau
Josh is a Project Manager and Senior Biologist for TRC Companies in Louisiana with over 13 years experience in the field of natural resources. A graduate of McNeese State University with both a B.S. and M.S., his career has included work in private and public sector, and has focused primarily on wetland ecology, delineation, mitigation, management, and restoration. Other areas of interest and expertise include wildlife habitat management and native plant community restoration and management.