Meet This Year's Trio of Speakers
WEFTEC 2024’s Opening General Session brought together voices from diverse cultures, communities, and backgrounds—each with a unique connection to water. As we strive to shape a future free of water challenges, this session invited us to rethink how we engage with our communities and how the stories we share can inspire lasting change. With the rich culture of New Orleans as the backdrop, this year’s session celebrated the intersection of tradition, innovation, and water stewardship.
Through dynamic storytelling, music, and cultural narratives, we explored how water ties us to the land, to each other, and to the future. From indigenous wisdom to modern leadership, our speakers guided us in understanding the transformative power of water in shaping both our past and the paths we create ahead.
WEFTEC 2024 Opening General Session Speaker Biographies
Principal Chief Lora Ann Chaisson
Chaisson is the Principal Chief of the United Houma Nation—a proud tribal community native to Louisiana with deep ties to the water and land of their ancestors. Chief Chaisson, who lives in Pointe aux Chene, LA, has dedicated 42 years to serving her people and holds several significant roles within Native American leadership and advocacy.
As the Southeast Regional Alternate Area Vice President on the National Congress of American Indians Executive Committee, a member of the US Department of Labor Native American Employment and Training Council, and in numerous other prestigious roles, Chief Chaisson helps shape national policies that directly impact Native communities. She focuses on programs addressing employment, training, social and leadership development, and capacity-building—all of which reflect and honor the traditional cultural values and beliefs of the communities she serves.
Additionally, Chief Chaisson is Vice President of the Board of Directors for the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association and sits on the StrongHearts Board of Directors, which is a 24-hour hotline for domestic violence and sexual assault in Native communities. Recently, she was voted as a Top Female Achiever in the New Orleans area!
The Honorable Kelvin Davis
Davis is a direct descendant of the indigenous Māori people, who settled Aoteroa, New Zealand a millennium ago. Water is a vital part of Māori culture and identity and is considered a treasure. Kelvin belongs to the Ngapuhi, the largest Māori tribe in the country with around 120,000 members, and specifically to the Ngati Manu subtribe. He is fluent in the Māori language and his ancestral river is Taumarere.
Kelvin enjoyed a 20-year career in education, 14 of which were spent in educational leadership as a school principal and an advisor to principals, before being elected to the New Zealand Parliament in 2008. When the Labour Party of New Zealand formed a government in 2017, Kelvin became the Deputy Leader and third-ranking Cabinet member—holding key positions such as Minister of Māori-Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti, Minister of Tourism, and the Associate Minister of Māori Education.
In 2024, Kelvin left the government to join Te Amokura Consultants, a Māori firm focused on leadership and finding simple, innovative, and sustainable solutions to indigenous issues.
Mayor Errick D. Simmons, Esq.
Simmons, the mayor of Greenville, Miss., is a highly accomplished and well-known municipal leader. He currently serves on numerous local, state, and national boards and organizations. Mayor Simmons is the Chair of the Southern Municipal Conference, a Board member of the African-American Mayors Association, and previous Co-Chair of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative—to name just a few.
Addressing flooding and other climate change related issues through infrastructure investment is a top priority for Mayor Simmons. He recognizes that public infrastructure is crucial for improving quality of life, driving economic development, and promoting environmental justice. To that end, Mayor Simmons has secured the investment of millions of dollars in infrastructure equity projects for disadvantaged areas and for his constituency.
As co-chair of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative, Mayor Simmons has championed nature-based solutions to address climate change impacts along the Mississippi River. He has met with prestigious global audiences and helped lead efforts to influence climate negotiations tied to the Paris Accord. For his dedication to addressing climate and water issues, Mayor Simmons and the City of Greenville, MS were featured in the 2024 Brave Blue World documentary, “Our Blue World: A Water Odyssey.”
