Gulf Coast Works is a small group of ardent community-based volunteers that forges mutually enriching relationships with Gulf Coast residents by facilitating the restoration of homes and communities impacted by Hurricane Katrina. We welcome all who are interested in furthering our goal of actively seeking direct, person-to-person solutions to a national tragedy of historic proportions.



Gulf Coast Works' Volunteer Leadership

Peter Hilton's professional career includes both academic and consulting positions. He is currently Partner at the Technology Strategies Group. Peter has substantial volunteer leadership experience, including previous President of Kerem Shalom and current President of Open Table, a community supper program in Concord, MA. He is also current president of Gulf Coast Works, and has led or participated in five work trips to the Gulf Coast since 2005.

Tracey Hurd is a psychologist who is currently on leave as Scholar at the Brandeis Women's Studies Research Center. Her doctoral and post-doctoral studies, college teaching and research have focused on children, public policy, and faith development. Inspired by her teenage children's passion for social justice, including her son's experience through a Gulf Coast Works assisted group trip, she is delighted to be an active advisor to GCW.

Dan Kagan is a managing partner in BioActives LLC, a company that develops active ingredients for nutraceuticals. He holds a Ph.D. in Entrepreneurial Studies. Dan's career includes growing small companies and marketing for non-profits, all with a focus on building strategic alliances. He and his son have worked on rebuilding projects in New Orleans.

David Kramer is a retired airline pilot with a long history of home improvement work. His volunteer experience includes serving on the Finance Committee, the Scout House board, and as Scoutmaster, all for the town of Concord, MA. He has also volunteered time with Habitat for Humanity, and was the project manager for GCW's first home rebuilding project in East Biloxi, MS, in 2006.

Suzanne Lowe is a strategist for professional marketing services, as well as author of Marketplace Masters: How Professional Service Firms Compete to Win (Greenwood, 2004). She speaks frequently to leading trade associations and in-house audiences, and facilitates roundtables for Chief Marketing Officers of leading professional service firms. Her work has been featured in the Harvard Business Review, Business Week and CMO Magazine. Suzanne has both volunteered for clean-up and rebuilding along the Gulf Coast, and provided her marketing expertise to further GCW's work.

John Page's public service career, which began as a Peace Corps volunteer in Africa, includes positions in government agencies, as well as executive director and COO for various non-profits, and treasurer for several environmental and service organizations. In the business world, he has worked as a project and product manager in financial application software development. John has completed seven volunteer trips to the Gulf Coast since the Katrina floods, and has led two GCW volunteer trips.

Richard Pasley is a professional photographer with 25 years of creative image-making for major corporations and magazines, including prominent work in the music and entertainment industries. His frequent pre-Katrina visits to New Orleans led to a great love of its people, music, and culture, and compelled him to action after the hurricane hit. Richard has made several trips for Gulf Coast Works for both photography and research to better the experience for Gulf Coast Works volunteers. His long-term involvement with Gulf Coast Works has been a life-changing experience.

Katharine Roberts is a writer/editor who has worked both on start-up publications and in communications for several non-profit organizations in the past 20 years. She has also chaired a number of voluntary, community-based groups, helps communicate GCW's work to others, and is known to be handy with building tools.

Dick Shohet has taught and administered in public, independent, and prison schools since the late 1950's, and draws from this experience to support GCW's development as an organization. He currently raises beef cattle in Carlisle, MA.