OUR TEAM
Executive Director
(225) 692-4114
Dean A. Wilson
Captain Dean A. Wilson is our Executive Director and Basinkeeper. American born, Dean grew up in Spain but came to Louisiana in 1984 en route to the Amazon. After living in the Basin’s deep swamps for 4 months with only a spear, a few hooks, a bow and arrows, Dean fell in love with the swamps, lakes, bayous and rivers of the Atchafalaya Basin. Dean chose to stay in the Basin, working as a commercial fisherman before forming Basinkeeper in 2004, a proud member of the Waterkeeper Alliance. Dean's passion for the Basin is evident to all who know him. When he is not out patrolling or educating communities about the Basin and its many threats and treasures, he works with his family-owned and operated swamp tour business, Last Wilderness Swamp Tours.
Monica Fisher
Monica Fisher is our Development Director. Born and raised in Baton Rouge, LA, she spent a lot of her youth in the bayous of the Atchafalaya Delta alongside of her Grandfather, who was a trapper and commercial fisherman. Monica returned to Louisiana after living 20yrs in Northern Nevada in 2010. In January 2018 she returned to the Basin on a tour with Dean and fell in love again with the Atchafalaya Basin. After 5 months of volunteering, she joined ABK October 2018. Monica’s background is in Business Management and Public Relations. Monica’s love for the Basin not only shows in her work, she also has relocated and purchased her home in the Basin.
Development Director basinkeeper@gmail.com
(225) 685-9439
Administrative Assistant abkoffice@basinkeeper.org
(225) 692-1133
KIMBERLY CULOTTA
Kimberly has recently returned home to Lafayette, Louisiana after 18 years working in the film industry in California. Since 2018, she has been dedicated to regenerative land stewardship and water protection in south Louisiana. Kimberly is a partner in Fightingville Fresh Market -- a twice weekly farmer's market bringing locally grown produce to Lafayette's Northside and is a bicycle advocate. She is thrilled to be part of this team protecting our region's priceless river ecosystem.
Staff Attorney brennan@basinkeeper.org
(225) 335-3076
brennan spoor
Brennan attended Tulane Law School, where he spent a year with Tulane’s Environmental Law Clinic and graduated with a Certificate in Environmental Law. Originally from Kansas City, Brennan is an avid hiker and enjoys being in nature. Brennan has spent the last two years as a middle school history teacher in Birmingham, yet his love for Louisiana and environmental law, instilled during his time with Tulane, has brought him to where his heart calls home. As the staff attorney for ABK, Brennan seeks to be an integral part of protecting the people and environment of Louisiana.
Hannah Bergeron
Hannah Bergeron is our Social Media Coordinator. She is a graduate of Centenary College of Louisiana from which she received her BA and MAT. She currently teaches high school French, and she previously taught French immersion in Louisiana. Hannah enjoys doing yoga, caring for her animals, and promoting the importance of language, especially French, in all that she does. Hannah’s appreciation and passion to preserve and educate others of the history and culture of Louisiana are what drove her to engage in multiple communities, including ABK.
Social Media Coordinator basinkeepermedia@gmail.com
Charla helmers
ABK Acadiana Volunteer Chair. Charla is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and a graduate of LSU. She holds BS in Physical Geography and a Master of Natural Sciences degree in Geographic Information Systems. She has mapped the forest habitats of Louisiana from satellite imagery and has worked in the Amite River basin while working for the Louisiana State Geologic Survey. Trained as a DoD cartographer, she has also worked in various roles related to mapping, including research, budgets, and contracting. For 10 years, Charla taught public school as a Science and Social Studies Lead. She is passionate about local music and history, and preservation of the Basin, as well as, Louisiana culture and heritage. Given her long family history in Louisiana and love for the beauty and functions of the river systems in Louisiana, volunteering for ABK is natural.
