Kathleen Onufer
Program Associate for the Claiborne Corridor
Kathleen Onufer grew up in Virginia Beach, VA on the Chesapeake Bay (America’s estuary to the America’s Wetland of Louisiana). Before coming to Louisiana, Kathleen worked in post-tsunami communities in Thailand, aiding in the restoration of economic livelihoods and mangrove protection. Kathleen has also served as a Virginia Governor’s Fellow under the Honorable Tim Kaine, working on stormwater regulations and environmental policy. In New Orleans, she has worked on affordable housing and weatherization for the Salvation Army’s EnviRenew program and has conducted neighborhood research and surveys for the Broadmoor Improvement Association/ Broadmoor Development Corporation. At Foundation for Louisiana, Kathleen is the Fusion 5.0 Associate for the Claiborne Avenue corridor in New Orleans. In her new role, she is responsible for leading multipronged efforts to revitalize the corridor through cultivation of small businesses, affordable housing, and public amenities such as transportation and green spaces. Kathleen earned a Masters of Urban Planning from the Harvard Graduate School of Design and an A.B. from Dartmouth College. She enjoys riding her bike, ice cream (coffee or mint chocolate chip), and – perhaps most of all – riding her bike to get ice cream.