A native of Houma in coastal Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, Emily Guidry Schatzel is the Senior Communications Manager for the National Wildlife Federation’s Gulf restoration program. She increases awareness about the Mississippi River Delta's rapidly disappearing wetlands and the needs for more resilient habitat across the Gulf through strategic communications, including media engagement, public relations and social media. Emily holds a J.D. and a Master’s in Communications from Loyola University New Orleans, and dual Bachelor’s degrees in English and Mass Communication from Nicholls State University. Prior to joining the National Wildlife Federation team in 2009, Emily was the first media director for the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, a national legal and public advocacy nonprofit, and also worked as a communications consultant for the mutual fund giant Vanguard. She loves being outdoors -- and indoors-- with her husband, their four young children and a bird dog who doesn't know he's not a lapdog.