MBNEP Announces Hire of Henry Perkins as Community Relations Manager; Watershed Management Coordinator Christian Miller

The Mobile Bay National Estuary Program (MBNEP) announced today the hiring of Henry Perkins as Community Relations Manager, as well as the expansion of duties for longtime Watershed Management Coordinator Christian Miller.

In his role as Community Relations Manager, Perkins will oversee the Business Resources Committee, where he will manage the MBNEP’s vital relationships with the business community as well as launch programs to foster sound economic development that also builds environmental resilience. Among the first initiatives on his agenda will be work toward the creation of a revolving loan fund to support our local fishing and oyster industries.

Perkins is a lifelong Mobilian with a passion for helping others build relationships. He previously worked for the Downtown Mobile Alliance, bringing thousands together in celebration of the city and connecting dozens of entrepreneurs with the resources they needed to get their businesses off the ground. He also gets his hands dirty in his spare time, working with Mobile Urban Growers to establish community gardens all around Mobile.

Perkins is a graduate of the University of Alabama, where he studied Community Organization, and of the University of South Alabama, where he was awarded a Master’s in Business Administration.

The MBNEP also announced today that longtime key Program staffer, Christian Miller will be expanding his role at the organization to include management of ecosystem restoration projects. Miller, originally hired in 2008, is currently also responsible for overseeing of the development of the signature Comprehensive Watershed Management Plans that lead much of the group’s work, as well as provide guidance to millions of dollars in grants each year for projects in Alabama’s coastal watersheds.

The MBNEP is the well-established regional leader in watershed management planning and in ecosystem restoration initiatives. The mission of the MBNEP is to promote wise stewardship of Alabama’s estuaries and coast. It is non-regulatory, focused on strategic impacts, by bringing together citizens; local, state, and federal government agencies; businesses and industries; conservation and environmental organizations; and academic institutions to meet the challenges resulting from human impacts on the environment.