Cesar R. Rodriguez coordinates product donations and construction services for Make It Right. Cesar is a second-generation contractor with over 10 years experience in construction management. He previously managed his own construction business and brings a wealth of construction and management experience to Make It Right. He is a graduate of the University of Houston with a major in Political Science. Cesar was among the first group of contractors to return to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

Melanie brings 18 years of design experience, as both a licensed practitioner and professor of landscape architecture. Prior to joining Make It Right, she practiced with architectural firms in Denver and New York and was a professor in the College of Architecture at Kansas State University. She served as landscape architect and project manager on a wide range of multi-disciplinary projects, including her role as a Design Guidelines and Master Planning Team Member for the World Trade Center in New York. Read more...

James is the Director of Make It Right Solar, Inc. In that role he is responsible for overseeing the day to day operations and finances for the solar entity. He is also credited with creating deal and financial structures for our outside projects using different combinations of tax equity and other investments. James graduated with an MBA from Tulane with a concentration in Finance and a specialization in Energy. He was a Morton A. Aldrich Fellow and a Burkenroad Leadership Fellow. Although not a native, James very much enjoys the New Orleans lifestyle.

Make It Right’s Communications Director Taylor Royle oversees the organization’s public relations, events, outreach and partnerships, website and social media. Previously, she served in leadership roles at ONE, DATA, Oxfam and consulted on special projects for FIFA, NFL, the World Bank, UNHCR and others. After studying literature at Columbia University in New York, she began her career working in Congress and has travelled with the White House Press Corps throughout Europe, Africa and Asia as a non-governmental advisor on humanitarian issues. All press requests and speaking requests for Brad Pitt and Make It Right staff should be emailed to Taylor at [email protected].

Tim Duggan, ASLA, is a community planner and landscape architect currently developing new initiatives for Make It Right. Over the last three years, he has helped design and execute affordable LEED Platinum Landscapes and worked extensively with local community organizations, government and corporate partners on numerous projects from regenerative residential garden designs to city-wide infrastructure. His architecture career began with BNIM Architects focusing on community planning initiatives and sustainable urban designs. Tim is an expert in innovative storm water management techniques, sustainable land-use and community engagement in the planning process. Read more...

Kimberly has worked with Make It Right as part of the initial development team since 2007 and now serves as Development Director. She started her own fundraising practice with a focus on donor cultivation and stewardship in the corporate and non-profit fundraising environment. She has experience working on capital giving campaigns as well as managing high profile fundraising initiatives. Recent projects have included major capital campaigns for D.C. landmarks, a health initiative to provide resources for the families of children with autism and an advocacy group focused on orphans and vulnerable children in the developing world. Her previous political fundraising experience in Washington, D.C. included senior finance team positions for members of the Senate and House of Representatives and managing fundraising for Credit Suisse’s political action committee.

Tom Darden is the Executive Director of Make It Right. He worked with the Make It Right Board to raise over $40 million from more than 31,000 donors, managed the design process with 21 architectural firms, and developed Make It Right’s award-winning LEED Platinum homes and buildings. Under Tom’s leadership, the Make It Right neighborhood in New Orleans has become the largest, greenest development of single family LEED Platinum homes in the world, according to the U.S. Green Building Council. Tom was named Louisiana’s 2009 Young Entrepreneur of the Year by the Small Business Administration. In 2012, he received the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in the N.G.O. Sector Award. He also was a member of the Super Bowl XLVII Environmental Host Committee. Read More