Dana Eness

Executive Director, Urban Conservancy

Dana Eness has been Executive Director of the Urban Conservancy since 2007. She first became involved with the organization in 2003 as a founding board member of StayLocal, the UC’s initiative to create a strong network of local independent businesses.

She served as board president of the American Independent Business Alliance, as secretary of the Lafitte Greenway Steering Advisory Committee, and as a member of the founding committee and core planning team for the Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans. She’s also served on Mayor Cantrell’s Transition Team as a member of the Infrastructure Committee’s urban water subcommittee, She serves on the Sewerage and Water Board’s Customer Advisory Committee and the WaterNow Alliance’s Equity Advisory Group to more directly serve those that experience “first and worst” consequences of flooding, contamination, and other impacts associated with stormwater runoff.  Dana has been recognized as a 2018 CityBusiness Woman of the Year and as a 2021 “Women in STEM” honoree by the American Heart Association and Entergy.

Dana received her MA from Tulane University and her BA from Cornell College. She has worked in nonprofit administration, community programming and project development in New Orleans for 25 years. She loves hanging with her kids and cats, kayaking on Bayou St. John with her husband, and shopping, dining and drinking at local independent businesses, restaurants, and bars whenever she can.