Liz McCartney cofounded
SBP (formerly the St. Bernard Project) in March 2006 to rebuild homes destroyed by
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
in the
St. Bernard Parish of
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
, southeast of
. She is the 2008 CNN
Hero of the Year and was nominated fo
CNN Superheroof the Decade.
Biography
A native of
Washington, DC
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...
, McCartney attended
Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School
Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School is a private Roman Catholic college-preparatory school for girls located in the historic Washington, D.C. neighborhood of Georgetown. Founded in 1799 by the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary (also k ...
. She graduated from
Boston College
Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...
in 1994 and received a master's degree in curriculum and instruction from the
George Washington University
, mottoeng = "God is Our Trust"
, established =
, type = Private federally chartered research university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $2.8 billion (2022)
, preside ...
. McCartney served in the
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an independent agency and program of the United States government that trains and deploys volunteers to provide international development assistance. It was established in March 1961 by an executive order of President John F. ...
in
Lesotho
Lesotho ( ), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a country landlocked country, landlocked as an Enclave and exclave, enclave in South Africa. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the Thabana Ntlenyana, highest mountains in Sou ...
,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
. She has also taught
ESL
English as a second or foreign language is the use of English by speakers with different native languages. Language education for people learning English may be known as English as a second language (ESL), English as a foreign language (EFL ...
and middle school. Before startin
SBP McCartney was the Executive Director of a community-based nonprofit organization in Washington, DC which provided technology-based after school and summer programs for young people attending DC public schools. McCartney and Zack Rosenburg volunteered in
St. Bernard Parish in March 2006 after the storm. They then quit their jobs in Washington, returned to
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
in June 2006, and the following August they cofounded the
St. Bernard Project. As of July 2012, over 45,000 volunteers have rebuilt more than 440 hurricane-damaged homes in St. Bernard Parish and New Orleans with the St. Bernard Project.
Awards
*In 2007, Liz McCartney and Zack Rosenburg made Gambit's "40 under 40" list of successful young New Orleanians.
*Liz and Zack received the
Manhattan Institute for Policy Research
The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research (renamed in 1981 from the International Center for Economic Policy Studies) is a conservative American think tank focused on domestic policy and urban affairs, established in Manhattan in 1978 by Anto ...
Social Entrepreneurship Award in 2008.
*On May 3, 2008, Senator
Mary Landrieu
Mary Loretta Landrieu ( ; born November 23, 1955) is an American entrepreneur and politician who served as a United States senator from Louisiana from 1997 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, Landrieu served as the Louisiana State Treasure ...
presented Liz and Zack with the Heroes of the Storm Award.
*On January 5, 2009 Liz and Zack were named
Gambit Weekly
''Gambit'' (formerly ''Gambit Weekly'') is a New Orleans, Louisiana-based free alternative weekly newspaper established in 1981.
''Gambit'' features reporting about local politics, news, food and drink, arts, music, film, events, environmental ...
's New Orleanians of the Year 2008.
*Liz McCartney was voted the 2008
CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
Hero of the Year (
CNN Heroes
''CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute'' is a television special created by CNN to honor individuals who make extraordinary contributions to humanitarian aid and make a difference in their communities. The program was started in 2007. Since 2016, the ...
) on November 27, 2008.
*Liz McCartney was named the "2010 Woman of Excellence for Community Service" by
Wiley College
Wiley College is a private historically black college in Marshall, Texas. Founded in 1873 by the Methodist Episcopal Church's Bishop Isaac Wiley and certified in 1882 by the Freedman's Aid Society, it is one of the oldest predominantly black col ...
According to CNN's website:
* "Liz McCartney is dedicated to helping Hurricane Katrina survivors in St. Bernard Parish, a community just outside New Orleans. Her nonprofit St. Bernard Project has rebuilt the homes of more than 120 families."
[St. Bernard Project]
See also
*
CNN Heroes
''CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute'' is a television special created by CNN to honor individuals who make extraordinary contributions to humanitarian aid and make a difference in their communities. The program was started in 2007. Since 2016, the ...
References
External links
CNN Heroes PageSt. Bernard Project PageThanks From Liz-CNN Hero of the Year
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCartney, Liz
Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School alumni
Hurricane Katrina disaster relief
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
Boston College alumni
George Washington University Graduate School of Education and Human Development alumni
People from Washington, D.C.