The Graves family doesn’t ride for 30 miles when Ralston is on his bike and Calla is in the seat on her dad’s bike. Instead, Garret Graves, the director of the Governor’s Office of Coastal Activities, saves those rides for when the children are in the bike trailer. “We talk and laugh for 30 miles,” he says. “I could do it all day.” But it’s no wonder that Graves enjoys spending so much time outside with his children, no matter if the activity is biking, hiking, climbing, paddling or running. He’s been working to preserve and protect Louisiana, especially the coastal regions, for the last several years, securing as much as $24 billion in authorizations and appropriations for recreation and hurricane preparation. To read the full Q&A with Graves, click here. Here is a sample:
Why do you do what you do?
The people, the area—this place is amazing. That’s why I do it. Having the opportunity work with the great folks on our team and those working on hurricane protection, flood protection and coastal restoration in our state is such an amazing opportunity. Don’t tell the governor, but I can’t believe they pay me to do this stuff.
