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Hunter Svetanics is a drone pilot, photographer, marine surveyor, and nature conservationist. Born in Metairie, Louisiana, he has lived his whole life working, serving, and volunteering in the state. Hunter is currently working at Johnson Marine Services while studying online at Arizona State University, majoring in Geography with a minor in Sustainability.
Johnson Marine Services
Johnson Marine Services
Hunter started his career during high school in retail. Then went into the family business at Johnson Marine Services in 2017 as a Marine Surveyor. He started a new branch of aerial photography in the company after getting their FAA 107 drone pilot certification in 2019. He's collected many photos and videos for many different customers while conducting surveys on vessels and responding to various incidents on the Mississippi River and in the surrounding Gulf Coast waterways.
Hunter currently volunteers at the U.S.S. KIDD Veterans Museum, being a member of both the documentary and drydocking crews. The U.S.S. KIDD (DD-661) is a World War II Fletcher-class destroyer, that now serves as a museum ship in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Hunter's role in the documentary crew is cinematographer, filming the ship's modern day drydocking and repair process from start to finish. Documenting the transport of the U.S.S. KIDD, the repairs as they get made at the shipyard, and her journey back home in the spring of 2025. The Veterans Museum uploaded one of Hunter's videos to YouTube, showcasing the ship being released from her cradle, which has received over 20,000 views. Watch the full playlist here to see the entire trip to the shipyard. Hunter is also responsible for filming the performance of the U.S. Marine Forces Reserve Band on the U.S.S. KIDD for a promotional video, in part with WBRZ News. Hunter Svetanics and Johnson Marine Services are longtime supporters of the museum. They have volunteered their services running the initial inspections on the hull to prepare it for drydock repairs in 2019 and have filmed various promotional materials for the museum, while it's been in and out of drydock.
Hunter has worked with Verret Shipyard, documenting the construction process of different tow boats. Like the motor vessel "Daniel Wisner", filming the launch of the vessel, which was conducted by Mckinney Salvage and Heavy Lift. The construction took over 8 months and was completed in June 2020. Or filming the sea trials for the motor vessel "Lee W" as it exited the Port Allen Lock and entered the Mississippi River for the very first time. Hunter has fully documented the entire construction of many different vessels that the shipyard has built and has created many video presentations for the customers of Verret Shipyard. Other work Hunter has done with Verret Shipyard includes: aerial inspections of a large variety of vessels the shipyard repairs and maintains, aerial monitoring of the shipyard and Verret's facilities for storm damage and flooding events, and creation of promotional content for Verret Shipyard.
Other media in the marine industry Hunter is featured in includes: Drone Use Growing in the Marine Industry, Celebrating the Fourth of July With Ingenuity and Determination, World War II Destroyer Prepares For Trip Down The Mississippi, 'Nature was in charge': USS Kidd cruises down the Mississippi, from Baton Rouge to Houma, One Fine Greyhound, Museumships Twitter Post, Effects of the Mississippi River's Watershed on the USS KIDD, USS KIDD Awarded Tin Can Sailor Grant, USS KIDD Twilight Tour, USS KIDD Small Business Saturday, USS KIDD Greyhound Movie Promotion, USS KIDD Healthcare Workers Support Post, Film Baton Rouge Twitter Post, Hard Luck Tin Can or The Ever-Sinking The Sullivans
Louisiana Conservation Corps
Louisiana Conservation Corps
In 2022 Hunter joined the Louisiana Conservation Corps (LaCC) and served the state for a 9 month term. An AmeriCorps program run by American YouthWorks; Hunter was on the 2022-2023 GulfCorps crew. Traveling around the state to different parks and nature preserves doing trail maintenance, construction projects, habitat restoration, and building maintenance, going on 5 to 10 day hitches camping at the places they worked on. During his service, Hunter became the first GulfCorps All-Star.
Louisiana Conservation Corps
Louisiana Conservation Corps
is affiliated with:
is affiliated with:
Louisiana Conservation Corps is a non-profit based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is an AmeriCorps program run by American YouthWorks.
Hunter was in the GulfCorps crew, which was made possible by the RESTORE Act. The RESTORE Act is a bill that was implemented to clean up the Gulf Coast after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The GulfCorps program has multiple crews throughout the Gulf Coast region.
GulfCorps is led by The Nature Conservancy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). These organizations take part in the training and facilitating project work for the GulfCorps crews.
The Corps Network and SCA are primarily involved in the training and workforce development of the GulfCorps crews.
Serve Louisiana and AmeriCorps Louisiana assist in finding project work around Louisiana.
Training & Education Earned During Service
Training & Education Earned During Service
Hunter received training from LaCC partners at The Nature Conservancy, The Ember Alliance, NOAA, The Corps Network, U.S. National Park Service, American YouthWorks, and the Student Conservation Association. With American YouthWorks Hunter received their Adult First Aid, Wilderness First Aid, and OSHA-10 training and certifications. Working with The Ember Alliance and The Nature Conservancy, Hunter received their Type 2 Firefighter training and certifications including S-130 Wildland Fire Practitioner and Leadership Training, S-190 Wildland Fire Behavior, and S-212 Wildland Fire Chainsaws. Working with the U.S. National Park Service, Hunter received Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (Scissor and Boom Lifts), helping restore 2 of the Acadian Cultural Centers located in Thibodaux and Lafayette. At LaCC, he also received training in ICS-100 and ICS-700 through FEMA, and they received additional training in JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) training, and various other workforce development courses. Having acquired enough certifications, Hunter became the first GulfCorps All-Star.
Project Work During Service
Project Work During Service
Working with The Nature Conservancy, U.S. National Park Service, BREC, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Forest Service. Hunter has worked alongside The Nature Conservancy many times in Grand Isle, Cypress Island, Mary Ann Brown, Sam Houston Jones State Park, and Hollister Chenier. Helping create and maintain trails, planting trees, doing ecological monitoring, and construction projects like repairing boardwalks, decks, and posting signs. He's helped the U.S. National Park Service repaint 2 of the Acadian Cultural Centers. Hunter has worked on a variety of projects with BREC, including invasive species removal, trail maintenance, boardwalk construction, herbicide application, and chainsaw operations. Working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on wetlands restoration projects and boardwalk construction at the National Wildlife Refuges of Bayou Teche, Mandalay, and Bayou Sauvage. As well as working with the U.S. Forest Service in Kisatchie National Forest doing trail maintenance and public land improvement.
After Service Volunteering
After Service Volunteering
In September 2023 Hunter was invited to the GulfCorps 7th year orientation to receive an award. This award recognized Hunter for being the first person to achieve every requirement to becoming a GulfCorps All-Star Graduate. Hunter received the award from Jeff DeQuattro, The Nature Conservancy's Director of Restoration in the Gulf of Mexico and GulfCorps Program Director, and was also acknowledged by Eric Vichich NOAA's GulfCorps Program Manager. Hunter was also a guest on the Alumni Panel, talking to the cohort about what it takes to become a GulfCorps All-Star and about his experience serving in the Louisiana Conservation Corps, as well as assisting in multiple panels over the week run by Karrie Arnold. These panels focused on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Field Monitoring Operations for the leaders and crew members of this year's cohort. During orientation week, Hunter also trained the Louisiana Conservation Corps 2023-2024 GulfCorps crew more in-depth in trail maintenance work and field monitoring, preparing them for the season ahead.
Hunter Svetanics GulfCorps All-Star Certificate of Achievement
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