More organizations and officials have joined the protest against the University for eliminating Ivor van Heerden’s position at the Hurricane Center, and one New Orleans-based organization thinks its efforts are paying off.   Sandy Rosenthal, Levees.org director, told The Daily Reveille she spoke to van Heerden on Tuesday, and he assured her the University was reconsidering its decision. “My sources at LSU are now telling me that a review of the process resulting in Dr. van Heerden’s dismissal has started,” Rosenthal said in a letter to Levees.org members. Vice Chancellor of Research and Economic Development Brooks Keel, who heads the Hurricane Center, said he could not comment on whether the University was reconsidering its decision about van Heerden. Van Heerden was not available for comment Wednesday. Rosenthal claims the efforts of Levees.org has contributed to the progress. She said the organization will continue its efforts, including asking people to sign the petition to Chancellor Michael Martin, call LSU System President John Lombardi and send a letter to Gov. Bobby Jindal. Levees.org is not the only        organization lobbying for reviewing van Heerden’s status. An unaffiliated group called Leveesnotwar.org is taking similar actions. Founder Mark LaFlaur said he faxed letters Monday to Martin, David Constant, College of Engineering dean, and several other University faculty members, along with U.S. Sens. Mary Landrieu and David Vitter and to the governor’s office. “Give Levitan and van Heerden the leeway to revive the Hurricane Center,” the letter read. “Hurricanes aren’t going away.”The letter referred to former Hurricane Center director Marc Levitan, who told The Daily Reveille that Keel asked him to step down from his position. Last week, Keel said he wouldn’t comment on Levitan’s decision. Keel called Levitan into a meeting, thanked him for his service then asked him to send in his resignation by the end of the day, Levitan said. But the Hurricane Center officials say Levitan made the decision to step down, and van Heerden was eliminated from the staff because the director was no longer the administrator. Levees.org began to encourage people to send letters to the governor April 15, and Rosenthal said received 408 e-mails before Tuesday.Rosenthal said the governor received an additional 90 letters Wednesday, after she sent an e-blog to members of the organization. She said she can monitor the letters because they are sent through the organization’s Web site.New Orleans Councilman Arnie Fielkow wrote a letter in response to Levees.org’s request for elected officials to respond.”Because of LSU’s actions, citizens in Louisiana and nationwide are now without an independent expert voice on hurricane and flood protection issues,” Fielkow’s letter read. “LSU has not offered an explanation for firing Dr. van Heerden.” U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon also responded to the request through his communications director Robin Winchell.”As we move forward in rebuilding the hurricane protection system in New Orleans … Rep. Melancon believes independent review and expert analysis at each stage are essential to making sure we don’t repeat the mistakes of the past,” Winchell said.   
—-Contact Joy Lukachick at [email protected]