The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the American Rescue Plan Act are bringing unparalleled amounts of funding to state and local governments to address climate change and its various impacts. With seemingly unending project wish lists but a limited amount of time to spend their funds, professionals in the public and private sector alike will need to take an efficient and coordinated approach to make the most of this once-in-a-generation opportunity for public investments. The Forum will bring speakers from various levels of government and community organizations to help us understand ways to leverage these funds to make lasting changes that will boost our climate resilience.

Forum Co-Chairs

Nasser Brahim, Senior Climate Resiliency Specialist
Woods Hole Group

Carolyn Meklenburg, Greater Boston Regional Coordinator, Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program
Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Alex Papali, Political Director
Center for Economic Democracy

Forum Speakers

Mayor Gary Christenson, City of Malden
Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Kasia Hart, Government Affairs Policy Analyst
Metropolitan Area Planning Council

Krystal Laymon, Deputy Director for Climate Resilience
White House Council of Environmental Quality, Executive Office of the President

Samantha Medlock, CFM, Senior Counsel
Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, U.S. House of Representatives

Justin Schott, Project Manager, Energy Equity Project, Urban Energy Justice Lab
University of Michigan School for Environment & Sustainability

Brendan Sweeney, Assistant Director of Federal Funds
Executive Office of Administration and Finance, Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Elizabeth Yeampierre, Executive Director
UPROSE