A Message from ASAP’s 2025-2026 Board President John Phillips
Dear Fellow Climate Adaptation Professionals,
This letter is to introduce the ASAP Board of Directors. I am deeply honored to be the President of the Board and wish to express my gratitude to the Board election transition committee, our past board members, and the new board members who have volunteered to lead ASAP through this next chapter.
As we enter this new chapter, we recognize the field faces unprecedented challenges, and the Board is committed to working with ASAP members and staff to navigate these troubling times together. Many of us on the board have experienced similar circumstances in the past when changing times confronted the field – and as climate practitioners we must ourselves remain resilient and adapt to the times. We stay motivated by the importance of our work and a commitment to a safer and more resilient future for all.
ASAP was founded as an organizational network that unites professionals from academia, non-profits, and the public and private sectors. ASAP provides a platform for the Americans and international partners to work on climate change, to gather as a community, learn from each other, and grow through adapting and building resilience to climate hazards and societal risks. As the Board President, I am dedicated to guiding the Board, ASAP staff, and the organization through this crucial phase.
The new context means ASAP faces potential capacity and funding constraints as well as increased friction implementing solutions. However, the strength of the organization is the membership. Over the years membership has led the growth of the organization and served each other with staff and Board support. I have full confidence that this Board, representing different perspectives and expertise of the ASAP community, alongside ASAP’s dedicated staff, will serve the organization effectively. We aim to strengthen and build on our foundations, support our members, grow our communities, and address injustices that may become even more salient without our efforts, now and in the future.
We call upon each of you to advocate as best you can at city hall, state houses, and with federal representatives. As an organization, we will provide the tools necessary to educate those in power about the importance of our work.
In the coming months, we will aim to assess and realign ASAP’s mission and services with the most relevant field and policy priorities, reallocate resources and revamp our programming to support these priorities. We will tighten our fiscal management in response to shrinking federal funding and growth in philanthropy to ensure the sustainability of the organization. The Board is committed to financial development and exploring other funding sources to ensure our priorities are well-resourced.
As we chart this next chapter, we need your help and input. On March 24 4:30 EST, we will hold an open forum webinar with the new Board. This is an opportunity for myself, Bala Balachandran (Development), Katia Caranza (JEDI), Julia Chase (At-Large), Melissa Deas (At-Large), Sarah Dobie (Treasurer), Josh Foster (Secretary), and Russ Sands (President-elect), to introduce ourselves and outline our preliminary vision as a board. We also want to hear from you – we want to know what is working at ASAP and where we can improve. We will employ your feedback to inform our vision and strategies for ensuring the sustainability of the organization and continuing to advance climate adaptation that benefits all.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
John Phillips, President
Board of Directors
American Society of Adaptation Professionals