A Message from ASAP’s Incoming Board President Julia Kim

Dear ASAP Members and Partners,

Happy New Year! I hope your 2023 is off to a great start after a restorative winter break. 

I am honored to serve as ASAP’s Board President this year and want to first express my deepest gratitude to ASAP’s staff and board for their ongoing leadership and commitment to supporting North America’s growing community of adaptation professionals.

As CivicWell’s Climate Change and Energy Program Director, I work with communities and coalitions across California to support local and regional resilience-building efforts and to promote an enabling policy environment for ongoing investments and progress toward an equitable and resilient future. As an adaptation professional, I strive to embody ASAP’s Living Guide in every space I am involved in, with particular attention to cultivating mutual relationships with leaders working on-the-ground to combat climate change and uplifting their efforts. And I am fortunate to have had the opportunities to work alongside and learn from leaders like Emily Wasley who served as ASAP’s President these past two years.

“Having known Julia for many years now, I am thrilled to have her serve as ASAP’s new President. She is a dedicated and compassionate adaptation leader – centralizing justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in everything she does – both professionally and personally. We are so lucky to have Julia in this role, and I look forward to seeing what transformational changes we can make together with her leadership,” shared Emily Wasley, outgoing ASAP Board President.

Never has the urgency for climate resilience been greater – but this time around, we’re seeing historic levels of federal investments that can put plans into action, move projects and programs forward, and bring much-needed resilience resources to our most under-served and marginalized communities. Whether you are a community organizer, a scientist, a planner, an advocate, a policymaker, an educator, an engineer, or a technical assistance provider, we each have a critical role to play in the adaptation ecosystem and ASAP is here to support your efforts.

I encourage you to join ASAP’s Member-Led Interest Groups, attend an upcoming event, explore our resource library, and, if you aren’t already, consider joining ASAP as a member to access additional resources.

Thank you for your tireless efforts in serving your community. We look forward to another impactful year working together to build resilience, equity, and a brighter future for all.

With gratitude,

Julia Kim
ASAP Board President