What We Do

The 6th National Adaptation Forum, held from May 14-16, 2024, at the RiverCentre in Saint Paul, Minnesota, sought to move beyond adaptation awareness and foster concrete adaptation action. This annual event emphasized the extensive range of adaptation initiatives underway within the United States and worldwide. With over 1,100 attendees, including more than 220 members of…

The American Society of Adaptation Professionals will collaborate with the Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC) and Atma Connect to engage with one of three national Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTACs) developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy.  The goal of the TCTAC program is to…

Last year marked the return of ASAP’s Private Sector Climate Service Providers Academy, a virtual course providing participants with the tools to develop higher-quality climate services and help businesses succeed in the rapidly evolving climate services marketplace. The inaugural academy started in 2019 with funding support from the Great Lakes Integrated Sciences and Assessments (GLISA).…

To start the year, we are excited to share recent changes to ASAP’s Board of Directors!  Effective this January 2024, Maya Buchanan became the newly elected President of ASAP’s Board of Directors. Join us in celebrating the hope and opportunity that a wave of new leadership brings. 2023 represented a significant transition year for ASAP,…

Warmest greetings to the entire ASAP Network during this holiday season. As the Executive Director of the American Society of Adaptation Professionals, I would like to thank each of you, my staff, and the Board of Directors for a prosperous and successful 2023. From April to December of this year and to 2024 and beyond,…

The Biden Administration has undoubtedly made more progress on climate change adaptation and climate resilience than any other U.S. Presidential administration in history. One high point was last month’s White House Summit on Building Climate Resilient Communities. The Summit was hailed as the first high-level event explicitly focused on climate resilience in the federal government,…

The American Society of Adaptation Professionals has partnered with NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management (“OCM”) and the National Sea Grant Office (“NSGO”) to bring together the people and ideas needed to build resilience to coastal inundation. As climate change impacts worsen, so does coastal inundation (i.e., water on normally dry ground as a result of…

ASAP is Excited to Support Delta Institute as an EPA Region 5 Environmental Finance Center (EFC) for Water Infrastructure We are excited to announce that ASAP Is teaming up with Delta Institute as a partner in an Environmental Finance Center (EFC) for EPA’s Region 5 alongside the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) and Current Water…

ASAP’s Training Specialist Mia Dozier traveled to the Midwest Climate Resilience Conference in Duluth, Minnesota, held October 25-27, 2023. Dive into highlights of Mia’s experience at the conference, including a special equitable community engagement training, recruitment for water infrastructure from the environmental finance center for EPA’s Region 5, and an update on the Ready-to-Fund Resilience…

Short Statement of Support Members of the American Society of Adaptation Professionals (“ASAP”) applaud the introduction of the National Coordination on Adaptation and Resilience for Security Act (“NCARS”). Should Congress enact this legislation, the U.S. will move from reliance on executive action directed toward individual agency interventions to a stable, long-term, coherent national strategy that…

This week’s Mentorship Program Spotlight highlights a mentee and mentor duo focused on helping an early retiree find a purpose in climate change adaptation. Meet Mentee Carol Anway and Mentor Jamesine Rogers Gibson! Mentee Carol Anway took early retirement from Boeing to pursue climate change resilience strategic work.  She is a decorated physicist with a…

ASAP’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Fund (“JEDI”) is now in its third year. The fund is one of many ways that ASAP can prioritize accessibility and inclusion throughout its network for individuals and communities who identify as Native American or Indigenous, African American and African descended, Hispanic American, Asian American, and Oceanic/Pacific Islander. ASAP…

This week’s Mentorship Program Spotlight highlights two mentees and a mentor focused on overcoming funding hurdles. Meet Mentee Tanvi Sule + Areli Ariana Balderrama and Mentor Sushila Pandit! Mentor Sushila Pandit is a climate & resilience professional with over 14 years of experience in climate change, disaster risk management, and building resilience. Her core area…

This Mentorship Program Spotlight highlights a mentee and mentor duo focused on long-term career visioning. Meet Mentee Carey Schafer and Mentor Brian Ambrette! MENTEE Carey Schafer is a Project Coordinator with EcoAdapt where she manages knowledge exchange programming, including the National Adaptation Forum and the Climate Adaptation Knowledge Exchange (CAKEx). Prior to joining the EcoAdapt…

This Mentorship Program Spotlight highlights a mentee and mentor duo focused on professional development and navigating opportunities for growth in the resilience field. Meet Mentee Erin Minnigan and Mentor Tom Eisele! Mentee Erin Minnigan is the Director of Preservation and planning for the Preservation Society of Charleston, the nation’s oldest grassroots preservation organization (est. 1920).…

Are you still waiting to register for the 2023 Climate Service Providers Academy? Register today to learn how to use the very best regional climate data and information in your services and programs. The lineup of presenters and panelists is now live for all sessions of the academy!  The Opening Session kicks off on October…

This Mentorship Program Spotlight highlights a mentee and mentor duo focused on a journey to navigate the adaptation field. Meet Mentee Dolly Na-Yemeh and Mentor Amanda Farris. MENTEE Dolly Na-Yemeh is a Climate Adaptation Specialist with the South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center at the University of Oklahoma. She collaborates with researchers, resource managers, and…

This Mentorship Program Spotlight highlights a mentee and mentor duo focused on values and making successful transitions to a career in adaptation. Meet Mentee James Holman and Mentor Dana Brechwald! Mentee James Holman is a professional Civil Engineer with 14 years of experience in engineering project management and design. Throughout his career, the projects he…

The USDA Forest Service is investing in climate education through a partnership with the American Society of Adaptation Professionals (ASAP). The collaborative project, Addressing Gaps in Workforce Climate Literacy, aims to increase the Forest Service’s capacity to respond to climate change by establishing standardized, agency-wide training on climate change and environmental justice. The project just…

This week’s Mentorship Program Spotlight highlights a mentee and mentor duo overcoming new situations in adaptation. Meet Mentee Marcella Bondie Keenan and Mentor Anna Marandi! Mentee Marcella Bondie Keenan is an environmental scientist, urban planning, and policy professional based in the Chicago area focused on environmental justice, climate mitigation and adaptation, and nature-based solutions. They are passionate about…

This week’s Mentorship Program Spotlight highlights a mentee and mentor duo overcoming the unexpected. Meet Mentee John McClure and Mentor Amy Bailey! Mentee John McClure is a 25-year-old recent graduate from the University of Michigan, receiving his MS in Environmental Justice, Policy, and Planning, graduating in Spring 2023. He received his BA in Environmental Studies…

This week’s Mentorship Program Spotlight highlights a mentee and mentor duo overcoming the unexpected. Meet Mentee Kate Leftin and Mentor Jenna Jorns! Mentee Kate Leftin (she/her) is based in the DC area and is an associate consultant that works remotely for Kimball Sustainable Healthcare in San Francisco. This is a second career for her. The…

Join us on Tuesday, September 19, from 12-3:30 PM ET to explore strategies for building climate resilience and economic opportunity in rural communities. Don’t miss this free virtual event. The American Society of Adaptation Professionals (“ASAP”) is planning a national AmeriCorps program to address climate impacts and workforce needs in rural communities. We seek to…

This week’s Mentorship Program Spotlight highlights a mentee and mentor duo focused on Federal Level Adaptation. Meet Mentee Tanja Crk and Mentor Jonathan Cook! Mentee Tanja Crk has worked for fifteen years with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in regulatory and voluntary programs. Currently, she works as a product manager for the ENERGY STAR® program…

On June 22, teams from the American Society of Adaptation Professionals (“ASAP”) and the Houston Advanced Research Center (“HARC”) met in Houston to officially kick-off the Leading with Equity in Adaptation Practice (LEAP) Program. ASAP’s Rachel Jacobson, Maria (Mia) Dozier, and Eliza Garcia participated in the kickoff event along with Dr. Erin Kinney and Dr.…

This week’s Mentorship Program Spotlight focuses on a trio of participants! Meet Mentee’s Josephine Justin and Damaris Borden as well as Mentor Julia Chase. About the Mentees and Mentor Mentee: Josephine Justin  Josephine recently graduated from UNC Chapel Hill’s Master of City and Regional Planning program. Previously, she has worked with the Southeast and Caribbean…

The American Society of Adaptation Professionals and EcoAdapt are joining forces to bring you the National Adaptation Forum! The American Society of Adaptation Professionals and EcoAdapt are joining forces to bring you the 2024 National Adaptation Forum! Since 2013, EcoAdapt has been responsible for the planning and execution of the Forum, along with the help…

Meet Mentee Samantha Nuno and Mentor Chantal Madray in this week’s Mentorship Spotlight! About the Mentee and Mentor Mentee Samantha Nuno – As a first-generation and low-income Mexican American woman, born and raised in the Northeast San Fernando Valley, she has personally seen how wildfires and extreme heat affect communities of color, many of which…

Mentor Clare Fogelsong is currently developing and managing climate adaptation and resiliency programs in the Bellingham Washington Office of Climate. With decades of experience in the management of environmental resources and additional years developing and implementing climate action plans, Clare is participating in the ASAP Mentorship Program to provide mentees access to the lessons learned…

Mentee Camilla Lizundia: Camilla Lizundia is an urban planner and artist based in Philadelphia, PA. They are the founder of Moving People Studio, a blog, and marketplace honoring the art of movement and contemplating the built environment. Camilla is particularly passionate about neighborhood-level responses to climate change, such as expanding transit networks, urban gardening, and…

In 2018, ASAP Members began a series of discussions on professional education needs for the climate change adaptation community. It quickly became clear that the group’s most valuable output would be a knowledge and competencies framework for our field.  After several months, the resulting working group ultimately created ASAP’s Knowledge and Competencies Framework for Climate…

Welcome to the first Mentorship Spotlight of the 2023 Mentorship Program Cohort! Mentees Alexis Monti and Olivia Poon dive into their experience under the leadership of Mentor Megan Holcomb. Meet the Mentorship Program Participants Mentee Alexis Monti: Alexis Monti graduated from Umass Amherst in 2022 with degrees in Environmental Science and Natural Resources Conservation. She…

YPSILANTI, Mi. (April 27, 2023)—The American Society of Adaptation Professionals (“ASAP”) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Debra M. Butler as Executive Director, beginning April 24, 2023. Debra M. Butler is a native of the U.S. Gulf Coast, growing up in Mobile, Alabama. Dr. Butler will bring her transdisciplinary leadership, knowledge, and experience…

ASAP is thrilled to announce that the American Family Insurance Institute for Corporate and Social Impact (AmFam Institute) is providing the ASAP JEDI Fund with a $10,000 sponsorship to catalyze the Fund’s third year. This generous gift provides financial stability for the Fund, enabling us to grow its impact as we pursue a more just,…

Dear ASAP Network, We are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Debra M. Butler as ASAP’s next Executive Director! Dr. Butler joined ASAP as a member in 2017 and worked part-time for ASAP in 2019 while completing her Ph.D. dissertation in Environmental Studies from the University of Massachusetts-Boston. As a survivor of Hurricane Katrina…

ASAP has received a year-long grant of $150,000 from AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, to plan a national service program to catalyze adaptation work in rural communities. Rural communities have some of the lowest capacities in the United States to adapt to worsening climate impacts. ASAP’s AmeriCorps program concept seeks to…

Mentor and Mentee Profiles are now live for the 2023 Mentorship Program! Below you will find details and information on the participants this year: Mentors Brian Ambrette: Brian Ambrette is the Senior Climate Resilience Coordinator with the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future in Maine. Brian supports the implementation of Maine’s four-year climate…

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…

Last week ASAP announced this year’s Peer Learning Groups! Keep reading to explore the groups and sign up to receive vital monthly updates and calendar invites. If you have questions or need help finding the right group for you, join one of our ASAP 101 Orientation sessions or connect with ASAP’s Program Manager, Breana Nehls.…

ASAP is thrilled to join the Field Liaison Team for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s National Coastal Resilience Fund (NCRF). Throwe Environmental, LLC leads the Team, which also includes Native American Fish and Wildlife Society (NAFWS).  As Field Liaisons, Throwe, ASAP, and NAFW will support NCRF applicants across the U.S. throughout 2023. The Team…

Mentee Revathi Veriah is an Urban Planner and Policy Analyst for AECOM in their Urbanism and Planning Practice in Dallas, Texas. She is passionate about sustainable development, resilience, planning for climate change and equitable community development. Revathi brings her expertise to support public sector clients in various projects, including climate action plans, sustainability studies, economic…

As part of the 2022 goals for the Policy Practice Member-Led Interest Group (“PPG”) a series of meetings are planned to address each of the American Society of Adaptation Professionals’ (“ASAP”) policy priorities and develop actionable plans to be more proactive in advocating for climate-related policies. This is the action plan for policy priority #3…

As part of the 2022 goals for the Policy Practice Member-Led Interest Group (“PPG”) a series of meetings are planned to address each of the American Society of Adaptation Professionals’ (“ASAP”) policy priorities and develop actionable plans to be more proactive in advocating for climate-related policies. This is the action plan for policy priority #2…

At ASAP our core values are trust, reciprocity, member leadership, and something for everyone (but not everything for everyone). But what is trust? Trust is a gift given between people or institutions. It extends beyond common interests and shared goals to being mutually vulnerable to one another. Trust is a deep and powerful bond. It…

Mentee Jayla Lundstrom is an Economic Development Coordinator with Salt Lake County where she works on EPA Brownfields programs to assess and remediate environmental contamination in underserved neighborhoods. Prior, she worked as an AmeriCorps VISTA for the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium where she supported Alaska Native communities in securing grants to understand climate impacts…

Peer Learning is at the heart of the ASAP Network! Welcome to the monthly Peer Learning Round-Up! Let’s recap the last opportunities for peer learning at ASAP: Policy Practice Group Our September Policy Practice Group meeting hosted a peer learning session on our third policy priority, “Require all physical and social infrastructure decisions to consider…

Mentee Sidney Chen is an associate consultant at WSP USA with an educational background in development practice with a focus on sustainability and climate change. Sidney supports clients by providing strategic and analytical support. Specifically, he helps clients assess business risks and opportunities associated with the physical impacts of climate change and the transition to…

Mentee Chris Bobryk is a Planner at the Clinton River Watershed Council in Rochester Hills, Michigan. He leads a variety of programs that help communities plan stormwater management designs and establish long-term community connections to natural resources. Mentor Anna Marandi is a Program Officer at PEW Charitable Trusts working on state-level flood resilience planning and…

Katie Lund is a Master’s of Environmental Management (MEM) candidate at the Yale School of the Environment. At the beginning of the ASAP Mentorship Program, Katie was working as a Community Resilience Specialist with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC). For four years, she supported Alaska Native communities in planning, developing, and implementing community-driven…

Join ASAP’s first-ever giving campaign and hear from ASAP members on how the Network inspires them and has been a driving force in advancing their career. The campaign ends September 18, make your contribution today! This week hear from ASAP’s President Emily Wasley on what makes ASAP a place we all love. How did you find ASAP?…

Mentee Alec Rodriguez is a Water Resources Engineer at Atkins in Denver, Colorado, where he works on water resources and climate resilience projects. He also has experience with H&H modeling, emergency management planning, and water utility risk and resilience assessments. In addition to his day job, he is the Co-Founder and Operations Chair of the…

Mentee Danielle Curri is a graduate of North Carolina State University with a degree in Civil Engineering. During her time in school, she spent three years serving as the lead researcher on a project developing an optimization model to assist with sustainable industrial development. This project helped spark her passion for sustainable infrastructure. Over the…

Join ASAP’s first-ever giving campaign and hear from ASAP members on how the Network inspires them and has been a driving force in advancing their career. The campaign ends September 18, make your contribution today! Meet ASAP’s President-Elect Julia Kim and understand how she came to love ASAP: How did you find ASAP? I was…

Mentee Alli Wenman is an Outreach Specialist at the UW-Madison Arboretum, where she manages a project aimed to develop the skills of local advocates involved in healthy stormwater action through outreach, general education and formal training, and small grant awards. Alli holds her B.S. (’16) in botany and her M.S. (’21) in environmental conservation, both…

Priority #1 is to Establish Standards for Climate Data and Require use of Future Climate Projections. As part of the 2022 goals for the Policy Practice Member-Led Interest Group (“PPG”) a series of meetings are planned to address each of the American Society of Adaptation Professionals’ (“ASAP”) policy priorities and develop actionable plans to be…

Introduction American Society of Adaptation Professionals (ASAP) is the professional home for close to 1,000 individuals and over 45 organizations – collectively employing over 100,000 workers – across North America. ASAP members represent all sectors of society and dozens of industries. In the past year, ASAP members have seen increased awareness of climate impacts and…

Mentee Jomar Rodriguez Ventura currently works as an Environmental Justice (EJ) Educator/Climate-Resilience Coordinator with Mycelium Youth Network (MYN). Through this role, he facilitates learning experiences in EJ curricula such as “Climate Justice 101,” “Clean Air is a Right,” and “Water is Life” for youth in the San Francisco Bay Area. He also serves as a…

ASAP’s Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Fund has turned one! The fund which was seeded by a contribution from ASAP staff members in 2021, has been a success in providing funding to several individuals identifying as Black People, Indigenous people, and people of color and also individuals demonstrating financial need. Following a review of the…

About the Mentees and Mentor MENTEE Cailin Notch is a Community Resilience Planner at WRA Environmental Consultants in the San Francisco Bay Area with an extensive background in land use planning and community engagement. Her areas of expertise include development and design review, environmental review, meeting facilitation, stakeholder engagement, and project management. Previously, Cailin built…

About the Mentee and Mentor Mentee Sophia Chan is graduating with a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Columbia University, where she was a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow developing polymeric materials for gas separations like carbon capture. While at Columbia, she taught ESL high schoolers about renewable energy topics, co-founded her department’s Diversity, Equity,…

Written from the perspective of Erin Bryan, a Mentee in the ASAP Mentorship Program and Madeleine Charney, a Mentor. Was it by chance or design that we live in Central and Western Massachusetts respectively? Either way, we’re glad! Connected by proximate bioregions (Connecticut River Valley and Worcester Plateau) means we are immersed in overlapping culture,…

Meet Mentee Bethany N. Bella (she/her), a passionate sustainability and climate-action advocate based in Columbus, Ohio, Mentee Emily Schoerning, Ph.D., the founder of American Resiliency https://www.americanresiliency.org/, a nonprofit bringing information and adaptation services to agricultural and working-class communities, and Mentor Jessica Cahail is a Technical Product Manager with Cervest, a UK-based B Corp that aims…

Julia Nassar, a Mentee in the ASAP Mentorship Program is employed as a Senior Analyst at the Cadmus Group where she specializes in climate adaptation and resilience. Julia supports local and state governments, such as Boston, the District of Columbia, Fairfax County, and the State of New York to enhance their resiliency through strategic climate…

Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), in partnership with the American Society for Adaptation Professionals (ASAP), has announced a new program to enhance climate adaptation in the Upper Texas Gulf Coast. Leading with Equity in Adaptation Practice (LEAP) aims to strengthen community-led climate change adaptation initiatives through partnerships, collaboration, and capacity-building. Alongside partners, ASAP and HARC…

Mentee Yilin Lai Giltinan is a community-adaptation-planner with a focus on transferring climate data and a community’s adapting capacity into an integrated Urban-Heat-Island adaptation strategy and urban design. Yilin has a background in landscape architecture and received a MS.c in Integrated Urbanism and Sustainable Design from the University of Stuttgart, Germany. During this time she…

This is a featured blog by ASAP Member Lisa Churchill. “Many of us can point to a time in our lives that influenced what we might do when we grew up. For me, it began with a box of 430-million-year-old fossils that my parents collected when they lived in Wisconsin. I was around five years old when…

Mentee Cameron (Cami) Ramey has a background in climate adaptation, community resilience, and climate change communications. Cami has supported a number of nonprofits with policy analysis and research at the nexus of adaptation, urban planning, and environmental justice. Cami is currently Editor-in-Chief of the Yale Environment Review, where she manages a 12-student writing team that…

This is a featured blog from ASAP Member Emily Schoerning, Founder of non-profit American Resiliency. What are Your Knowledge Assumptions? My name is Emily Schoerning. As a researcher in science education, I’ve spent years studying how we acquire knowledge, and what unexpected barriers make it harder for us to learn new things. One of the…

As a social impact network, ASAP relies on our members as leaders, partners, and collaborators in everything we do. Your participation in the member survey cultivates and affirms the essential elements of network culture that we strive to nurture –reciprocity, open access, something for every member, and, most importantly, trust– while also helping us shape ASAP’s…

Two ASAP Projects Lay the Foundation for Socially Just and Environmentally Responsible Growth  By Susan S. Ekoh, Adaptation Fellow, American Society of Adaptation Professionals Over the past two years, ASAP facilitated two projects to advance climate migration practice and research, focused on the Great Lakes Region. One project brought together climatologists, demographers, and housing researchers…

The Ready-to-Fund Resilience Toolkit is Here! Are you struggling to attract investment for your climate resilience projects? Do you want to use innovative finance tools but worry they may carry extra risks or costs? Are you looking to learn how and why to center social equity in your climate resilience projects? As climate impacts intensify…

By: Camilla Gardner, Urban Sustainability Directors Network and T. Jonathan Lee,  Climate Resilience Consulting The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), a US law that went into effect on November 15, 2021, serves as a pivotal moment in local government resilience finance. Because of IIJA, it is no longer true in all cases that “there…

On January 20, Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.), along with a bipartisan group of seven colleagues, introduced the National Climate Adaptation and Resilience Strategy Act (H.R.6461/S.3531).  How Can you Help ASAP? You can learn more about the bill and why ASAP is excited about it in our statement of support.  If…

On January 20, Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.) along with a bipartisan group of seven colleagues introduced the National Climate Adaptation and Resilience Strategy Act (H.R.6461/S.3531). You can learn more about the bill and why ASAP is excited about it in our statement of support. ASAP is encouraging members to reach…

The 5th National Climate Assessment Chapters Engagement Meetings are now scheduled and open to the public! Public engagement sessions will take place between January and February 2022. All ASAP members are encouraged to attend at least one NCA Chapter Meeting to provide their input and expertise on this important national resource. Space is limited at…

Members of the American Society of Adaptation Professionals (ASAP) applaud the introduction of the National Climate Adaptation and Resilience Strategy Act (NCARS). This is a highly functional piece of legislation that would end the ad hoc nature of climate adaptation planning at the national level and form a dependable and consistent basis for us to…

ASAP is an anti-racist organization. That means we are finding and rooting out racism in our network and the adaptation field. And it means we are prioritizing accessibility and inclusion in ASAP for people who identify as Black, Indigenous, or other person of color (BIPOC).  We are asking for your support by completing a short…

Mentee Laura Lengnick is an award-winning soil scientist with 30 years of experience putting sustainable values into action in food and farming.  She contributed to the 3rd National Climate Assessment as the lead author of the USDA report, Climate Change and Agriculture in the United States: Effects and Adaptation.  In 2015, Laura founded Cultivating Resilience,…

At ASAP, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a time for us to put more than just words behind our racial justice goals: it is a day to ACT. MLK’s Dream remains a powerful vision of the just and equitable world we want to live in. Take action with us to build that world. We…

February 7, 2022 | 11:00am – 3:30pm ET   Please join the authors of the Fifth National Climate Assessment for a virtual workshop to share your thoughts on the climate change-related issues most important to include in the Adaptation chapter. We really need your input!  The workshop is free and open to the public. The information gathered will help…

Get involved in ASAP Member Led Interest Groups in 2022.The votes are in and we are excited to announce the 2022 ASAP Member Led Interest Groups!  Policy Practice Group Private Sector Adaptation Professionals Professional Opportunities in Adaptation Convening Climate Collaborators (webpage coming soon!) A big THANK YOU to everyone who submitted one of this year’s…

Inspired by members driven to create a tangible change, ASAP launched our Justice, Equity, Diversity, And Inclusion Fund in April 2021. The Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Fund provides financial support for ASAP members to engage in professional development and capacity-building activities as well as compensate people for their time as they contribute their…

As part of a pilot program, ASAP supported three microgrant projects to catalyze members’ collaborative, place-based climate change adaptation work and stimulate grassroots involvement in the ASAP network. The three project teams, from Asheville, NC; Los Angeles, CA; and the U.S. Southwest, have been hard at work since launching their projects this fall. Read on…

ASAP is excited to kick off the 2022 Mentorship Program with the leadership of our amazing program team leaders. Welcome to the team, Emma, Kim and Sarah! Interested in learning more about the Mentorship Program? Email us! mentorship@adaptpros.org Emma Cutler is a system dynamics analyst with the International Institute for Sustainable Development(IISD) and is based…

This blog was written collaboratively by ASAP members active in the Policy Practice Group. A lot has happened on U.S. federal adaptation policy since ASAP published its Policy priorities in March: 20+ federal agencies published adaptation plans, the Securities and Exchange Commission gathered input on climate risk disclosure, and FEMA announced the first recipients of…

ASAP is committed to creating equitable access to adaptation and resilience jobs, ensuring quality job performance, and promoting consistent adaptation and resilience outcomes from the work that adaptation professionals perform. And while adaptation jobs are rapidly expanding, we hope that demand for the work will grow even faster.  That’s why, more than ever, we need…

Mentee Annabel Cryan is committed to building a world capable of withstanding the uncertainties of our changing climate where both society and the environment thrive. She is passionate about strategic thinking and new technology that builds more resilient urban centers and business communities. She has spent the past 2.5 years working at the American Flood…

Mentor Chris Choo works at Marin County’s Department of Public Works. Her efforts support Marin Communities with sea level rise, flood protection and watershed restoration. She manages BayWAVE, the sea level rise planning and adaptation program for the bay shoreline in Marin. Marin is among the most vulnerable counties in California. Chris leads the work…

Mentee Mary Hannah Smith is an urban planner hoping to help communities proactively adapt to climate change. She currently works as an Associate Resiliency and Environmental Planner at the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission (CMRPC), serving 39 suburban and rural towns along with the City of Worcester.  She holds a B.A. in Global Studies, a…

By Dakota Fisher and Beth Gibbons Dakota Fisher is a Community Planner working for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The views presented in this newsletter are his opinion and may not reflect the opinions of FEMA. Beth Gibbons is the Executive Director of the American Society of Adaptation Professionals.  Adaptation is, and must continue…

Mentee Carolyn Heaps is an environmental project manager and planning professional who is passionate about supporting communities to adapt to the challenges of climate change. She envisions a future in which urban environments support each of their residents to thrive under changing climate conditions. Carolyn graduated from the University of Virginia with a master’s degree…

Mentee Joe Lampe is an urban planner and leads projects ranging from transportation policy plans and airport master plans, to equitable public engagement efforts and statewide freight plans. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Joe has degrees in Environmental Science and Spanish from Allegheny College, and a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from the University…

Mentee Kate McClure is a Coastal Climate Specialist with the University of Maryland Sea Grant Extension Program. In this role, she assists residents and decision-makers in coastal communities throughout Maryland with understanding and preparing for the effects of climate change, with a focus on flooding due to sea level rise, precipitation, and storm events. Prior…

Mentee Karen Buchsbaum has a passion for food, community, and climate.  She has over 15 years of experience in education, program management, outreach and communications and enjoys engaging with community leaders, students, non-profits, farmers, and the public around issues of nutrition, agriculture, and sustainability. She holds a B.A. in Biology, and an M.S. in Environmental…

By James Sedlak, ASAP Member My name is James Sedlak, a former wildland firefighter turned climate adaptation professional. Since my last fire season, I’ve been more involved in the climate migration field by joining the American Society of Adaptation Professionals (ASAP)’s related programs and volunteering for a new think tank which I am excited to…

Mentee Isabela Schultz (Bela) is passionate about every intersection between climate and people, so much so that during her undergraduate career she designed her own major in Environmental Sociology. She has dipped her toes into many different sectors and pathways to change, including doing research for Project Drawdown, grassroots organizing for the Sunrise Movement, and…

Mentee Emma Diamond is a Master’s of Public Administration student graduating from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington in 2022. Currently, she is working at the Washington State Department of Commerce as an Energy Policy intern. Emma is interested in local and state government, environmental policy, climate adaptation,…

Community Resilience and Access Planning for CA Parklands Questions or want to learn more? Reach out to Gabriel Varela With the assistance of an ASAP microgrant, Climate Resolve is currently working on a Community Resilience and Access plan for the Baldwin Hills Conservancy Parklands in Los Angeles, California. Climate Resolve’s work is one of ASAP’s…

Mentee Sarah Collins is a mother, educator, researcher, and scholar pursuing dual master’s degrees at the University of Michigan. She seeks to blend her Environment & Sustainability M.S. and Educational Studies M.A. toward addressing education for sustainability in the United States by helping local and state governments build robust adaptation plans that include how we…

Mentee Sarah Huang is a Program Coordinator at Shared-Use Mobility Center where she supports implementation and evaluation of the Clean Mobility Options Voucher Pilot program. With a strong interest in service and leadership, Sarah was previously a CivicSpark AmeriCorps Fellow and helped administer the program prior to her current position. As a Southern California native…