Speakers

His work addresses climate change mitigation and adaptation, and how technological changes affect urban life. He has current projects on the energy transition, fiscal impacts of coastal hazards, and how low-income urban seniors cope with heat stress and poor indoor air quality. He publishes both scholarly and popular articles and his books include Humble Analysis: The Practice of Joint Fact-finding, Regulating Regional Power Systems, and Industrial Ecology and Global Change. He recently completed service as co-editor of the Journal of Planning Education and Research, and he remains a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Industrial Ecology. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and a licensed Professional Engineer. Andrews is a Fellow of AAAS, and a winner of IEEE’s 3rd Millenium Medal.

Nick also manages the Office of Climate Resilience at the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) where he oversees the Bureau of Climate Resilience Planning, the Blue Acres buyout program, and Resilient NJ, the state’s climate resilience planning program. He serves as New Jersey’s Coastal Manager and administers the New Jersey Coastal Management Program in cooperation with NOAA and a network of programs across DEP, and represents DEP on the State Planning Commission, ensuring that climate resilience, natural resource protection, and infrastructure capacity are incorporated into the planning process.
Nick holds a master’s degree in city and regional planning from the Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy and a bachelor’s degree in environmental planning and design from Rutgers University (Cook College). He is a member of AICP and is a New Jersey Professional Planner.

and projects that facilitate equitable, vibrant, and resilient communities. Zoe has over twenty years’ experience in public policy at the state and federal levels. Before joining RPA, Zoe was the Director of Government Affairs for the Utility & Transportation Contractors Association where she advocated for increased federal and state investment in water and transportation systems, and for greater transparency and efficiency in public procurement. In that role, she was successful in getting language included in the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that established a federal marketplace allowing states to buy and sell toll credits – a program that has the potential to generate several billion dollars in new transportation capital funding for NY and NJ.
Prior to her work in the private sector, Zoe served as Projects Director for United States Senator Cory Booker and as Senior Specialist for Transportation and Environment for US Senator Frank Lautenberg. Zoe got her start in infrastructure policy as the New Jersey Advocate for the Tri-State Transportation Campaign and began her career as the Legislative Director for NJ State Senator Loretta Weinberg.
Outside of her work at RPA, Zoe is a Commissioner on the board of the South Jersey Transportation Authority, which oversees the Atlantic City Expressway and Atlantic City International Airport, and a member of the board of directors for three nonprofit organizations: Downtown NJ, the Women’s Political Caucus of New Jersey, and Gardenship Art.

environment policy advisor, she oversaw New York’s nation-leading climate agenda and directed the agencies and authorities responsible for developing and implementing the state policies and initiatives needed to build a just and sustainable clean energy economy, including the landmark Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. She sits on the boards of NYSERDA and VEIC. Prior to these roles, Dale was the Director of Programs at the Natural Resources Defense Council. Throughout her 21 years at NRDC, she worked to develop and implement climate, energy efficiency, renewable energy and clean transportation policies. From 2002 to 2010, she also taught the Environmental Law Clinic at Yale Law School. Before joining NRDC, she practiced corporate law at Davis Polk & Wardwell in New York. Dale holds a bachelor’s degree from Colgate University, a master’s from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. She is based in New York City.

exposed by Hurricane Sandy in the Northeast United States. The process resulted in $930 Million in awards from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to implement the winning designs, that now have over $4.5 Billion of investment. Under her leadership, Rebuild by Design transformed the competition’s collaborative approach into an organization that helps governments and communities replicate its success for a variety of scales in locations around the world to address challenges such as climate change, transportation, housing, community collaboration and equity. Locally, Chester is responsible for the research and strategic direction that led to New York State’s $4 Billion Environmental Bond Act for climate resilience and ecological restoration, as well as founding the NYS Adaptation Practitioners Network for professionals to share best practices.
Previously, Chester worked for NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg as Chief of Staff to the Deputy Mayor for Legislative Affairs and as a Senior Policy Advisor. In these roles she was responsible for the public engagement strategy of PlaNYC, which included initiatives such as the Million Trees Campaign, congestion pricing, and the Greener, Greater Buildings Plan. Chester’s other experiences in New York City government have included positions at the New York City Council, where she successfully ensured the inclusion of affordable housing in large-scale neighborhood rezonings, and at the New York City Housing Authority, where she created development plans to build the Harlem Children’s Zone’s school, and to redevelop a block of non-traditional public housing. Outside of government, Chester’s accomplishments include overseeing the development of a medical home for the Freelancers Union, crafting a democratic process which brought together 5000 New Yorkers for a one-day event to determine the future of the World Trade Center Site called Listening to the City, launching the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance through M&R Strategic Services, and working on numerous electoral campaigns including Hillary Clinton’s winning NYS Senate and Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns.

value-added business engagement and products targeted at commercial businesses within the state’s strategic industries. As a leader across these departments, Kathleen works to support high-quality job creation, catalyze private investment, and build a diverse innovation ecosystem in New Jersey. Kathleen most recently served as the NJEDA’s Executive Vice President for Technology, Life Sciences & Entrepreneurship, where she was responsible for working closely with the state’s emerging technology and life science companies and investors. Under Kathleen’s leadership, the NJEDA has delivered over $1 billion in direct investments, business incentives, tax credits, and venture fund investments. During her tenure, the New Jersey Chapter of Golden Seeds was begun, the NJ Innovation Evergreen Fund was created, the NJ Accelerate and NJ Ignite programs were launched along with the State’s Angel Tax Credit Program, the New Jersey Founders & Funders program was born, federal State Small Business Credit Initiatives funds were deployed into several regional venture funds. Kathleen also led the NJEDA’s strategic innovation center investments resulting in the creation of the HAX LLC studio through a partnership with SOSV and the NJEDA became an investor and Core Partner in the Helix. Kathleen joined the NJEDA in 2005 as a single contributor and has continuously elevated her position within the organization. Prior to joining the NJEDA, Kathleen spent over 17 years in the banking industry, with the last eight focused on the NJ Technology Venture Lending Market. Her venture lending experience includes employment at Silicon Valley Bank, Comerica Bank and Progress’ Techbanc. Kathleen received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from Albright College and a Master of Business Administration from LaSalle University.

metropolitan area. Rob works closely with other RPA staff to integrate these objectives with RPA’s economic, transportation, land use, design and community development initiatives.
Rob has been with RPA since 2006 and most recently served as New Jersey director, where he managed the state program with a focus on sustainability planning and policy. He led projects including developing an arts and revitalization plan for Paterson and a neighborhood revitalization plan for East Camden; producing an economic and land use study for a future bus rapid transit corridor in Union County; advancing regenerative design efforts in the New Jersey Highlands; and facilitating land use and urban design recommendations and leading local demonstration projects for the 13-county Together North Jersey effort. Prior to joining RPA, Rob served as a coastal management fellow at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, where he focused on policies for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Rob holds a master’s of public administration in environmental science and policy from the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs and a bachelor’s in environmental biology from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

worked on several key initiatives of the Administration including the 2019 Energy Master Plan, implementation of the 2018 Clean Energy Act, and development of the State’s electric vehicle incentive program. Prior to serving in the Murphy Administration, Ms. Guhl-Sadovy worked as the Legislative and Political Director for Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey. President Guhl-Sadovy is a lifelong New Jersey resident. She received her bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University and serves on the board of Anchor House, Inc., a Trenton-based youth homelessness organization.

In 1995, Dominique established Preservation Design Partnership [PDP] as a planning and design practice focusing exclusively on offering high – quality professional services for clients with nationally – significant historic sites and buildings.

Dominique’s nationally-recognized and pioneering work in the understanding of the regulatory review process has been the foundation for preparing Design Guidelines for historic communities and districts throughout the country. Some examples are the 19 Historic Districts of New Orleans, including the Vieux Carre [a.k.a. the French Quarter], a National Historic Landmark; Newton, Massachusetts, containing over thirty National Historic Districts; Oak Park, Illinois, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, to name a few. Through this work, Dominique has developed unique collaborative and public education skills in working with client groups, stakeholders, community leaders and the public in shaping projects, achieving consensus and reaching conclusions in an effective manner. She has authored the Flood Mitigation Guide: Maryland’s Historic Properties; Flood Mitigation Guide for Historic Properties and Elevation Design Guidelines for Historic Properties for the NJ Historic Preservation Office and the Historic Preservation Master Plan and Flood Mitigation Guidance for the City of St. Augustine, Florida.

In 2023, Dominique completed a project for Florida’s Division of Historical Resource to develop flood and storm mitigation guidance for property owners, local governments, and state entities and recently completed Resilience Guidance for Charleston, South Carolina, addressing the impacts of flooding, severe wind, earthquakes and significant heat on residential and small commercial properties. Her work has been recognized with several preservation and design awards.

low-carbon energy technologies, guide investment and research in innovative energy technologies, and generate insights to improve energy and climate policy and planning decisions.
Dr. Jenkins earned a PhD in engineering systems and masters in technology and policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, worked previously as a postdoctoral environmental fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, and spent six years as an energy and climate policy analyst prior to embarking on his academic career.
Dr. Jenkins served on the National Academies of Science Engineering and Medicine expert committee on Accelerating Decarbonization of the U.S. Energy System, was a principal investigator and lead author of Princeton’s landmark Net-Zero America study, and leads the REPEAT Project (repeatproject.org), which provides regular, timely, and independent environmental and economic evaluation of federal energy and climate policies as they’re proposed and enacted. He has published over 40 peer-reviewed papers to date in high-impact journals including Science, Nature Energy, Joule and Applied Energy. Dr. Jenkins has delivered invited testimony to multiple Congressional committees, his research is frequently featured in major media outlets, and he is the co-host of the podcast Shift Key on the transition away from fossil fuels. His work guiding, shaping and evaluating American efforts to transition to clean energy was profiled in the Wall Street Journal, recognized with inclusion on the 2024 TIME100 Next list of the next 100 leaders shaping the future and TIME100 Climate list of the most influential climate leaders, Vox.com’s 2023 Future Perfect 50 list of thinkers, activists, and scholars working on solutions to today’s (and tomorrow’s) biggest problems, and Environmental News Record’s 2022 Top 25 Newsmakers list.
Dr. Jenkins currently serves on the advisory boards of Eavor Technologies, Rondo Energy and Dig Energy and is a scientific and technical advisor to Energy Impact Partners and MUUS Climate Partners.

administration, strategic program development and implementation, and internal and external engagement. Dr. Kaplan led and managed the full portfolio of activities of the Rutgers Climate Institute for a decade, the precursor initiative to RCEI. She is Co-director of the New Jersey Climate Change Resource Center, a statutorily created climate services center that creates and supports the development of applied research and tools, technical guidance, and delivery of that information to help policymakers, practitioners, communities, and citizens in New Jersey adapt to, and mitigate a changing climate. For 13 years she co-facilitated the New Jersey Climate Change Alliance (a network of diverse statewide leaders that shared the goal of advancing evidence-based climate change strategies at the state and local levels in New Jersey) that has since reorganized into a consultative role to the NJ Climate Change Resource Center. Dr. Kaplan designs and conducts applied research and analyses related to natural and working lands, carbon sinks, climate and health/health equity, and climate and community resilience. Her 40+ year career has included more than 20 years in government and 10 years in the private sector. She was the first Director of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Climate and Energy where she oversaw regulatory programs under the Global Warming Response Act, the Global Warming Solutions Fund Law and regional initiatives to address climate change within various sectors, including the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Dr. Kaplan holds a B.S. in Natural Resources from Cornell University and a Masters and Doctorate of Public Health from Columbia University.

2) advance the scientific understanding of how interactions among coastal climate hazards, changing landforms, and human decisions shape climate risk. It aims to build an academic/stakeholder partnership model that provides insights for just, equitable, and inclusive climate action around the world.
He is a founding co-director of the Climate Impact Lab, a multi-institutional collaborating advancing data-driven approaches to estimating the social and human costs of climate change data-driven approaches to estimating the social and human costs of climate change.
He is the founding director of Rutgers’ transdisciplinary Coastal Climate Risk & Resilience (C2R2) initiative, a training program which brings graduate students in the natural sciences, social sciences, engineering, and urban planning together with coastal stakeholders to tackle the challenges that climate change poses to the world’s coastlines.
Professor Kopp’s research focuses on past and future sea-level change, the interactions between physical climate change and the economy, the use of climate risk information to inform decision-making, and the role of higher education in supporting societal climate risk management.
He has authored over 145 scientific papers, as well as popular articles in venues including the New York Times, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, and The Conversation.
Professor Kopp is a lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 2021 Sixth Assessment Report, the U.S. Global Change Research Program’s 2017 Fourth National Climate Assessment and Economic Risks of Climate Change: An American Prospectus. He co-chairs the National Academy of Sciences’ Roundtable on Macroeconomics and Climate-related Risks and Opportunities and was a member of the National Academy of Sciences’ Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate. He was also also a committee member for the 2015-2017 National Academies Project on Assessing Approaches to Updating the Social Cost of Carbon. He was also a contributing author to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 2014 Fifth Assessment Report.
He has served on sea-level rise expert groups for the states of New Jersey, Maryland and California and the cities of Boston and New York.
Professor Kopp is a Rutgers-New Brunswick Chancellor’s Scholar, a fellow of the American Geophysical Union and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a past Leopold Leadership Fellow. He is a recipient of the American Geophysical Union’s James B. Macelwane and William Gilbert Medals and the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA)’s Sir Nicholas Shackleton Medal.

from Rutgers University and earned his law degree summa cum laude from Rutgers Law School. The Commissioner has vast experience and a deep commitment to equity and protecting vulnerable communities while facilitating public infrastructure development and advocating for environmental protection.

graduated from Columbia Law School, where he was a James Kent Scholar, a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, and Articles Editor for the Columbia Human Rights Law Review.
Martin’s recent publications include The Private Litigation Impact of New York’s Green Amendment, 49 Colum. J. Envtl. L. 357 (2024), Climate Entrenchment in Unstable Legal Regimes, 118 Nw. U. L. Rev. Online (2023), and Fencing the Wind: Property Rights in Renewable Energy, 50 W.V. L. Rev. 27 (2022). Martin’s work has been extensively covered in the media, and has been cited by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

Director of the New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance, an organization with a history of leadership in the local and national EJ movement. She is a recipient of the Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award for her work on the landmark Environmental Justice Law (2020). She serves as co-chair of the NJDEP Environmental Justice Advisory Council, a steering committee member of Coalition for Healthy Ports, the grassroots co-chair and a steering committee member of Building Equity and Alignment for EJ (BEA), and is the EJ Director for the NJ Reparations Council. Melissa is also a proud alum of the inaugural cohort of the EJ Disrupt Design Fellowship of the Tishman Environment and Design Center at the New School.

engagement, permitting, and regulatory affairs as one of the earliest adopters of and advocates for offshore wind in the US.
In her current role as the Director of the Special Initiative on Offshore Wind, she leads the organization to develop and implement strategies that support the responsible and sustainable development of the offshore wind sector. Originally from New Jersey, she is a Rutgers University graduate, has a Master’s degree from the University of Rhode Island, and currently lives in Morris County, New Jersey with her husband and retired-racing greyhounds.

coastal storm vulnerability and hazard reduction. Karen has written or co-editedbooks on the rise of the U.S. program for river flood control and growth of government power (Duke University Press), on race and Hurricane Katrina (Rutgers University Press), and on changes in institutions in response to Hurricane Sandy (Rutgers University Press). She has been a member of teams in two international competitions for coastal resilience designs, one for the New Jersey shore after Hurricane Sandy, under the Rebuild by Design competition (finalist team), and the second to use the Mississippi River to replenish coastal land in Louisiana, under the Changing Course competition (one of three winning teams).

to catalyze and realize affordable and sustainable permanent affordable housing projects throughout the County. Currently, Coming Home Middlesex Development (CHM Development), the development arm of Coming Home, is developing a third passive house project, which will include ten units of permanent supportive housing, with an onsite case management office, for homeless families and individuals identified using the County’s coordinated entry system.

issues including the resilience of the Tribe’s 1,700-acre reservation along the Pamunkey River. From 2018 to 2022, he served as the Deputy Secretary of Natural Resources for the Commonwealth of Virginia, where he played a pivotal role in establishing the state as a national leader in coastal resilience and climate adaptation. During his tenure, Saks spearheaded the development of the Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan, a comprehensive framework for protecting communities, ecosystems, and economies from the threats of sea-level rise, intensifying storms, and recurrent flooding. He also led the creation of the Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund, a groundbreaking program that has provided over $120 million in grants to local governments for flood mitigation and adaptation projects. For nearly a decade, he led the National Wildlife Federation’s federal advocacy efforts on climate change, water resources, and disaster response. He played a central role in shaping the 2016 Water Resources Development Act, securing provisions to modernize the nation’s water infrastructure, restore vital ecosystems, and enhance community resilience. He also worked to advance reforms to the National Flood Insurance Program, advocating for policies that would promote nature-based solutions, risk-informed decision-making, and equitable adaptation.

development, energy policy, healthy communities, and green building. Her research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. departments of Energy, Housing and Urban Development and Environmental Protection, and by the U.S. Green Building Council, the American Planning Association, and numerous NJ state agencies. Dr. Senick leads the Center’s program and policy evaluation work for the NJ Board of Public Utilities Clean Energy Program, is a member of the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute and the NJ Climate Change Resource Center, co-chair of the Sustainable Planning Design and Behavior Knowledge Network, Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA), serves on the Board of Directors of the International Association of People Environment Studies (IAPS), a Trend Scout for the American Planning Association, and active in the APA International Division. Dr. Senick also serves on the Board of Trustees of Children’s Specialized Hospital, RWJBH, is a founder and advisor of the Rutgers University Disability Studies minor and a steering committee member of Nature: Access for All, New Jersey Division of Disability Services.  Prior to her employment at Rutgers, Dr. Senick was employed by the Rand Corporation as an analyst at the Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies and Telcordia Technologies as Executive Director of Global Operations.

both an environmental and energy expert. Senator Smith is the Chairman of the Senate Environment and Energy Committee, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the State House Commission, and the Natural Lands Trust.  He has served as Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Economic Growth Standards and the Joint Committee on Government Consolidation and Shared Services.
Smith’s legislative highlights include the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act protecting the region that provides drinking water for 5 million New Jersey citizens; Stormwater Utilities, Beach Access, Hydrofluorocarbons, and the strongest fertilizer law in the nation. Smith authored the Recycling Enhancement Act and worked to pass laws to ensure the recycling of both electronic waste and food waste. He led the fight banning single-use plastic bags in the Garden State. Smith’s Site Remediation Reform Act (SRRA) law has been successful in cleaning up over 14,000 contaminated sites and his update to that law further improves the program. Senator Smith has worked to pass legislation stimulating solar and alternative energy in New Jersey including landmark electric vehicle and charging infrastructure laws putting our state on the path to one hundred percent clean energy by 2035.
Senator Smith has worked diligently for his district as well as the entire state by sponsoring the Emergency Disaster Relief Act and Local Flood Aid Act to aid economic recovery. In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Smith wrote the Disaster Relief Emergency Financing Program which expands the scope of what can be financed through the Environmental Infrastructure Trust.  Smith sponsored successful state-wide ballot initiatives on Natural Resource Damages, Diesel Particulates, Parks and Open Space, Farmland and Historic Preservation ensuring a cleaner greener Garden State for future generations creating a stable source of funding from Corporate Business Tax monies in perpetuity.
Smith knows that Military Veterans sacrifice the comfort of their homes in exchange for the realities of war which is why he fought to pass his legislation providing affordable housing opportunities to our veterans and worked to pass legislation for our New Jersey National Guard students. He has fought for the enactment of laws affording greater protection of child victims of abuse and to protect judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement.
Senator Smith has a long record of public service dating back to his days as a graduate student at Rutgers University where he was an environmental and civil rights activist. Locally, Smith was elected in 1977 as a member of the Piscataway Township Council, serving as Council President and Vice President. In 1981 he was elected Mayor of Piscataway Township serving until 1986 when he was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly. From 1991-1992 he served as the Chairman of the Middlesex County Democratic Organization. He also served as Chairman of the New Jersey Democratic Task Force on the Environment in 1987 and was counsel to the New Jersey State Democratic Platform in both 1987 and 1989. From 1995-1996 he served as Deputy Minority Leader in the General Assembly.
Senator Bob Smith is a uniquely qualified legislator. Prior to becoming an attorney in private practice, Senator Smith was a Professor of Chemistry and Environmental Science at Middlesex College. He holds Master’s degrees in Chemistry from the University of Scranton and Environmental Science from Rutgers University, as well as a J.D. in law from Seton Hall University.
Senator Bob Smith and the love of his life Ellen were married in 1968. They have two adult daughters and are the proud grandparents of five grandchildren. They live and work in Piscataway Township.

communities, create good jobs for residents, and provide pathways to a stronger and fairer economy.
During his tenure, Tim has led the NJEDA’s transformation into a comprehensive economic development organization dedicated to implementing Governor Phil Murphy’s vision for a stronger and fairer New Jersey. Tim has overseen the creation of more than 100 new or expanded programs and major projects that drive New Jersey’s innovation economy, strengthen emerging and historic sectors, support small businesses, and cultivate equitable community development. Under Tim’s leadership, the EDA has invested more than $6 billion into New Jersey’s economic competitiveness, which has supported the creation of more than 200,000 new jobs during Governor Murphy’s time in office. Since 2020, New Jersey has led the Northeast in private sector job creation.
Under his leadership, the NJEDA has led the development and implementation of more than 15 programs created under the landmark Economic Recovery Act of 2020 ranging from real estate development to film industry support, provided more than $700 million in COVID-19 relief to small businesses impacted by the pandemic, launched the ground-breaking New Jersey Innovation Evergreen Fund and Strategic Innovation Centers initiative, invested $500 million in support for main streets, small businesses and manufacturers, invested in economic security through programs recognizing maternal and infant health, child care, and food security as economic enablers, and helped municipalities revitalize brownfields and other underused spaces into valuable community assets.
Tim has helped facilitate numerous major projects in New Jersey including the planned $1 billion investment by Netflix into an East Coast flagship production facility at Fort Monmouth, the Helix life sciences innovation center in New Brunswick, HAX’s selection of Newark as the global headquarters of its renowned startup studio platform, a major campus expansion of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark and the nation’s first purpose-built offshore wind port in Salem County.
Tim most recently served as Deputy Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), where he oversaw State tourism and branding, brownfield redevelopment, transit-oriented development, and waterfront initiatives. Tim previously served as Chief of Staff to the New York City Deputy Mayor for Economic Development, focusing on transportation and transit-oriented development, brownfield redevelopment, waterfront and maritime/port redevelopment, public and affordable housing policy, small business support, infrastructure finance, and public/private partnerships. Tim was a key member of the team responsible for developing the Cornell-Technion applied sciences campus on Roosevelt Island and numerous large-scale development projects in all five boroughs.
Prior to joining city government in 2010, Tim worked at Barclays Capital as Chief of Staff to the Head of Global Investment Banking. He began his career in investment banking at Lehman Brothers in 2003 as a healthcare banker, focusing on mergers and acquisitions and capital markets transactions for leading companies in the managed care, biotechnology, and healthcare services sectors.
Tim is a native of Bergen County and is a graduate of Georgetown University.

Prior to serving in the Administration, she worked as an energy informatics and policy research specialist at Rutgers University, focusing on climate action and key mitigation policies, wholesale electricity, the bioeconomy, and sustainable development, among other key initiatives. While at Bloustein, she also worked at the Rutgers Energy Institute, supporting academic leaders in energy planning, policy, and engineering. Preethy grew up in Middlesex County and is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and Rutgers-Bloustein.

He has been a PMP since 2021, along with being a CEM, CFM and SHRM-SCP. His professional work is related to finance, project management, grants and administration while serving the public.

the emerging Electric Vehicle market. Mark previously served as the Director of Energy at the Sustainability Institute at The College of NJ and Sustainable Jersey, building on over a decade of experience running one of the first solar energy companies in the Garden State. Other key focus areas include renewable energy (especially solar), energy master planning, electrification in all forms, energy storage, and microgrids.

governments. She has also worked on international climate and disaster risk reduction projects at the German Development Institute and at the UN Institute for Environment and Human Security. Helen holds a B.A. in Environmental Policy from Washington University in St. Louis; her M.Sc. in Geography of Environmental Risks and Human Security was administered jointly by the United Nations University and the University of Bonn, Germany.

He served in the NJ General Assembly from 2016 – 2021 where he was the Chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee. His legislative focus includes the role of R&D as an economic driver, addressing global warming, and voting rights, among others.

A lifelong New Jersey resident, Andrew is head of Public Engagement & Workforce Development at Princeton University’s Plasma Physics Laboratory, a world leader in developing an advanced form of energy known as fusion.

He has taught classes in bioethics and writing, and led plasma physics workshops for faculty and students. The American Association of Physics Teachers named him as one of the 75 leading contributors to physics education in the US.

Andrew was raised in Englewood, NJ where his love of learning and passion for science came from his mother, a public school English teacher, and father, a chemical engineer. He earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from Bard College and a master’s and Ph.D. in physics from Johns Hopkins University.

Policy Analysis for the Climate Center from 2009-2018. Prior roles include Program Director, Northeast Policy, at Energy Foundation; Senior Associate in the Climate and Energy Program at the World Resources Institute; and Senior Research Fellow for Domestic Policy at the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. She has a BS in engineering from Swarthmore College, a Master of Environmental Management from the Yale School of the Environment, and a JD, cum laude, from Georgetown Law.
Zyla was appointed by Administrator Regan to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Mobile Sources Technical Review Subcommittee of the Clean Air Act Advisory Committee in 2022, has served as a Commissioner on the District of Columbia’s Commission on Climate Change and Resiliency since 2017, and was a member of the Engineering Advisory Council for Swarthmore College from 2013-2018. In 2016, she received the Clean Energy Education and Empowerment (C3E) Law and Finance Award, given by the Department of Energy, MIT Energy Initiative, and Stanford Precourt Institute for Energy.

and Policy Assistant at New Jersey League of Conservation Voters (NJLCV). In those roles, she worked on policy and legislation to protect clean water, preserve open space, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions with an emphasis on equity.
Alex holds a Master of Public Administration from Rutgers University where she also received her Bachelor of Science in Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources with a minor in Environmental Geomatics.

agencies, and community leaders, and facilitates meaningful and routine collaboration and sharing among project partners.
Prior to 2023, Lisa was the Assistant Manager of the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve (JC NERR) in Tuckerton, NJ where she had been employed since 2002. Lisa oversaw the day-to-day management of JC NERR’s Coastal Center as well as the Reserve’s education, outreach, communications, and Coastal Training Program.

Previously, Ben was at HCDNNJ (the Network) on Sandy Disaster Recovery and served on three NJ VOAD subcommittees across Monmouth and Ocean Counties; and in Waveland, MS and St Bernard’s Parish, LA on Katrina Recovery. He was a Firefighter in Texas and a Cavalry Scout in Bosnia with NATO and in Haiti with the United Nations. He has an MBA from the University of Colorado and a BA from the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M. In his free time, Ben spends his time exploring the shore and hiking with his family – Rachel, Harper, Hayley & Mike.

Lucas also leads the NJADAPT Program at the New Jersey Climate Change Resource Center, developing a suite of data-visualization and mapping tools designed to assist planners, community leaders, businesses, and residents to understand and adapt to the impacts of climate change on people, assets, and communities in New Jersey. Prior to joining the Center for Urban Policy Research in 2024, he led the development of the SEBS/NJAES Office of Research Analytics at Rutgers University where he provided leadership and direction on the development of analytical capabilities and services to meet the ongoing demand of stakeholders both within and outside the university. Lucas earned a Master in City and Regional Planning from the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, a Master of Science in Computer Science from Rutgers University, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Planning and Public Policy from the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy.

25 years of experience in hazardous materials emergency response and hazard mitigation.
Her expertise lies in climate change adaptation, hazard risk mitigation, coastal wetlands assessment and monitoring, coastal ecosystem services, and strategic planning for regional climate adaptation and coastal resilience. This wealth of knowledge, coupled with her emergency response experience, enables her to integrate applied climate science into developing adaptation and resilience strategies, enhancing existing planning tools.
Martha demonstrated her dedication to public service during Hurricane Sandy as Captain of the Berkeley Emergency Response Team, the countywide Haz-Mat Team for Ocean County, New Jersey. She is a founding member of the Mid Atlantic Coastal Wetlands Assessment (MACWA) and holds leadership positions on numerous organizations, including the New Jersey Climate Change Alliance, New Jersey Tideland Resource Council, NJ Coastal Resilience Coalition, New Jersey Tidal Wetlands Monitoring Network, and the NJ Endangered and Nongame Species Advisory Committee. Throughout her career, Martha has actively participated in statewide and regional initiatives, advancing environmental protection and resilience.

improving municipal land use, empowering communities, improving our water and energy infrastructure, and supporting meaningful and impactful legislation. Nicole is a member of the Newark Environmental Commission, advising the Mayor and City Council on sustainability issues; Chair of the Newark Green Team; Co-Chair of NewarkDIG (Doing Infrastructure Green) dedicated to resilient and sustainable municipal stormwater management; Co-Chair of the Jersey Water Works Steering Committee, a statewide coalition focused on improving NJ’s aging water infrastructure; a member of the Rutgers Newark Climate Advisory Group; Vice-Chair of the NJ Progressive Equitable Energy Coalition (NJPEEC); and a member of the Clean Energy Action Now (CLEAN) and Clean Energy Jobs coalitions. Nicole is currently serving as a member of the Governor’s Building Electrification Workgroup, the Board of Public Utilities’ Energy Efficiency Workforce Development Working Group and as an Advisor to the New Jersey Climate Change Resource Center.

political factors influence society’s responses to energy and climate problems. Rachael is currently PI on a collaborative National Science Foundation Grant “Responses to complex disruptive events: Cognition in a socio-political context”, co-PI on a National Science Foundation CRISES Planning Grant on Sustainability Governance in the Anthropocene, and working with the Center for Urban Policy Research to study decision-making for decarbonization of low and moderate income multifamily housing for the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences Committee to Advise the U.S. Global Change Research Program and a co-author to the National Climate Assessment’s Chapter 5 (Human and Social Systems). For more information see shwomrac.tumblr.com.

She currently serves as a member of the Board of EarthShare New Jersey and the Board of the Center for Aquatic Sciences. In addition, she serves as the Vice Chair of the New Jersey Clean Air Council. Finally, she served on EPA’s Clean Air Act Advisory Committee (CAAAC) from 2017 through 2023.