Our Experts

Rabi Abonour

Transportation Strategist, Resilient Communities, People & Communities Program

As an active transportation advocate, Rabi Abonour believes that promoting walking, bicycling, and public transit is vital for creating cities that are healthy, equitable, and sustainable. Prior to joining NRDC, Abonour worked on the bike share and open streets programs…

Zak Accuardi

Senior Advocate, Transportation, People & Communities Program

Zak Accuardi works across the U.S. to advance equitable, low-carbon transportation policies and projects. Previously, he consulted on transportation policy and climate change mitigation with organizations including the World Bank and Project Drawdown. He also worked as a senior program…

Erwin Lee Acox Jr.

Managing Director, Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Erwin Lee Acox Jr. joined NRDC in March 2023 with more than a decade of experience in DEI leadership roles. Most recently, he served as director of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion at Tides Network, where he led efforts to…

Alexandra Adams

Senior Director, Federal Affairs, Center for Policy Advocacy

Alexandra Adams directs NRDC's Federal Affairs team and works to develop proactive federal strategies to secure environmental protections while addressing legislative threats. Adams previously served as legislative director of NRDC’s Nature program, coordinating NRDC’s strategy for preventing legislative threats to…

Sophia Ahmed

Policy Analyst, Science Office

Sophia Ahmed is a policy analyst supporting NRDC’s work on industrial decarbonization, federal emissions standards, and Midwestern policy. Prior to joining NRDC, she worked on various aspects of the clean energy transition at Strategen, Tesla, and the New York City…

Dr. Bemnet Alemayehu

Staff Scientist, Climate & Clean Energy Program

Bemnet Alemayehu concentrates on issues relating to the environmental monitoring of radiation and the health and environmental impacts of radiation. He received his PhD in radiation health physics from Oregon State University, where his dissertation focused on designing and developing…

Ann Alexander

Senior Attorney, Dirty Energy, Lands Division, Nature Program

Ann Alexander works as a litigator and policy advocate with the Nature Program's Dirty Energy Team—fighting to curb polluting fossil fuel development that threatens the integrity of our public lands, and harms communities living in proximity. Before arriving at NRDC…

Pete Altman

Director, Federal Campaigns, Center for Policy Advocacy

Pete Altman guides the strategic direction of NRDC’s federal policy campaigns. He was formerly NRDC’s climate campaign director, responsible for NRDC’s efforts to build public support for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan and protect the Clean Air…

Dana Ammann

Policy Analyst, Sustainable FERC Project, Climate & Clean Energy Program

Dana Ammann leads the development of modeling, analyses, and materials to support NRDC's and Sustainable FERC Project's mission to decarbonize the U.S. power sector and deploy clean energy resources into America’s electricity transmission grid. She works on policy efforts related…

Zanagee Artis

Fossil Fuels Policy Advocate, Nature Program

Zanagee Artis is a founding member and executive director of Zero Hour and has worked in the youth climate movement advocating for the need to transition away from fossil fuels. He is outspoken about the climate crisis and was a…

Sylvie Ashford

Schneider Sustainable Energy Fellow, Western Region, Climate & Clean Energy Program

Sylvie Ashford works on building decarbonization, electricity planning, and other clean energy issues in California. Prior to joining NRDC, she worked as a research assistant at policy think tanks in the Bay Area and Washington, D.C., and completed her capstone…

Anupa Asokan

Senior Advocate, Oceans Division, Nature Program

Anupa Asokan is a dedicated ocean advocate working to protect California’s marine ecosystems. Before joining NRDC, she managed and implemented a global, public-facing campaign through the World Surf League calling for ocean protections. Prior to that, Asokan served as the…

Josh Axelrod

Senior Advocate, Nature Program

Josh Axelrod focuses on issues including public land protection and conservation, renewable energy siting on public lands, limiting oil and gas development on public lands, energy transmission, and climate policy. Since joining NRDC in 2013, Axelrod has also developed expertise…

Sandy Aylesworth

Director, Pacific Initiative, Oceans Division, Nature Program

Sandy Aylesworth advocates to combat illegal fishing and for responsible offshore wind development. Prior to joining NRDC, she worked at the U.S. Department of State and was a Knauss Marine Policy Fellow at NOAA's Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs…

John Bailey

Senior Advocate, Federal and State Transportation, People & Communities Program

John Bailey has over two decades of experience as an advocate for sustainable and equitable communities at the national, state, and local levels. Bailey works to ensure that transportation investments and policies benefit people of all ages, abilities, and incomes…

Roger Baneman

Advisor, Green Finance Center

Roger Baneman is an advisor to NRDC, working principally with the Green Finance Center. He is a retired tax partner of the law firm of Shearman & Sterling LLP. His projects have included the potential use for clean energy investing…

Valerie Baron

Senior Attorney and Director, National Policy, People & Communities Program

Valerie Baron works to develop federal policies that make government work for everyone, protect and foster community health, and achieve racial equity. She has more than 15 years of experience in legal advocacy, politics, and policy. Prior to her role…

Max Baumhefner

Senior Attorney, Climate & Clean Energy Program

Max Baumhefner works to make our nation’s cars, trucks, and buses zero emission vehicles. He focuses on electrifying the transportation sector in a manner that also accelerates the transition to a smarter, more affordable electric grid powered by renewable resources…

Corinne Bell

Senior Attorney, People & Communities Program

Corinne Bell focuses on drinking water and surface water pollution in several states, as well as the water-related impacts of climate change. Bell's work includes PFAS and lead contamination, environmental rights, urban runoff, and green infrastructure. Before joining NRDC, Bell…

Sujatha Bergen

Director, Health Campaigns, Health and Food, People & Communities Program

Sujatha Bergen campaigns for changes in corporate and regulatory policies that protect public health—from eliminating toxic chemicals in everyday products to cutting subsidies to the fossil fuel industry to promoting climate healthy menus. Prior to working at NRDC, she was…