Our Experts

Steve Fleischli

Senior Director, Water Initiatives, People & Communities Program

Steve Fleischli’s area of focus encompasses not only water quality but also the role of water security in climate-preparedness programs and the relationship of water to energy production. Prior to joining NRDC in 2010, he served as the executive director…

Ariana Gonzalez

Director, Equitable Policy, Climate & Clean Energy Program

Ariana Gonzalez provides guidance and support for nurturing more just, equitable, and inclusive processes, partnerships, and policies. She also acts as a liaison between her program and the newly created Environment, Equity, and Justice Center at NRDC. Prior to this…

Ashok Gupta

Senior Energy Economist, Climate & Clean Energy Program

Ashok Gupta focuses on policies relating to global warming, energy efficiency, renewables, sustainable building design, smart growth, and transportation. During former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration, Gupta served as NRDC’s representative to the Mayor’s Sustainability Advisory Board and Energy…

Becky Hammer

Deputy Director, Federal Water Policy; Senior Attorney, Nature Program

Becky Hammer focuses on stormwater runoff, green infrastructure, low-impact development, water-pollution permitting issues, and climate change preparedness. Before joining NRDC in 2009, she interned at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Hammer is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law…

Kim Knowlton

Senior Scientist, Science Office

Kim Knowlton focuses on the public health impacts of climate change and advocates for strategies to prepare for—and prevent—these impacts, especially in vulnerable communities. Her research into the links between climate change and health supports NRDC’s knowledge partnerships with a…

Rob Moore

Senior Policy Analyst, People & Communities Program

Rob Moore works on a range of issues related to the water-related impacts of our rapidly warming climate, including the rising risks of flooding and the effects of sea-level rise. Prior to joining NRDC in 2013, he spent nine years…

Yerina Mugica

Managing Director, People & Communities Program

Yerina Mugica leads multidisciplinary teams to advance strategies that support strong, just, and resilient communities—communities that bring together economic, social, and environmental solutions to help maintain health and prosperity in the face of climate disruption. Mugica’s work is centered on…

Jade Nguyen

Project Specialist, Nature Program

Claire O'Connor

Director, Water & Agriculture, Water Division, Nature Program

Claire O’Connor focuses on the crucial relationship between water and agriculture, emphasizing solutions to water-resource challenges that will benefit both farmers and their non-farming neighbors. Her own family has operated a farm in rural Nebraska for five generations, which informs…

Mikyla Reta

Community Solutions Advisor, People & Communities Program

Mikyla Reta works with local and national partners in the Strong Prosperous and Resilient Communities Challenge (SPARCC) initiative to accelerate community-led projects and policies that prioritize racial equity, build a culture of health, and respond to our climate crisis. She…

Joel Scata

Attorney, Water Initiatives, People & Communities Program

Joel Scata focuses on issues related to preparing the United States for water-related impacts of climate change, including federal flood policy reform and adapting to sea-level rise. Prior to joining NRDC in 2014, Scata served as a Peace Corps volunteer…

Anna Weber

Senior Policy Analyst, People & Communities Program

Anna Weber’s work seeks to incorporate the current and future effects of flooding, sea level rise, and other climate-driven hazards into local, state, and national decision-making and to ensure that adaptation policies benefit those on the front lines of climate…

Sam Whillans

NRDC-Yale Legal Fellow, People & Communities Program

Sam Whillans works on a range of issues at the intersection of climate and housing justice, including energy efficiency, utility affordability, and climate resilience. Before joining NRDC, Whillans worked with Earthjustice, the Clean Air Council, and as a developer of…