Erica has spent her career connecting people with plants. As the City Forester at Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, she oversees many projects, including the TreePhilly Community Forestry program, street and park tree planting and maintenance, and emergency tree work. She was also the project lead for the Philly Tree Plan, a 10-year strategic plan for the equitable growth and care of Philadelphia’s urban forest, which was released in 2023. She is an ISA certified arborist and the recipient of the Arbor Day Foundation's 2018 Trailblazer Award. Erica received a B.S. in biology from Haverford College and an M.S. in environmental horticulture from the University of California, Davis.

Claire is President of Mark B. Thompson Associates, PC, an architecture and planning firm in Philadelphia, specializing in programming, facility assessment, site planning, historic preservation, historic rehabilitation, adaptive reuse, and new architecture for individuals, institutions, and non-profits requiring professional services. For over 50 years, MBTA has focused on supporting the missions of venerable institutions, creating spaces that foster deeper community, and preserving the architecture and character of significant buildings and landscapes. Claire attended the University of Pennsylvania from 1982-1986 and from 1986-1989, where she received her undergraduate degree and Master of Architecture and solidified her lifelong connection to the city of Philadelphia and its rich architectural history. She is a registered architect and LEED™ accredited professional and is a member of the American Institute of Architects and The Carpenter’s Company of the City and County of Philadelphia. Claire has demonstrated expertise with projects requiring rigorous technical solutions through the rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of existing structures, including historic and National Historic Landmark properties. She has been privileged to be involved with planning and architectural projects for some of Philadelphia’s and our nation’s most significant cultural resources and historic settings, including the Fairmount Water Works; the Schuylkill River villas and historic houses of Philadelphia (The Woodlands, Belmont Mansion, Woodford, Strawberry Mansion, and Lemon Hill); Eastern State Penitentiary; Wyck Historic House, Garden, and Farm; Abolition Hall; and West Point U.S. Military Academy.

Gerald is Director of the University of Delaware Water Resources Center (UDWRC) one of the 54 Congressionally chartered National Institutes for Water Resources (NIWR) established by the Water Resources Research Act of 1964 and supported by the Department of Interior at land grant universities in the 50 states, District of Columbia, and island territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands. Dr. Kauffman is the 60th President of NIWR and holds faculty appointments in the Biden School, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, and Geography Department and studied at Delaware (est. 1743), Princeton (est. 1746), and Rutgers (est. 1766). Jerry was born in Kensington in Philly and lived on Agate St. and is now one of the million citizens of the First State and when not playing soccer serves as President of the Fairfield Watershed Association at home in Newark, Delaware.

Glenn is a senior consultant in climate resilience and adaptation at AKRF, and prior to retirement, most well known as Chief Meteorologist Glenn "Hurricane" Schwartz for WCAU-TV, NBC 10 in Philadelphia. He is a renowned expert in meteorology, weather forecasting, climate consulting. Glenn is now a frequent speaker and author focusing on the extreme weather and climate change connection. He is certified with the American Meteorological Society, has served as a Disaster Preparedness Meteorologist for the National Weather Service, and was inducted into the Philadelphia Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2010. Glenn’s expertise is in severe weather and he has been writing on the impact of climate change for over a decade as extreme weather events increase. He was a Disaster Preparedness Meteorologist for the National Weather Service and co-authored the “Philadelphia Area Weather Book” in 2022.

Caleb Stratton is the Chief Resilience Officer for the City of Hoboken, New Jersey. He supervises implementation of the $230,000,000 Rebuild by Design Hudson River (RBD-HR) flood risk reduction project and Hoboken’s microgrid project. Caleb has over 10 years of experience advising urban and suburban communities on sustainability and resiliency issues. On a day to day basis he coordinates the Mayor’s resilience priorities for energy security, transportation, emergency operations, hazard mitigation, and finance. He holds two nationally recognized professional certifications through the American Planning Association (AICP) and the American Society of Floodplain Managers (CFM). He has an undergraduate degree in Urban Planning from the University at Albany, and a Master’s in Science from the Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture at the City College of New York, where he is currently an adjunct professor teaching “Resilience by Design”. Caleb lives and works in Hoboken NJ with his wife Jen; and he plays in the mountains of greater New England.

Michelle has dedicated her career to community and economic development in her hometown of Philadelphia. For almost six years, she served as Director of Keep Philadelphia Beautiful (KPB), a nonprofit organization dedicated to community building through community greening. Prior to that role, she served as the Commercial Corridor Manager and Communications Director for the Frankford Community Development Corporation, where she primarily worked to assist small businesses along the Frankford Avenue commercial corridor and attract new ones to the area. Michelle holds a B.A. in Political Science from Brandeis University and a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Drexel. She served on the Board of Young Involved Philadelphia as Outreach Chair from 2014-2015, and as Vice President in 2016. From 2017-2020, she served on the Mayor’s Millennial Advisory Committee, first as Communications Chair and then on the Executive Committee as Secretary. Michelle has been named a Connector and Keeper by LEADERSHIP Philadelphia, and to Billy Penn “Who’s Next: Community Leaders” list. As Michelle has said: “I am thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the East Falls Development Corporation. I have seen firsthand how Community Development Corporations bring neighbors and businesses together to build our civic fabric, and make a tangible difference in the lives of our fellow Philadelphians. This work is more important than ever – and CDCs are uniquely positioned to help build our communities and make sure they are stronger and healthier than ever. On a personal note, as a native Philadelphian I know how special East Falls is, from its businesses to its parks and rich history – and of course its people. I also know that opportunity abounds to build upon the many strengths and assets of the East Falls community.”

Abby Sullivan is the Chief Resilience Officer in the Philadelphia Office of Sustainability. In this role she leads Philadelphia’s citywide resilience planning. Previously, she served as an Environmental Scientist at the Philadelphia Water Department where she worked on their green stormwater infrastructure program and led the Department’s coastal flood resilience efforts with the Climate Change Adaptation Program. She recently helped launch PEERS (Practitioner Exchange for Effective Response to Sea level rise), a global community of practice for sea level rise adaptation professionals. Abby is a Certified Floodplain Manager and serves on NASA’s Sea Level Change Practitioner Consultation Board. She has a Master of Resource Management degree from the University of Akureyri in Iceland.

David S. McHenry is a founding partner of Erdy McHenry Architecture focusing on client relationships and project engagements that expand the opportunity to shape a resilient built environment and an inclusive public realm. David has advanced the design profession at the intersection of design practice and architectural education, building a foundation for an integrated work process in his lectures and leading by example with his built work. Over the course of more than 30 years in practice, David has developed and shared a practice model advocating an integrated approach to project delivery, weaving innovative business processes into an award-winning practice that is a model for firms throughout the United States. After completing his architectural education David completed his MBA at Temple University with a concentration in Real Estate and Urban Land studies with the intent of fully integrating the project delivery process from need assessment/identification through design and into construction – a “leadership mandate” recognizing that integrated project delivery brings together the advocacy of multiple points of view and expertise to identify and optimize solutions that shape the public realm from conceptualization to execution. Over the course of more than 35 years in practice, David has developed and shared a practice model that expands the role and influence of the architect utilizing an integrated approach to project delivery, weaving innovative business processes into an award-winning practice that is a model for firms throughout the United States. David’s work, particularly since co-founding Erdy McHenry in 1999, has been recognized by the AIA with more than 30 design awards including 2 Gold Medals and 4 Silver Medal and by local and national press - both in professional journals and across the general media.

Ron Pluto, Vice President – Engineering, Brandywine Realty Trust Since joining Brandywine in 2005, Ron has overseen many of the company's major constructions projects and activities relative to building system design and construction including Cira Centre, the historic renovation of the 30th Street Post Office building, FMC Tower, and the conversion of the Bulletin Building into lab space of Spark Therapeutics. As Vice President of Engineering, Ron is responsible for Brandywine's major development projects for building system design, installation, and commissioning. His expertise also includes working with various design teams on the designs of multi-tenant, ground-up life science buildings in Brandywine's development pipeline. Prior to his tenure at Brandywine, Ron worked at Lucent Technologies as Director of Building Systems and Corporate Energy Manager from 11997 to 2005, where he oversaw all major MEP projects and supported all ground-up development related to building system design, construction, and commissioning. Here, he was also responsible for oversight of energy procurement, operational audits, and other activities–resulting in a $20 million-plus reductions in annual energy cost nationwide. Prior to his tenure at Lucent, Mr. Pluto was the Senior Vice President of Engineering with Heitman Properties, Ltd., where he oversaw Engineering Operations and the engineering of over 20 million square feet for a Class A high-rise portfolio, as well as hotel, residential, mall, and industrial properties. Mr. Pluto is a member of ASHRAE, and has completed courses on the design of DOAS, design of high-performance buildings, advanced laboratory design, and many others. He achieved certifications from BOMA as an RPA, AEE, CEM, and CBCP, and also holds a Pennsylvania Real Estates Salesperson license.

Karen Thompson is Director of Planning, Policy, & Engagement for the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation where she focuses on these areas as part of the implementation of the Master Plan for the Central Delaware, a 25-year roadmap for the redevelopment of Philadelphia’s waterfront. She has managed a diverse portfolio of projects including transportation planning studies, streetscape design and construction, zoning, public space design, redevelopment, and archaeology. Her current projects include the conceptual design and Phase 1 implementation of Graffiti Pier Park and multiple project elements of the new Penn’s Landing Park, including a citywide engagement effort. In addition to her work at DRWC, Ms. Thompson has served as a lecturer for the Planning Workshop course at the University of Pennsylvania Weitzman School of Design and is currently active with ULI Philadelphia’s UrbanPlan and Women’s Leadership Initiative committees. She holds a B.A. in History from the University of Texas at Austin, a Master’s degree in City Planning with a certificate in Urban Design from the University of Pennsylvania, and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.

Chris Linn is the Manager of the Office of Climate and Environment at the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. Chris provides leadership and coordination to assist communities and agencies in planning for and implementing projects and policies to promote sustainability and resilience. In that role, he develops plans, programs, and technical resources to assist local governments with their efforts to become more resilient to the impacts of climate change. Chris serves on the Delaware River Basin Commission’s Advisory Committee on Climate Change, Sustainable Jersey’s Climate Adaptation Task Force, the New Jersey Climate Alliance, and the Megapolitan Coastal Transformation Hub’s Collaborative Stakeholder Advisory Panel. He holds a Master’s in Energy and Environmental Policy from the University of Delaware and a BS in Earth Sciences from Penn State University.

Lindsay Brugger is Vice President, Urban Resilience for the Urban Land Institute (ULI), a global nonprofit organization comprising more than 45,000 real estate and urban development professionals dedicated to advancing the Institute’s mission of shaping the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide. Ms. Brugger leads ULI’s Urban Resilience Program to advance the real estate industry’s understanding of climate risk, catalyze action to reduce vulnerability, and support communities in becoming more climate resilient. A licensed architect, certified passive house consultant, and frequent speaker, Ms. Brugger has worked for over a decade at the intersection of resilience, adaptation, and the built environment. She began her career as a practicing architect; extending her services to Architecture for Humanity DC where she co-founded and directed the Resilience by Design Program. Prior to joining ULI, Ms. Brugger was the Director of Resilience Knowledge and Engagement at the American Institute of Architects. During her tenure, she championed resilience, climate adaptation, and disaster assistance; creating tools and resources to help AIA’s 95,000 architects build new skillsets, integrate resilience into practice, and support their communities pre- and post-disaster. An avid partner in advancing resilience action throughout the building industry, Ms. Brugger often serves as a subject matter expert on climate adaptation and the built environment, supporting organizations and initiatives such as the National Institute of Building Sciences, the National Institute of Standards & Technology, and the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit. Ms. Brugger received a Master of Architecture and B.S. in Architecture from Roger Williams University; as well as the Alpha Rho Chi Medal for her leadership and service.