Kristin Baja (‘Baja’) is USDN’s Climate Resilience Officer and is responsible for helping cities identify strategic ways to advance climate resilience planning and implementation and building their capacity to take proactive action. Baja focuses her time on supporting members and partners in working at the nexus of resilience, mitigation and equity while also helping center equity in their climate and sustainability work. She helps facilitate deeper relationships between local governments and stakeholders while helping to identify and shift focus to more collaborative and transformational action. Prior to USDN, Baja served as the Climate and Resilience Planner with the City of Baltimore's Office of Sustainability where she led the city's climate and equity work. She holds a Masters of Urban Planning and a Masters of Science from the University of Michigan. She is also an Aspen Global Change Institute Fellow, is an EPIC-N board member, and serves on several local and international advisory committees. In 2016, she was recognized by the Obama Administration as a Champion of Change for her work on climate and equity.

Kate Johnson is the Chief of the Green Building and Climate Branch in the Urban Sustainability Administration at the District of Columbia Department of Energy & Environment, where she manages a team working to address climate change and advance green building through planning and policy development. Her team leads implementation of Climate Ready DC, the District’s award-winning plan to prepare for the impacts of climate change, and is leading the development of the District’s strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Prior to joining DOEE, Kate worked for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy providing technical assistance to cities. Kate received a Master of Public Administration degree from Columbia University's School of Public and International Affairs.

As DC’s first Chief Resilience Officer, Bush lead a citywide effort to develop Resilient DC, a strategy to thrive in the face of change. Now, he leads efforts, within the Executive Office of the Mayor, to implement that strategy and prepare the nation’s capital for climate change, technological disruption, and a changing economy. Bush has extensive experience building coalitions to design and execute award-winning resilience initiatives, including Rebuild by Design, the National Disaster Resilience Competition, and the Multifamily Better Buildings Challenge. He previously led efforts at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to plan for the impact of climate change. Bush also served on President Obama’s Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force and at the White House Council on Environmental Quality. He has also been both a Presidential Management Fellow and City of Chicago Mayoral Fellow. Bush is a widely recognized expert in urban resilience, climate change mitigation and adaptation, disaster recovery, affordable housing, and infrastructure. Bush holds a Masters of Urban Planning from the University of Michigan and a Bachelors of Arts in Business from Michigan State University.

Ayisha Swann joined JBG Smith’s Development team in 2018, focusing on large-scale, mixed use development projects including Gallaudet’s 6th Street redevelopment in Union Market, Eckington Yards, and National Landing’s Masterplan. A DMV native, Ayisha worked on the Development Team at AvalonBay Communities, as well as DC’s Golden Triangle Business Improvement District prior to joining JBG Smith. Ayisha received a Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College, where she graduated cum laude, and an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, where she was a Horey Family Fellow and served as the President of the Dean’s Fellows Committee.

Elizabeth Foster is a Senior Associate for ULI’s Urban Resilience program. She conducts research and collaborates with ULI staff and members to provide knowledge and share innovative practices that help communities prepare for and adapt to climate risks. Elizabeth is the author of ULI’s newest resilience research, Scorched: Extreme Heat and Real Estate. Before coming to ULI, Elizabeth focused on disaster management and climate change adaptation in the private sector with a multinational insurance company and then internationally with U.S. Peace Corps Response. Elizabeth began her career developing the sustainability plan for her alma mater Macalester College and expanding environmental education at an urban greening/youth empowerment nonprofit in St. Paul, MN.