About
The American Flood Coalition's staff brings together experience from every level of government and every corner of the flood resilience field. The team includes former Capitol Hill staffers who advised members of Congress on disaster response and appropriations; alumni of the National Security Council, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and city hall; and public servants who built flood resilience programs within state agencies in West Virginia, Georgia, and Vermont. They work alongside scientists and engineers, including an MIT-trained oceanographer, as well as veterans of McKinsey & Company, Google, leading nonprofits, and national associations. AFC's staff pairs deep policy and technical expertise with firsthand experience helping municipalities, states, and the federal government reduce flood risk.
About
The American Flood Coalition’s staff brings together experience from every level of government and every corner of the flood resilience field. The team includes former Capitol Hill staffers who advised members of Congress on disaster response and appropriations; alumni of the National Security Council, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and city hall; and public servants who built flood resilience programs within state agencies in West Virginia, Georgia, and Vermont. They work alongside scientists and engineers, as well as veterans of McKinsey & Company, Google, leading nonprofits, and national associations. AFC’s staff pairs deep policy and technical expertise with firsthand experience helping municipalities, states, and the federal government reduce flood risk.
Our mission is to drive transformational adaptation to protect communities from higher seas, stronger storms, and more frequent flooding.
Alexandra Zykova
Coalition Engagement Associate
Amapola Rísquez Vera
Coalition Engagement Director
Anna Kleinsasser
Associate State Policy Director
Anne Baker
Chief Program Officer
Anne Brody
State Government Relations Director
Blanca Velasquez
Operations Associate
Brad Sickels
Associate Director of Events
Brian McWalters
Technical Associate Director
Brianna Wood
Federal Senior Government Relations Associate
Brittany Ellis
Executive Assistant
Chuck Porcari
Senior Advisor
Ed Martin
Director of State Policy Implementation
Ejita Holmes
Marketing and Communications Director
Elaina Gregg
Associate Director of Strategic Partnerships and Development
Faustine Luo
Federal Policy Associate
Forbes Tompkins
Director of Partnerships and Policy
George Bandy Jr.
Senior Advisor
Greg Porter
State Policy Associate
Jack Krolikowski
Technical Director
Janhavi Apte
Development Associate
Jeff Walker
Senior Advisor
Jillian Wacker
Federal Policy Associate
Jim Cason
Senior Advisor
Joyce Coffee
Senior Advisor
Julie Seger
Federal Government Relations & Policy Director
Julieta Rodrigo
Senior State Program Operations Associate
Kate Wesner
Florida Director
Kayla Cooper
Senior Communications Associate
Madeleine Fox
Federal Senior Policy Associate
Matt Leasure
Federal Policy Director
Matt Shafer
Associate Director of State Government Relations
Matthew Rowland
Federal Policy Director
Melissa Roberts
Executive Director
Rachel Jackson
Chief Operating Officer
Ruth Akintoye, PhD
Associate Director of Adaptation Strategy
Sarah Gimont
Federal Associate Government Relations Director
Savanna Peterson
Associate Operations Director
Shannon Langer
Chief of Staff
Sydney Molaver
Government Relations Analyst
Tony McEwen
Carolinas Director
Victoria Sclafani
Federal Associate Policy Director
Laurel Blatchford
Senior Fellow, Delivery Associates
Elizabeth Biser
President of Biser Strategies
Chris Sprowls
Managing partner of Rooker Ward Partners
Jay Faison
Chairman of the Board, Philanthropist and Founder, ClearPath
Newsha Ajami, Ph.D.
Chief Strategic Development Officer for Research, Earth and Environmental Sciences Area at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Leo Asuncion
Commissioner, Hawaii Public Utilities Commission
Carlos Curbelo
Former Congressman, Florida
Gregg J. Pacchiana
Former President of Thalle Construction
Freddy Paige
Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech
Michael J. Walsh, Major General (Ret.)
Deputy Commanding General of Civil and Emergency Operations, USACE, Ret.
Allen Serkin
Executive Director, Cape Fear Council of Governments
Cathy Skurow
Mayor of Portland, TX
Daniel Dietch
Former Mayor of Surfside, Florida
David DiOrio
Mayor Pro-Tem of Town of Lake Lure, NC
John Cummings
Commissioner of Robeson County, NC
Josh Dix
Founder of Hayse Devereaux
Karyn Cunningham
Mayor of Palmetto Bay, FL
Kelly Convirs-Fowler
State Delegate, Virginia-21st District
Lois Paritsky
Mayor, Town of Ponce Inlet, Florida
Olivia Dawson
Mayor of Burgaw, NC
Paul Shewmaker
Mayor of Simpsonville, SC
Quentin Hart
Mayor of Waterloo, IA
Rick Dwyer
Executive Director, Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facilities Alliance
Sabrina Wooten
City Council Member, Virginia Beach
Susan Lyons
Chair of Steering Committee, Groundswell!
Thurman Bartie
Mayor of Port Arthur, TX
Trey Duhon
Judge, Waller County, Texas
