Florida has it’s first chief resiliency officer. Dr. Julia Nesheiwat will take on the role, as Governor DeSantis breaks an almost nine year precedent by formally addressing climate change.
The Stetson alum has a long professional background. Julia Nesheiwat has worked as chief of staff for multiple federal agencies, including the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the U.S. Department of State. After receiving a masters in National Energy Security from Georgetown University, Nesheiwat went on to complete a Ph.D from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, completing her dissertation in “Post Disaster Reconstruction in Energy Technology and Resiliency.”
The announcement received praise from other state environmental leaders like Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Noah Valenstein and Chief Science Officer Thomas Frazer. According to the latest National Climate Assessment, Florida is expected to face economic, public health and environmental impacts due to a changing climate. Advocates hope to see the Chief Resiliency Officer advocate for proactive energy legislation and work closely with local governments who’ve already had resiliency officers for years.