As climate change continues to spur extreme weather events, the challenges for housing to incorporate disaster resilience have grown. The impact of hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes, and wildfires on communities is devastating, and oftentimes felt much harder in disadvantaged communities that do not have a resilient infrastructure in place. Panelists will discuss environmentally conscious building and green retrofitting to help prevent catastrophic damage, the policy changes needed to make disaster responses timely and equitable and address systematic failures, and best practices for comprehensive recovery efforts to help communities rebuild after a natural disaster.

This is the sixth webinar in our webinar series sponsored by NeighborWorks America

Stephanie Gidigbi Jenkins (Moderator) – Stephanie Gidigbi Jenkins champions public policy solutions that promote economic, social, and environmental benefits for communities. She fosters strategic partnerships to advance federal campaigns, coalition efforts, social equity, and climate justice. She also coordinates NRDC’s effort in advancing a federal plan for 21st Century infrastructure investments and elevating social system change strategies as Policy Director for the Strong, Prosperous, And Resilient Communities Challenge (SPARCC) initiative. Gidigbi Jenkins previously served as a political appointee in the Obama Administration, where she advanced the administration’s economic opportunity agenda at the U.S. Department of Transportation. She was also previously appointed as the New Jersey Director for Public Engagement, overseeing the Hurricane Sandy Taskforce, under the leadership of the U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to support the federal disaster response in the region. She began her career on Capitol Hill and served as a liaison for the Congressional Black Caucus International Task Force, coordinating the response for the 2010 Haiti Earthquake Recovery. Gidigbi Jenkins brings over a decade of international, federal, state, and local government experience working with elected, business, and community leaders. She holds a master’s degree from Seton Hall University. She is based in NRDC’s Washington, D.C. office.

Peter Hainley- Peter Hainley has been with CASA of Oregon since 1992 and its executive director since 1997.Prior to joining CASA, he spent a couple years in the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic where he met the love of his life.  He has three sons.  Peter moved to Sherwood in 2004 and CASA moved their offices from Newberg to  Sherwood in 2007.Mr. Hainley is a CPA (inactive).  He earned a bachelors degree from Portland State University and was a US Bank Work/College Trainee. He serves on the boards of National Community Reinvestment Coalition, Community Housing Fund and the National Farmworker Housing Directors Association.

Veronica Beaty – Veronica Beaty is the Director of Policy & Research at the California Coalition for Rural Housing. She has been an advocate for sustainable communities and housing justice in California for over a decade on issues ranging from transportation planning to rent stabilization. She received her master’s degree in Public Policy from Mills College in Oakland, California.

Joan Straussman Brandon – Joanie Straussman Brandon became Regional Vice-President of the NeighborWorks America Northeast Region May 2017 after serving in an interim capacity since July 2016. Prior to that she was the Senior Director of the Northeast Region since September 2013. She had been with NeighborWorks® America for twenty-five years before becoming a private consultant in 2006. During Joanie’s first 25 years with NeighborWorks®, seven were with Field Operations and eighteen with the Organizational Assessment Division (OAD). In Field Operations Joanie was responsible for the development and/or expansion of several NeighborWorks® organizations. For three years she worked exclusively on developing Mutual Housing Associations. In OAD, Joan managed organizational assessments and was involved in the development of the PROMPT® review system. She is fluent in Spanish. Joanie has a Bachelor’s Degree from Clark University. and a Masters Degree in Social Work with a concentration in Planning and Community Organizing from Boston College. Joanie is a certified coach through Leadership That Works and the International Coaching Federation (ICF)..