Shelley Poticha

Shelley Poticha has extensive experience in the field of sustainable development, climate change, and urban policy. Shelley currently serves as the Chief Climate and Infrastructure Strategist at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), where they lead efforts to ensure that trillions of dollars from infrastructure investments advance climate, economic, and equity outcomes. Shelley also led the organization-wide refresh of NRDC's Domestic Climate Strategy to meet aggressive targets while improving public health and job opportunities.

Prior to their role at NRDC, Poticha was the Managing Director of Healthy People & Thriving Communities at NRDC, where they led a diverse team in designing and scaling policy solutions to community and environmental problems. Shelley shaped five cross-cutting priorities, including advancing healthy and climate-friendly food systems and addressing cumulative pollution in environmental justice communities.

Before joining NRDC, Poticha served as a Presidential Political Appointee and Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In this role, they chaired an interagency alliance and aligned federal funds toward sustainable development. Shelley also established the Sustainable Communities Initiative, a grant program that supported cities, regions, and tribes in developing sustainability and racial equity strategies.

Earlier in their career, Poticha was the President and CEO of Reconnecting America, a think tank focused on transit-oriented development and urban policy reform. Shelley established the Center for Transit-Oriented Development and worked with regional leaders to advocate for affordable housing and transit funding in various cities across the US.

Poticha's experience also includes serving as the Executive Director of The Congress for the New Urbanism, where they led efforts to fight sprawl and promote walkable cities and towns. Shelley grew the organization's membership and hosted large gatherings and symposia with global leaders.

Overall, Poticha's work experience demonstrates their leadership in advancing sustainable development, climate solutions, and equity in various organizations and at the national level.

Shelley Poticha has a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Environmental Studies and Community Organizing, which they obtained from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 1982. Shelley later pursued a Master of City and Regional Planning degree from the University of California, Berkeley, completing it in 1995. In 2015, Poticha participated in the Rockwood Leading from the Inside Out Fellowship.