Kurt Shickman Joins EESI Board of Directors

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) is delighted to welcome a new member, Kurt Shickman, to its board of directors.

“I'm honored to join EESI's Board of Directors and contribute to the organization's phenomenal work on climate resilience.”

Kurt Shickman is the director of extreme heat initiatives at the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht–Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center, which has pledged to reach one billion people about climate resilience solutions by 2030. In this role, he leads the Center’s work to protect communities across the world from extreme heat, which is being exacerbated by climate change. His program conducts financial studies, engages with the public, develops policy, and implements on-the-ground solutions.

Previously, Shickman was the executive director of the Global Cool Cities Alliance, which he launched in 2011 and built into a global network of over 70 cities implementing passive cooling solutions to combat rising urban heat. At the Alliance, he helped develop the Million Cool Roofs Challenge, which successfully deployed over 1.1 million square meters of highly reflective “cool” roofs in developing countries. He has also led projects for the World Bank, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, and the Clean Energy Ministerial. He served as the director of research for the Energy and Climate Team at the United Nations Foundation, where he focused on U.S. federal policy to promote energy-efficient buildings. He is the lead author of Primer for Cool Cities: Reducing Excessive Urban Heat, a World Bank publication. Shickman holds an MA on Energy Policy and Economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a BA from Wake Forest University.

"I have worked with Kurt and seen his passion on climate issues up close," said EESI Board Chair Jared Blum. "His expertise around extreme heat issues, and how to deal with them, is unmatched. That knowledge will become ever more important, sadly, as we deal with the impacts of climate change."

"EESI’s board is growing stronger and stronger, which is making EESI stronger and stronger," said Monty Cooper, chair of the EESI Nominations Committee. "Kurt will offer us with an even wider perspective as we advance sustainable solutions to address the climate crisis."

"Kurt is a pretty cool guy—pun intended," said EESI Executive Director Daniel Bresette. "He will provide EESI with insights and connections that will be critical for our ever-growing work on adaptation and resilience. Climate change is already with us, and is already impacting communities that are ill-prepared for it. Kurt will help us achieve our goals and realize our vision of a sustainable, resilient, and equitable world. "

See a full list of EESI's board members here.