Kelsey Hawkins-Johnson
Cincinnati,OH
Summary
Climate resilience and sustainability professional with 6+ years of experience in policy, program management, and community engagement. Proven success in leading place-based climate programs, cross-sector partnerships, and participatory facilitation. Skilled communicator with a global equity lens, deep knowledge of environmental justice, and a strong track record of translating community-driven priorities into effective climate strategies. Seeking mid-level remote opportunities in policy, global sustainability, and public sector innovation.
Overview
7
7
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Climate Safe Neighborhoods Director
Groundwork Ohio River Valley
Cincinnati, OH
07.2021 - Current
- Lead national initiative aligning local climate action with racial equity and community resilience goals in 6 cities and 20 neighborhoods in Greater Cincinnati area while connecting to local policy initiatives
- Developed place-based engagement strategies and facilitated community-led planning in collaboration with city staff, nonprofits, and frontline residents
- Scaled cross-sector partnerships across community councils, city planning, clean energy, housing, public health, and transportation sectors
- Led narrative strategy and communications for program and organization ; created press releases, maintained programmatic newsletter and social media strategy
- Presented at national climate forums, local neighborhood councils and regional sustainability summits
- Co-authored reports and educational materials on energy, local led resilience, adaptation strategies, and equitable infrastructure
- Conducted Green Cincinnati Plan equity and engagement events in a supervisory role to equity fellows and organization staff
- Managed program operations, including budgeting, funder reporting, grant writing and staff oversight
Sustainability Fellow & Public Ally
City of Cincinnati Office of Environment & Sustainability
Cincinnati, OH
06.2020 - 06.2021
- Supported city’s sustainability team in administrative management of weatherization programs for city residents
- Conducted community outreach on clean energy and weatherization programs
- Drafted communications content, grant proposals, and internal memos
- Managed the city’s solar co-op program through recruitment of contractors and residential education in collaboration with Solar United Neighbors
- Assisted with development and implementation of the Green Cincinnati Plan and city climate efforts.
- Collaborated with partners and local residents to plan community education events.
- Presented on sustainability activities to business and community leaders and at public events.
- Developed graphic design resources for educational campaigns, presentations, and event marketing.
Saul Landau Fellow
Institute for Policy Studies
Washington, DC
05.2019 - 01.2020
- Selected from 300+ applicants for climate justice and policy fellowship
- Facilitated workshops on Climate Justice and Decolonization
- Served as a core researcher, writer, and copy editor for IPS’s Climate Policy and Inequality.org teams. Reported and wrote four original articles and op-eds from interviews and research, resulting in publication circulation of over 600,000
- Evaluated past accomplishments and produced fundraising brief to show impact of Transit Equity Day and advance the reach of Transit Equity Day Coalition
- Analyzed principles and practices of Just Transition with a focus on Germany for international climate report
- Coordinated book release event for IPS Board Chair & New York Times acclaimed writer, Tope Folarin. Drafted outreach newsletter, managed vendor relationships for event of 131 attendees
- Sharpened understanding of legislative process by representing IPS at Environmental Justice Congressional Convening, the Poor People’s Campaign Congressional Hearing, Tax the Rich Conference, and Student Debt Briefings
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Anthropology
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, MI06-2013
Skills
- Climate Resilience & Sustainability Strategy
- Policy Research & Advocacy
- Community-Driven Program Design
- Cross-Sector Partnerships
- Facilitation & Participatory Methods
- Team Collaboration
- Grant Writing
- Public Communications & Storytelling
- Event Planning
- Environmental Justice & Equity Frameworks
- GIS, WordPress, R, Stata, Canva, Salesforce
- Asana, Slack
- Contract Management
Certification
- Certified Nonprofit Board Leader -Leadership Council of Nonprofits
- Certified Facilitator, National Association of Climate Resilience Planners
Languages
English
Native or Bilingual
Spanish
Limited Working
French
Elementary
Timeline
Climate Safe Neighborhoods Director
Groundwork Ohio River Valley
07.2021 - Current
Sustainability Fellow & Public Ally
City of Cincinnati Office of Environment & Sustainability
06.2020 - 06.2021
Saul Landau Fellow
Institute for Policy Studies
05.2019 - 01.2020
Bachelor of Arts - Anthropology
Eastern Michigan University