As climate impacts accelerate and uncertainty grows, communities across the country are redefining what it means to be resilient. In this fireside chat, Jainey Bavishi will explore how equity, local leadership and civic collaboration form the backbone of effective climate action, even as traditional systems face strain. Drawing on lessons from city halls, federal agencies, and frontline communities, the conversation will highlight how resilience can endure and evolve from the ground up.

Also featuring Tracey Dalton, Ph.D., director of Rhode Island Sea Grant and professor of Marine Affairs at the University of Rhode Island.

Jainey Bavishi has spent her career reimagining how cities and communities prepare for climate change. As former Deputy Administrator of NOAA and former Director of New York City’s Office of Climate Resiliency, she has led efforts to center equity, science and community leadership in climate adaptation. Her work connects national policy to neighborhood-scale action, helping shape a more just and durable approach to resilience. Bavishi holds a master’s in city planning from MIT and a bachelor’s in public policy and cultural anthropology from Duke University.

About Tracey Dalton
Tracey Dalton is director of Rhode Island Sea Grant, where she leads a program dedicated to advancing knowledge and stewardship of the state’s coastal and marine ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. She is also a professor of Marine Affairs at the University of Rhode Island, where her research explores the many ways people interact with marine and coastal environments—how we use, manage, and make decisions about the ocean and its resources. She also teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on marine conservation and coastal zone management, and mentors students as they conduct their own research.