Greg Guibert is Boulder, Colorado’s first Chief Resilience Officer. Prior to his appointment, Greg worked at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) as a risk and development project specialist, developing and managing innovative projects that address complex social and environmental challenges at the intersection of science, policy, and practice. His projects included such diverse areas as ‘translating’ climate science for decision support, food systems and security under changing climates, and cyber-infrastructure for observing networks. As a senior associate with the Institute for Social and Environmental Transition (ISET) he worked on the Rockefeller Foundation funded Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network (ACCCRN) to develop analytical frameworks and tools for building urban resilience to climate change and its impacts in 10 cities across South and Southeast Asia. Greg holds a Master’s of Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia and a Bachelor’s degree in Geography from Vassar College in New York. He is an avid hiker and skier.
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Gregory Guibert, of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, has been selected to be the Boulder's first-ever "chief resilience officer," the city announced today.
The position was born out of Boulder's involvement as an inaugural member of the Rockefeller Foundation's global 100 Resilient Cities initiative, which aims to empower cities with "the ability to withstand chronic stresses and acute shocks while still maintaining essential functions and recovering quickly and effectively."
"Boulder has such a strong foundation in resilience," Guibert said in a statement. "This has been demonstrated in recent years by its incredible response to both wildfires and floods. I am eager to collaborate with partners throughout our community to build on the tools and strategies we know work and to broaden our understanding and ability to respond to challenges of all kinds."
Guibert will start Sept. 8. His annual salary was set at $105,000 and will be covered by 100 Resilient Cities for a two-year fixed term.
He beat out three other candidates for the position: Malini Goel, founder of a Sri Lankan eco-friendly toy manufacturer; Julie LeMense, a private consultant and expert on legal efforts around human rights, land use, energy and disasters, among others; and Andrew Schultheiss, Colorado director and chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, D-Boulder.
"We had many fine candidates apply for this exciting new position, which was very encouraging given the importance of communities focusing on this emerging area," Boulder City Manager Jane Brautigam said in a statement. "Gregory's experience at NCAR, his demonstrated record of developing strategies for urban resilience and his knowledge of our community make him an ideal fit for Boulder. We are excited to welcome him to our team."
Sarah Huntley, a spokeswoman for the city, said Guibert's first order of business is to evaluate the city's existing resilience efforts, such as the planning department's flood work or the finance department's funding efforts.
"The goal is to not only survive a disaster, but improve and thrive despite a disaster," Huntley said. "We will work with other cities wrestling with the same issues and our community stakeholders to see what we could do to improve upon what we are already doing."
Huntley said a city's resilience could be its ability to bounce back from something like the September floods and wildfires to an economic downturn. Guibert's job will be to work with residents to find ways to do that.
"We are taking a more broad look at the type of challenges we might face in the 21st century," Huntley said. "In order to create a strategy that works for the community, we need to have the community's help. Part of resilience is empowering individuals and groups of people to take the steps to make themselves more resilient."
Contact Camera Staff Writer Mitchell Byars at 303-473-1329 POSTED: 08/07/2014 10:41:50 AM MDT