Johnny Quispe, PhD is the Associate Director of Cities Programs at the Nature Conservancy, a global non-profit conservation organization. Dr. Quispe received his doctorate from Rutgers University’s Graduate Program of Ecology and Evolution. He uses his interdisciplinary background to work on issues related to climate change policy, coastal and city resilience, equitable conservation, and the implementation of nature-based solutions. His work integrates social, economic, engineering, and natural systems to increase the resilience of communities to climate change. Through his work and leadership, Dr. Quispe works to increase equitable conservation, integrate local knowledge in environmental projects and policies, give agency to community-based groups and interested parties in prioritizing environmental needs, and develop holistic and systemic solutions to address climate change. Since 2022, Dr. Quispe has secured and leveraged over $10M in public funds to address climate impacts such as urban heat, air quality, and flooding within New Jersey, as his commitment to bringing much needed resources and projects to communities that need it the most.

Prior to attaining his doctorate, Johnny earned his Bachelor of Science in International Environmental Policy, Institutions, and Behaviors at Rutgers University. He then went on to continue his focus on environmental issues in New Jersey by working on conservation, restoration, and remediation sites in NJ via nonprofit, public, and academic sectors. He worked on achieving holistic remediation for federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA/Superfund), and state Site Remediation Program (SRP) sites through advocacy, technical research, public engagement, and education. In the last three years, Johnny interned at the New Jersey Department of State and the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, New Jersey Future, Jersey Water Works, and at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 2 Headquarters where he conducted research for the Emergency and Remedial Response Division. Johnny was a University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) Next Generation Public Policy Fellow ’18-’20, Rutgers University Coastal Climate Risk and Resilience Fellow ’17-‘19, Science Explorer Fellow ‘18, New Leaders Council Fellow ’18 , and a recipient of the Ecological Society of America’s Katherine S. McCarter Graduate Student Policy Award ’18. He is also a graduate of Eagleton’s Institute of Politics Graduate Fellowship program at Rutgers University ‘17.