Dan Nees, a Senior Fellow at the Center for Global Sustainability, has been selected as Interim Executive Director of the Resilience Authority of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County. Nees will serve as Interim Executive Director for nine months, bringing his knowledge and expertise to ensure the success of this new agency.
Nees was instrumental in the development and establishment of this new joint climate resilience authority between Anne Arundel County and the City of Annapolis. Launched in June, this new authority will manage and allocate funds for resilience infrastructure projects in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County to combat rising sea levels and other environmental harms.
For this position, he will work to ensure the authority's success in protecting the city and county through developing its governance and administrative structure and more. Nees and his colleagues will establish the foundation for this resilience authority that can be built upon for years to come.
Learn more from Anne Arundel County’s full release below:
-----
ANNAPOLIS, MD, May 10, 2022 – Anne Arundel County and the City of Annapolis announced the selection of Dan Nees as Interim Executive Director of the Resilience Authority of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County. As Interim Director, Nees will lead efforts to launch, establish, and position the Authority for long-term success.
“Getting this Resilience Authority operating is possibly the most important contribution that my administration is making to the future of our county,” said County Executive Steuart Pittman. “Bringing Dan Nees and Throwe Environmental on board to establish the foundation for this organization will ensure that we create the model for jurisdictions who will follow our lead in the coming years.”
The County and the City began the nationwide search for a director to lead the Authority shortly after its creation by County Council legislation in June 2021. The County and City partnered to establish the Authority as a quasi-governmental organization tasked with identifying and financing the construction of projects designed to address the impacts of climate change.
"I want to thank County Executive Pittman for his partnership," said Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley. "While the idea came out of community meetings in Annapolis, creating the Resilience Authority would not have been possible without the follow-through and assistance of not only Steuart, but also our state legislative partners. I look forward to seeing their work to help residents in both the county and the City."
Nees has over twenty years of experience assisting communities and organizations throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and nationally in their efforts to finance and implement environmental and sustainable development initiatives. Nees currently serves as Director, Policy and Finance at Throwe Environmental, LLC and as a Senior Fellow with the Center for Global Sustainability at the University of Maryland (UMD).
Nees previously served as Director of the UMD Environmental Finance Center and headed environmental market and water quality programs at Forest Trends and the World Resources Institute. Nees has a Master of Environmental Policy, a Master of Business Administration, and a Bachelor in Economics all from UMD College Park.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to work with Anne Arundel County and the City of Annapolis to launch a uniquely important and impactful organization,” Resilience Authority Interim Executive Director Dan Nees said. “The Resilience Authority will be an invaluable tool for protecting the region’s economy, culture, and natural resources from the impacts of climate change. We look forward to working on behalf of the citizens of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County to create this groundbreaking institution.”
Nees’ work as Interim Director will be conducted in partnership with the team of climate resilience policy and finance experts at Throwe Environmental, LLC. Led by Joanne Throwe, former Deputy Secretary of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Director of the UMD Environmental Finance Center, Throwe Environmental has unparalleled experience creating sustainable financing institutions throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and in Maryland specifically.
In close collaboration with County and City staff, Nees and his team will build the institutional foundation of the Authority, establishing governance, administrative, and leadership structures. Nees will also develop a strategic plan to codify an organizational vision and direct the Authority’s approach to project identification and implementation.
