Vision to Action: New Climate Element Policies and Strategic Implementation

Session 4B | Thursday | 9:15 AM – 10:30 AM (PT)

Climate planning does not have a one-size-fits-all approach. This session will feature city and county planners sharing their experiences integrating new Climate Elements into their Comprehensive Plans and related environmental and emergency response plans (e.g., hazard mitigation plans, shoreline master programs, etc.). Key topics will include how to engage interdepartmental teams and communities meaningfully in climate policy and strategy formulation. Attendees will gain insights from jurisdictions and consultants on engagement strategies, navigating policy debates, and leveraging the Climate element to set up monitoring programs and secure funding opportunities for advancing mitigation and implementation efforts.

Lisa Grueter , AICP

Principal, BERK Consulting, Inc.

Lisa Grueter, AICP, Principal at BERK, leads the firm’s planning practice. She has more than 35 years of experience in environmental and land use planning. Her expertise includes comprehensive and subarea planning under GMA and the SMA, and customized environmental documentation under SEPA including over three dozen planned action and programmatic EISs. She has led periodic updates for cities and counties in western and eastern Washington addressing urban and rural planning issues. She worked on a model climate element for the Department of Commerce and is working with multiple cities across the region to incorporate climate elements in their plan updates. She received a Master of City Planning from UC Berkeley.

Nicole Gutierrez

Nicole Gutierrez, Senior Associate at Cascadia Consulting, leads and supports diverse climate and natural resource strategic planning efforts across Washington state, collaborating closely with local governments and agencies at different stages of the planning process. She recently supported a coalition of King County cities to develop model climate comprehensive plan policies and has led the development of climate elements for counties and cities throughout the state. Nicole holds a BS in Conservation Biology and brings experience from her previous position managing complex water resource projects where she engaged with partners and investigated solutions related to water quantity issues.

Miriam Villacian

Senior Planner, Thurston County

Miriam Villacian is the Senior Planner for Community Engagement with Thurston County’s Community Planning & Economic Development Department. She leads the county’s education & outreach staff in creating outreach plans and programs designed to engage all members of the community in local government and bring about meaningful change. Currently, Miriam is leading the public engagement on the comprehensive plan update for Thurston County. Before coming to the county, Miriam worked as the Sustainability Outreach Coordinator at Joint Base Lewis-McChord where she engaged the military community in actions to reduce environmental impacts, at home and at work. She has a Master’s in Sustainable Business from Pinchot University.

Nina Rasmussen, MPA

Nina Rasmussen is the Climate Action Plan Program Manager for the City of Kenmore. She leads the implementation of climate and sustainability programming and policy. Nina supports the City's community engagement and outreach efforts and facilitates the newly-formed Climate Action Advisory Committee, comprised of community members. Her expertise lies in project management, grant writing, and data analysis. She earned her Master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Washington. Nina has been in local government for 3 years and prior to that worked in non-profit fundraising.

Tiffany Speir, Esq., CPM

Tiffany Speir is the Lakewood Long Range & Strategic Planning Manager and the ARPA Program Manager.  She is responsible for staffing land use planning policy development and implementation. She also oversees work on Lakewood's Urban Forestry Program, Climate Change Program, and Lakewood's role as fiscal agency for the South Sound Military & Communities Partnership (SSMCP). Tiffany serves as a representative for the City on external groups, including the Pierce County GMCC, PSRC, Pierce County Comprehensive Plan to End Homelessness (CPEH) Advisory Board; Tacoma-Lakewood-Pierce County Continuum of Care (CoC), the Pierce County Behavioral Health Advisory Committee. Tiffany is a graduate of the Seattle University School Law and the University of Utah.  Her past professional positions include Government Relations Director of Pierce County, Program Manager for the South Sound Military & Communities Partnership (SSMCP), and Executive Director of the Master Builders Association of Pierce County.

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