New Sustainable and Resilient Communities Extension Professional Joins Team Expanding Outreach to the Bronx and Queens

In January, the Sustainable and Resilient Communities Team welcomed its sixth extension professional, Benjamin Goldberg, who will assist communities in the Bronx and Queens. Originally from the Washington, D.C., area, Goldberg holds a bachelor’s degree in literary studies from Middlebury College in Vermont and a master’s degree in city and regional planning from Rutgers University.

Goldberg’s interest in the intersection of natural resource management and community resilience stems from his experience in sustainable agriculture. He worked for more than six years on organic farms, advocacy groups, and small businesses in New York, California, and Washington, D.C., promoting sustainable food systems. After earning a certificate in ecological horticulture from the University of California, Santa Cruz, Goldberg was inspired to pursue graduate study in urban planning to advance urban sustainability. In graduate school, Goldberg’s interests narrowed to climate adaptation and resilience planning, applying ecological solutions and conservation practices to foster increased community resilience. He gained experience in state planning as a research assistant at the New Jersey Climate Change Resource Center, where he supported the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection in food waste planning and developing floodplain buyouts policy.

Upon completing his graduate degree, Goldberg became a mitigation and resiliency specialist at New York City Emergency Management where he assisted with the coordination and management of federal grants to support implementation of local resilience projects. In this role, he gained exposure to the city’s coordinated response to growing climate hazards such as coastal storms, flooding, and extreme heat, and supported partners like the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP) and NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development to implement infrastructure projects.

With the Long Island Sound Study, Goldberg hopes to apply his experience in sustainable agriculture, urban planning, and resilience to foster long-term partnerships between local government and community-based organizations that promote the conservation and restoration of Long Island Sound. Goldberg lives in Brooklyn and works out of NYC DEP’s headquarters in Queens.

“As a part of LISS, I look forward to becoming more involved with the tremendous work of NYC’s environmental stewards, and to working with Bronx and Queens communities to establish community-driven planning processes and navigate funding opportunities.”