In this Episode #11, Dr. Shalini Vajjhala, Executive Director of the San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center speaks on their first 100 days in aligning infrastructure to address digital inequalities, laying the groundwork for resilient growth, moving from utility bill relief to long-term affordability, supporting emerging leaders in green infrastructure and the new $1.2T Infrastructure Bill.
You can watch the full episode here.
As Executive Director of the San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center, Shalini leads a team of experts dedicated to developing integrated solutions to San Diego’s most pressing challenges.
Shalini has over 15 years of experience working across the public, private, and non-profit sectors on developing, designing, and financing resilient infrastructure for vulnerable communities around the world. Most recently, she served as Founder and CEO of re:focus partners, a San Diego based design firm, and co-founder of The Atlas, an online community for local governments to find and source innovative solutions. Prior to founding re:focus, Shalini served as Special Representative in the Office of Administrator Lisa Jackson at the US EPA, where she led the US-Brazil Joint Initiative on Urban Sustainability. Previously, she was Deputy Assistant Administrator in the Office of International & Tribal Affairs at EPA and Deputy Associate Director for Energy & Climate at the White House Council on Environmental Quality. She joined the Obama Administration from the environmental think-tank Resources for the Future.
Shalini received her PhD in Engineering & Public Policy and B.Arch in Architecture from Carnegie Mellon University and was also a visiting associate professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.
You may contact Dr. Vajjhala the San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center.
This podcast has been a production of the Afshar Group, a public affairs advisory service.
