ForsMarsh | The Rise of Chief Resilience Officers in Protecting States
April 14, 2025
A Georgetown Climate Center (GCC) report released in February broke down the scope of responsibilities across 12 state CRO positions.
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GCC’s Adaptation Director, Joshua Saks, who authored the report, told Fors Marsh Media that since resilience and adaptation are spread across state government agencies, programs, and initiatives—from emergency management to conservation—a CRO is vital for consolidating these activities and responsibilities and leading strong action toward resilience.
“Imagine having a fleet without an admiral or a consulting project without a project manager—that’s why you need a CRO,” Saks said. “It’s important to have that person there to advise and make resilience a natural part of your work.”
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“Right now, if you’re a state, you’re probably getting money that you’re using for adaptation and resilience from FEMA, HUD, EPA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, probably NOAA, for your coastal zone program, and some acquisition money,” Saks added. “If you don’t have a CRO, each of those programs is coming up with their own ideas and talking to the federal government on their own. If you have a CRO, he or she can be talking to all those federal agencies with a shared perspective.”