DeSantis taps Florida’s first ever climate change czar

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced his pick for Florida’s first Chief Resilience Officer Thursday evening as Julia Nesheiwat, a deputy special envoy for hostage affairs at the State Department, confirming Miami Herald reporting from earlier this week.

Her role is helping Florida adapt to climate change and “preparing Florida for the environmental, physical and economic impacts of sea level rise,” according to the release.

The announcement from the governor’s office highlighted Nesheiwat’s 20 years of experience in government and academia, including her two tours in the military, but focused largely on her time in the State Department’s Bureau of Energy Resources.

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“As a Floridian from Lake County, I know how important this issue is for the people of Florida. With 1,350 miles of largely low-lying coastline, the impacts from climate change and sea level rise present a significant challenge; but with Governor DeSantis’ leadership and vision, Florida will be a leader for the entire country on how best to confront these issues,” Nesheiwat said in the statement.

Her resume shows that in her time at the Bureau of Energy Resources she focused largely on energy policy, including renewables, across the world.

She has an undergraduate degree from Stetson University in sociology, a master’s from Georgetown University in national energy security and a Ph.D. from the Tokyo Institute of Technology in “post-disaster reconstruction of coastal towns and urban resiliency.”

“Her breadth of expertise will serve her well as CRO. I am thrilled to work with her on coordinated and well-rounded resilience strategies,” the state’s Chief Science Officer Tom Frazier said in the statement.

-- Miami Herald