Dana works at the intersection of issues related to health, poverty and the environment. Dana led the creation of the Environment Program at JPB with a focus on enabling resilient communities to experience the full benefits of clean energy, environmental health, green infrastructure, and environmental justice. She oversees the Emergency Relief grantmaking of JPB in response to destructive weather-related events and to prepare for the impacts of climate change. All JPB’s Environment related grantmaking strives to work in ways that are accountable to and benefit low-income communities and disinvested communities of colors. The JPB Foundation is one of the largest private foundations in the US.
Formerly Dana was Vice President of Green Initiatives for Enterprise Community Partners where she led environmental strategy for the national affordable housing and community development intermediary. Dana developed and oversaw the implementation of Enterprise’s award-winning Green Communities program including the creation of the Green Communities Criteria and Enterprise’s Multifamily Retrofit Program. Dana co-created and served as Managing Director of the Green Communities Offset Fund.
Dana is the author of “Gray to Green: A Call to Action on the Housing and Climate Crises” published by Island Press. A Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, Dana is a graduate of Harvard’s Graduate Program in Real Estate and holds a Master of Planning Degree from the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, Univ. of Minnesota. In 2012, Dana was a resident at the Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Center. Dana was named one of Fast Company Magazine’s Most Influential Women Activists in Technology and is featured in and has contributed to numerous publications including the book “Apollo’s Fire: Igniting America’s Clean Energy Economy”, “Greening Our Built World: Costs, Benefits, and Strategies”, “Women in Green”, “Growing Greener Cities”, “Becoming an Urban Planner” and is included as faculty in Fast Company’s 30-second MBA program. Dana has planned and advised industry-wide conferences and addressed national and international audiences on all aspects of green community development. She is an Ironman finisher, a runner, potter, and avid traveler.