Posted on May 15, 2018 at 4:07 PM by Katie White
(This article was borrowed from 100 Resilient Cities)
As hard as it is to believe, five years ago the position of Chief Resilience Officer (CRO) did not exist in any city in the world. Today there are at least 86, all acting as champions of a city’s resilience efforts and an essential leader who drives the process of developing a holistic Resilience Strategy. Working under the auspices of the city’s chief executive, the CRO brings together multiple government agencies to take on challenges and opportunities in a collaborative manner – an effort often unseen in municipal government.
100RC takes great pride in the outstanding work done by member cities’ Chief Resilience Officers. We asked a group of them from across the network to reflect on the past five years as part of the 100RC network and share their excitement for the five years ahead.
We asked them each to share what the partnership with 100RC has meant for them and their cities.
This is how Christine Morris, Norfolk's Chief Resilience Officer, responded:
As one of first cities to join 100RC and the third to release a Resilience Strategy, Norfolk has benefited greatly from our relationship with 100RC. Norfolk’s ability to access the resources and support of 100RC’s network of CROs, partners, and staff expertise has allowed me, as the Chief Resilience Officer, to be a resource to city departments as they seek innovative approaches to living with water, in ways that benefit Norfolk residents and grow our local economy. As a result of our work implementing Norfolk has become a global leader in coastal resilience. Our city strives to make decisions through a lens of resilience. As such Norfolk is one of the very few in the country to develop a long-range plan, Vision 2100.
Our newest initiative—the transformation of the St. Paul’s area of Norfolk—one of the largest economic and people development initiatives underway in the nation—demonstrates our political, economic, and social commitment to building the city’s resilience.
To view the full original post & to see how other CROs around the world responded, visit 100 RC's website.