State's first climate-change officer appointed in ceremony at Clark
WORCESTER – State officials gathered at Clark University on Thursday, Aug. 13, to announce the appointment of Massachusetts' first heat resilience officer, tasked with strengthening efforts to protect residents from the effects of climate change and prepare the state from future extreme heat events.
Katie Schlick worked in the Biden White House and as an environmental planner with the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments. Most recently she was the federal and external affairs associate, resilience policy lead, with the U.S. Climate Alliance, according to her LinkedIn profile .
Her position is being fully funded for at least two years through the Boston Foundation.
Schlick will work to coordinate public health data, climate science and the experience of communities to form a clear, coordinated statewide approach to help protect people from the dangers of extreme heat, according to the state's prepared statement.
The announcement was made following a roundtable discussion that included Schlick, representatives from various state agencies, community groups, and faculty and students at Clark.
University officials said the decision to make the announcement at Clark was prompted by the university's work in climate science, including its Human-Environment Regional Observatory program and its recently created School of Climate, Environment and Society .
Clark HERO program students were instrumental in addressing the emerald ash borer infestation in which Worcester lost 30,000 trees. The work to mitigate the effects of that loss continues, university officials said, and students have been revisiting areas where affected trees were felled and new saplings planted. The students interview residents to determine the impact of the loss on the community while they also monitor the health of the replacement trees.
Geography professor Deborah Martin, co-director of the HERO program, noted that many Massachusetts students in urban districts will be feeling the effects of the summer heat as they return to school in the coming weeks.
"So many urban schools in Massachusetts don't have air conditioning. Our HERO fellows have found that excessive heat will linger in classrooms an average of 10 days longer," said Martin. "It is increasingly important to understand how heat affects educational spaces and to identify practical solutions that improve health, comfort and learning outcomes for everyone."
Partnerships among government, communities and universities are necessary to protect communities from extreme heat, said Lou Leonard, dean of the School of Climate, Environment and Society.
"We're excited to build on today's conversations and partner with Kate Schlick to advance Massachusetts' vision for confronting extreme heat head-on, bringing purpose-built research and student energy to deliver actionable strategies for lasting, equitable heat resilience," Leonard said.
"Extreme heat is becoming more common, more intense and more dangerous in Massachusetts," Gov. Maura Healey said in a prepared statement. "We need to be ready for what that means for our families and communities. This new role will lead our work to prepare for extreme heat and make sure we're doing everything we can to keep Massachusetts and our residents safe."
Clark President David Fithian thanked the governor and state for "their foresight in establishing this position and for choosing to make the announcement in Worcester, where some neighborhoods have become quiet battlegrounds against the kind of extreme heat that impacts families and businesses and endangers our most vulnerable citizens."
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: State's first climate-change officer appointed in ceremony at Clark
