Our Story

For more than a decade, cities in our network have been shaping how urban resilience works in practice, developing new ways of governing, planning and investing, and demonstrating that resilience improves the everyday lives of people and communities.

Chief Resilience Officers made this possible. Embedded inside local government, they connect departments, sustain momentum across political cycles and turn long-term priorities into action.

When the 100 Resilient Cities initiative that brought this community together came to an end in 2019, cities chose to carry that work forward. City leaders and Chief Resilience Officers co-designed what came next. In 2020, they launched the Resilient Cities Network (R-Cities) as an independent, city-governed network.

Today, R-Cities connects more than 100 cities across 46 countries. We help what works in one city travel further, reaching more cities and communities around the world.

That is why we exist: to enable cities to be resilient and thrive in an uncertain world.

Our Team

Ada Rustow
Ada Rustow

Manager – Knowledge & Programs

Allison Ahern
Allison Ahern

Manager – Programs, Resilience Finance

Alvaro Soldevila
Alvaro Soldevila

Lead – Programs & Resilience Practice

Aurora Lokita
Aurora Lokita

Senior Manager – Programs & MEL

Fabiola Guillen
Fabiola Guillen

Manager – Communications

Federico Aili
Federico Aili

Manager – Programs & Grants

Fitsum Gelaye
Fitsum Gelaye

Senior Manager – Programs & Engagement

Head of City Engagement for Africa

Isabel Parra
Isabel Parra

Lead – Communications

James Neimeister
James Neimeister

Associate – Communications

Javier Garduño Arredondo
Javier Garduño Arredondo

Lead – Engagement & Resilience Practice

Head of City Engagement for Latin America & the Caribbean

Joanne Baker
Joanne Baker

Senior Manager – Global Operations & Governance

Karl Astbury
Karl Astbury

Lead – Programs, Climate & Health

Katrin Bruebach
Katrin Bruebach

Managing Director – Programs & Operations

Leon Kapetas
Leon Kapetas

Lead – Programs, Climate Resilience

Lenny de Jong
Lenny de Jong

Senior Manager – Global Operations

Lina Liakou
Lina Liakou

Managing Director – Strategy & Engagement

Malcolm Campbell
Malcolm Campbell

Senior Manager – Programs & Engagement

Nadine Burbar
Nadine Burbar

Manager – Programs, Climate Resilience

Nicole Ponce
Nicole Ponce

Associate – Knowledge & Communications

Nathaniel Echeverria
Nathaniel Echeverria

Lead – Programs & Engagement

Head of City Engagement for North America

Nini Purwajati
Nini Purwajati

Lead – Programs & Engagement

Head of City Engagement for APAC

Qareena Nadeem
Qareena Nadeem

Associate – Knowledge & Digital Learning

Shweta Nagarkar
Shweta Nagarkar

Manager – Programs, Circularity