Marla Wilson Email & Phone Number

Brooklyn, New York, United States

--Partnered with Regenerate California, an environmental justice coalition, to effectively block plans for 10 gigawatts of new gas (the equivalent of 100 new, gas-fired power plants) in California, as was originally planned for California's Scoping Plan, the state's roadmap for cutting climate pollution. Also used communications to help Regenerate CA secure an interim target for the electricity sector of 30 million metric tons of pollution reduction by 2035.--Trained nonprofit advocates on ethical storytelling in Alaska, New Mexico, Virginia, and other communities.--Led communications planning efforts for partners including East Bay Housing Organizations and San Diego Green New Deal Alliance.

San Francisco Bay Area

--Advise local government and NGO partners in public health on approaching COVID communications through a health equity lens, and provide communications support for a wide variety of other public health projects and campaigns.--Write op-eds and orchestrate digital and social media campaigns in support of clean energy, environmental justice, and energy efficiency in communities nationwide in partnership with Energy Media.--Supplied communications support to launch Restore Oakland, a first-of-its-kind restorative justice and economic justice hub in Oakland.--Partner with social justice organizations to ensure low-income communities and people of color are at the forefront of the clean energy transition and climate change solutions in California and beyond.--Expand Resource Media's work around multicultural communications, LGBTQ rights, reproductive justice, and narrative change. --Partnered with groups around California to successfully pass state legislation including SB 1275, SB 350, SB 32, and AB 197, four key laws that advance cleaner air and address climate change in California.--Train advocates on topics including ethical storytelling, op-ed writing, media spokesperson skills, and Twitter as a tool for advocacy and reporter engagement.--Design and implement media outreach strategies.--Oversee production and design of print and digital reports, fact sheets, videos, and other collateral for advocacy efforts.--Test messages and visuals on platforms like Instagram and Facebook to see which ones resonate most with target audiences.

San Francisco, Ca

--Participated in intensive training and leadership/professional development through the fellowship program.--Managed Environment Program annual open grantmaking cycle ($1.1 million in 2013): vetting proposals, conducting site visits, performing financial review, making funding recommendations, and assessing portfolio impact. --Created and implemented a new Environment Program logic model focused on climate resilience for vulnerable communities.--Developed and convened new grantee cohorts focused on food, water, and energy access in the face of climate change, with a focus on low-income people and communities of color.--Raised $175,000 in matching funds by coauthoring and submitting a successful proposal for the new Healthy Food for All Initiative, which transforms underutilized public land into urban agriculture and food access sites in San Francisco’s Bayview and Excelsior neighborhoods. This led to the launch of Hummingbird Farm in the Excelsior in partnership with PODER.--Managed the launch of the three-year, $525,000 Healthy Food For All Initiative with nonprofit and government partners.--Piloted the Environment Program’s first social media plan, including message and brand development, writing for The Foundation's blog, ghost-blogging for Huffington Post, and more. --Researched the organizations The Foundation has seed-funded that have gone on to become hallmark Bay Area institutions for donors and other key audiences.

San Francisco, California

Managed two volunteer teams that conducted community engagement efforts around the nine-county Bay Area and evaluated development proposals to assess their environmental and equity credentials. Led strategic communications, message development, audience segmentation, media outreach, and implementation of successful advocacy campaign around the City of Oakland’s Broadway-Valdez Specific Plan effort. --Organized over 25 well-attended educational tours, trainings, and major regional forums for residents and elected officials.--Endorsed and advocated for the development of over 9,000 apartments and condominiums that aligned with environment and equity criteria. --Led Broadway-Valdez Specific Plan campaign, establishing Greenbelt Alliance as a player in the crowded political environment in Oakland, developing relationships, and acting as a bridge-builder between everyone from housing developers to social justice advocates. --United a politically powerful coalition of environmental, labor, and housing organizations to advance a policy platform through lobbying elected officials and other targets, resulting in dramatic improvements in initial drafts of the Broadway-Valdez Specific Plan.--Presented on best practices in inclusive community engagement at regional, statewide, and national conferences, including RailVolution 2009 and 2011, and Housing California 2010.--Attracted 9 articles in local/regional newspapers, 4 stories in online news publications, and 2 radio pieces for programs and campaigns; ghost-wrote 2 op-eds for elected/regional officials. --Previously served as Livable Communities Outreach Coordinator, June 2006 to March 2008, and Sustainable Development Associate, March 2008 to March 2012.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

--Strategically engaged a broad range of advocates in target states concerning two U.S. Supreme Court nominations.--Recruited law students for First Monday Campaign lobby visits, letter-writing, U.S. Senate call-in days, and press conferences. --Wrote and reworked sections of Student Action Campaign 2005 Organizer’s Manual, and wrote text for three websites. --Organized an educational luncheon for 200+ attendees on the future of the Supreme Court.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

--Worked in the agency's Rehabilitation Services Administration.--Edited disability rights policy documents with visually impaired staff members. --Tracked disability rights legislation and attended and reported on hearings of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. --Evaluated, selected, and edited submissions for American Rehabilitation magazine.

M.P.A., Public Administration

Activities and Societies: Pi Alpha Alpha, The National Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration Emphasis in Sustainable.

B.A., Sociology, Political Communication, Women'S Studies

Activities and Societies: Harmony (student LGBTQ organization), College Democrats, Choice USA (abortion rights)

High School Diploma