IPA Researchers Participate in Annual Resiliency Summit

​​On Dec. 6, 2022, the Resilient and Sustainable Communities League (RASCL) held its annual summit at the Del-One Conference Center on the Delaware Technical Community College campus in Dover, Delaware. Martha Narvaez, policy scientist in the Institute for Public Administration (IPA) and associate director of the UD Water Resource Center, served with University, state, and nonprofit partners on the RASCL planning committee. Troy Mix, IPA policy scientist and associate director, moderated a panel titled, “Bridging the GAP: The Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA) and Funding the First State,” and Chase Barnes, IPA assistant policy scientist, presented during the session. Other speakers from the panel included Greg Patterson, state infrastructure implementation coordinator, and Emily Knearl, Delaware director of government relations and external affairs for The Nature Conservancy. Barnes described IPA’s new grant assistance program to help local governments apply for, obtain and manage IIJA grant funding to ensure that government funds are being spent wisely across the state. The RASCL summit brought people together to share opportunities to overcome roadblocks to resilience and sustainability. In line with this theme, attendees discussed problems such as climate change, sea level rise and how to utilize grant programs that can help to remedy issues pertaining to flooding within the state. Elected officials, government leaders and community members attended the summit. IPA is a research and public service center in the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration.​

Article by Sophonie Milord. Originally posted in UDaily's For the Record​.