Dr. Amanda Bielawski joined the Pacific Institute in 2021 as Director of Communications and Outreach. She drives the Pacific Institute’s communications strategy to advance global water resilience through research, policy advocacy, and stakeholder engagement. Amanda leads the Pacific Institute’s outreach to a diverse range of stakeholders, including policymakers, governments, media, academia, environmental justice communities, and corporate sustainability leaders. She also oversees the communications strategy for the Pacific Institute’s role as co-secretariat of the United Nations Global Compact’s CEO Water Mandate and its Water Resilience Coalition

Amanda has served as a Fellow and Senior Communications Consultant for the United Nations Development Programme, with expertise in water and climate policy, UN sustainable development frameworks, and nature-based solutions. She previously spent more than 10 years leading strategic communications for publicly traded corporations and nonprofit organizations. Amanda began her career more than 20 years ago as a journalist covering a range of environmental issues.

Amanda holds a PhD in Sustainability Education. Her doctoral research focused on global water security, the merging of the water and climate policy agendas, and examples of nature-based solutions for water security from Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities across 54 communities in 28 countries. She also holds an MS in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Environmental Policy, Law, and Communications; an MBA; and a BA in Journalism.