Board of Directors

Dr. Denise Fairchild is the inaugural president of Emerald Cities Collaborative, where she works to advance the organization’s mission to green cities, build resilient local economies, and ensure equity and inclusion in the process and outcomes of a new green and healthy economy. Fairchild is nationally recognized for her 40-year track record in innovative sustainable community development programs. In 1995, she founded and directed the community and economic development department at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College (LATTC), and CDTech, an affiliated nonprofit community development research and technical assistance organization. She helped launch the Regional Economic Development Institute, an LATTC initiative providing residents with career and technical education, with a focus on the green economy. She serves on several national boards, is the recipient of several political appointments, and is a senior fellow at MIT, UCLA, and The Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Fellowship.