Christiana DeBenedict
Christiana serves as Director of Environmental Initiatives for the San Diego Foundation, leading programs and directing resources to build a more equitable and resilient San Diego. She has built her career locally, developing capacity, resources, programs, and networks in support of our regional and binational environment and community. Previously, Christiana was the Director of Environment Leadership Initiatives at The Nonprofit Institute at the University of San Diego where she directed the San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative, a network of cities and public agencies working to advance local climate solutions. Christiana served as Assistant Director of Climate Education Partners, a $5 million National Science Foundation funded project that engaged and informed government, business, and community leaders on local climate impacts. As Director of Member Services and Operations at the US-Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership, Christiana supported a network of 21 community foundations working to strengthen philanthropy, leadership, and collaboration in the US-Mexico border region. Christiana graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a Bachelor of Arts in Hispanic Languages and Bilingual Issues and holds an International MBA from IE Business School in Madrid, Spain.