NEW YORK—Michael Berkowitz, director of 100 Resilient Cities, announced today that Maxwell Young has been appointed to the role of communications director for 100 Resilient Cities. Mr. Young will lead the communications efforts on behalf of the organization—a multi-year effort to build urban resilience worldwide pioneered by The Rockefeller Foundation—and its 100 cities.
Maxwell Young comes to 100 Resilient Cities from the office of U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, most recently serving as the Senator’s New York communications director and deputy state director. Since joining the Senate in 2007, Mr. Young has held multiple positions in New York and Washington, D.C., including special assistant and press secretary to Senator Schumer, and the regional media director for the Democratic Policy and Communications Center.
“I am excited to welcome Max to 100 Resilient Cities,” said Michael Berkowitz. “Max understands the power of communications to influence and inform in ways that respond to our rapidly changing world. He will play a crucial role in working with the cities and engaging in the global conversation around the importance of urban resilience.”
While at Senator Schumer’s office, Mr. Young acted as the chief communications strategist and spokesman in New York, designing and implementing digital and traditional media campaigns to achieve legislative and political goals, including passage of the $60 billion Hurricane Sandy relief bill. While at the Democratic Policy and Communications Center, he helped determine legislative and media strategy for the Democratic caucus and provided strategic advice to Senate leaders. He also designing and organizing media events for Democratic senators in Washington and across the country.
Mr. Young grew up in New York City and attended Dartmouth College.
“In order to make cities more ‘resilient’, politicians, government officials, community leaders and citizens need to better understand what that means and how to talk about it,” said Mr. Young. ” I look forward to that challenge. 100 Resilient Cities is embarking on mission that is increasingly critical, and I’m honored to join the team and will focus on making sure the world understands the importance and urgency of the work that is being done.”
Mr. Young will officially begin his new post on April 7th, and will be based in New York.
About 100 Resilient Cities—Pioneered by The Rockefeller Foundation
100 Resilient Cities is dedicated to supporting cities to adopt and incorporate a resilience mindset in their planning, development, and community-building so that they are better prepared for and can quickly rebound from 21st century shocks and stresses. 100 Resilient Cities enables cities around the world to develop and implement resilience plans, provides city leaders a forum to share and learn from others’ experiences, and connects them with suppliers, thinkers, and stakeholders who can help them improve their city’s resilience. 100 Resilient Cities—Pioneered by The Rockefeller Foundation is financially supported by The Rockefeller Foundation and managed as a sponsored project by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA), an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides governance and operational infrastructure to its sponsored projects. Learn more about RPA at www.rockpa.org.
About The Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation aims to achieve equitable growth by expanding opportunity for more people in more places worldwide, and to build resilience by helping them prepare for, withstand, and emerge stronger from acute shocks and chronic stresses. Throughout its 100 year history, The Rockefeller Foundation has enhanced the impact of innovative thinkers and actors working to change the world by providing the resources, networks, convening power, and technologies to move them from idea to impact. In today’s dynamic and interconnected world, The Rockefeller Foundation has a unique ability to address the emerging challenges facing humankind through innovation, intervention and influence in order to shape agendas and inform decision making. For more information, please visit www.rockefellerfoundation.org.