Leading Through Fire: Building a Climate-Resilient Future for Our Lands and Communities

Hilary Franz
President and CEO
American Forests

As climate-driven wildfires reshape the landscapes and livelihoods of the American West, it has never been more critical for nature and technology to work together. In this keynote, Hilary Franz, President and CEO of American Forests, explores how we can move beyond crisis response to proactive, long-term resilience—restoring forests, protecting communities, growing sustainable economies, and reimagining how people and nature coexist in a warming world. Drawing from on-the-ground experience in forest management and restoration, wildfire prevention and response, and investments in cross-sector partnerships and emerging technologies, she will share how merging old-ways of thinking with new tools and innovations  can transform how we lead through fire—toward a healthier, more climate-resilient future for our lands and communities.

Regional Insights from EPA Region 10

Emma Pokon
Regional Administrator
U.S. EPA, Region 10

Prior to joining EPA, Pokon served as commissioner for the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation since December 2023. She joined ADEC in February 2020 from the Alaska Department of Law where she most recently served as a Senior Assistant Attorney General assigned to support ADEC.

In her time with the Department of Law she worked as a Special Assistant to the Attorney General and worked closely with the Department of Natural Resources and the Regulatory Commission of Alaska. Previously, she represented the North Slope Borough in natural resource and environmental matters, and she served as a law clerk for the Fairbanks Superior Court. She earned a bachelor's degree in history with a minor in chemistry from Hamilton College. She also achieved a JD and a Master of Studies in Environmental Law from Vermont Law School.

Charting a Path for Oregon's Energy Future

Ruchi Sadhir
Associate Director
Oregon Department of Energy

Ruchi Sadhir is the Associate Director for Strategic Engagement at the Oregon Department of Energy, leading the agency’s strategic planning and external engagement efforts. She previously served as energy and climate change policy advisor to Oregon Governor Kate Brown, participating in UN climate conferences and helping develop clean energy executive orders and legislation. Prior to the Governor’s office, Ruchi served as senior policy advisor at the Oregon Public Utility Commission, working on a range of matters related to the energy industry and transition to cleaner sources of energy. Before her work in Oregon, Ruchi lived in Washington, D.C. where she helped lead development of renewable energy and electric transmission siting and permitting policy in the Office of the Secretary at the U.S. Department of the Interior, staffed the Obama Administration’s “Rapid Response Team for Transmission,” and was a law clerk at the White House Council on Environmental Quality. She holds an LL.M. in Environmental Law from George Washington University, a J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh, and a B.S. in Engineering from the University of Michigan. She enjoys traveling and hiking in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband, two kids, and dog.