Steve Nicholas is the Institute for Sustainable Communities’ Vice President of Urban Programs. Steve launched ISC’s U.S. program and created the Sustainable Communities Leadership Academy (SCLA), which is one of the premier vehicles for capacity-building and technical assistance focused on sustainability in the US.

Prior to joining ISC, Steve was Director of the City of Seattle Office of Sustainability & Environment for eight years, where he led several urban sustainability initiatives, including the development and implementation of the Seattle Climate Protection Initiative, winner of the 2007 Innovations in American Government Award. He co-authored Seattle’s first-ever climate action plan, as well as the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, which sparked a national movement of more than 1,000 mayors taking local action on global warming and demanding stronger federal action. He also staffed the Mayor’s Green Ribbon Commission on Climate Protection, and led the creation of the Seattle Climate Partnership, a voluntary pact among more than 50 public and private institutions to reduce their global warming pollution.

Steve recently co-authored The Guide to Greening Cities, which uses success stories from across North America to show how to turn a green city agenda into reality.

Steve holds a Masters of Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and a BA in Public Policy from Colby College.