Courtney Wald-Wittkop leads the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Blue Acres Program, which incorporates climate resilience planning into the design and execution of proactive, voluntary flood buyouts. During her 19 years at NJDEP, she has applied for and secured over $400 million in federal grants. She is a committed bridge builder, who has worked with various state and federal agencies, communities, and partners to protect and enhance New Jersey’s natural resources, and to expand open space and outdoor recreation opportunities across the state. She has a background in project management, land use planning, geography, land preservation, and grant management. Wald-Wittkop is a proud graduate of the University of Colorado, Boulder, and she holds a master‘s degree from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick.