Based in Arlington, Va., Sawislak will lead AECOM’s global resilience and climate-adaptation strategy. Working directly with AECOM clients and the firm’s experts across all sectors and business lines, Sawislak will drive resilient strategies to prepare communities and companies for impacts from extreme weather and other threats. Sawislak reports to Jason Prior, group chief executive of Buildings + Places for AECOM’s End Market Group.
Sawislak rejoins AECOM from the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama, where he most recently served as the associate director for climate adaptation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality, leading national efforts on climate adaptation and resilience policy as well as working with cities, states, and foreign governments on project development and strategy. Prior to joining the executive office of the President, he led the development of the infrastructure recommendations for the President’s Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force and served as a senior advisor to the Secretary of the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development. In this role, he worked closely with federal, state, and local officials, as well as private owners and operators of infrastructure systems such as power and communications to direct over $30 billion in federal funding for infrastructure recovery and resilience, as well as national policy changes.
Sawislak previously served as the U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) chief emergency response and recovery officer. He served as the GSA’s representative on White House committees and was responsible for GSA support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Defense, and U.S. Agency for International Development in preparation and response to natural disasters other emergencies such as extreme weather, earthquakes, tsunamis, and pandemics. Sawislak joined the public sector in 2004, and has previously worked at AECOM, where he led planning for major infrastructure projects across North America.
“As someone who has served as an owner, contractor, and policy maker, Josh brings a wealth of experience in planning and building resilient communities from both the public and private sector perspectives,” said Prior. “His work on rebuilding the New York region after Hurricane Sandy, and the development of U.S. national policy on climate adaptation and resilience, makes him the perfect person to bring together AECOM’s broad resources and expertise.”
Active in resilience, disaster, and environmental issues locally and internationally, Sawislak has spoken and presented extensively on resilience and climate-preparedness issues. He holds a degree in political science from George Washington University and studied infrastructure development and financing at the Harvard Kennedy School. Sawislak is a member of the American P…
