Montgomery County's Climate Action Plan

In June 2021 Montgomery County unveiled the Climate Action Plan. The Climate Action Plan is the County’s strategic plan to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 80% by 2027 and 100% by 2035. The Climate Action Plan details the effects of a changing climate and includes strategies to reduce GHG emissions and climate-related risks to the County’s residents, businesses, and the built and natural environment.  In this presentation, members of the County’s climate team will provide an overview of the Climate Action Plan and the climate actions currently underway.

Presenter bios:Adriana Hochberg: Adriana Hochberg serves as the Climate Change Officer for Montgomery County, Maryland.  She leads Montgomery County’s efforts to combat climate change while building a healthy, equitable, and resilient county. Ms. Hochberg coordinated the development of the Climate Action Plan, a strategic roadmap for the County to cut community-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2027 and reach zero emissions by 2035.  Ms. Hochberg previously served as an Assistant Chief Administrative Officer for Montgomery County.  

Mara Parker: Mara Parker works as a grants coordinator in Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, tracking and reporting on FEMA grant funding utilized to prepare for and mitigate the effects of disasters, a growing problem as climate change continues to reshape our region. She is a member of the County’s Climate Leadership Team, where she worked with the Climate Adaptation and Carbon Sequestration workgroups. She has served on the County’s COVID-19 Crisis Communications Team and worked for over ten years as a senior legislative aide at the Montgomery County Council, providing analysis of the County’s public safety departments. 

Stan Edwards: Stan Edwards is the Chief of the Energy, Climate, & Compliance Division in the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection. He manages a range of programs related to energy and climate issues, as well as enforcement of the County’s environmental laws. He helped write the County’s 2009 Climate Protection Plan and serves on the County’s core climate planning team working to implement the County’s 2021 Climate Action Plan.    Mr. Edwards has a bachelor’s degree in Physics from Dickinson College and a master’s degree in Energy Systems from the School of Engineering and Applied Science at the George Washington University.

Sandra Brecher is Chief of the Commuter Services Section in the Montgomery County, Maryland, Department of Transportation.  In that role she leads efforts to plan and promote use of alternatives to single occupant vehicle travel, to reduce traffic congestion, improve the environment, promote sustainable urban development and help address climate change.  The office works with County employers, developers, property managers and the broader community to incorporate Transportation Demand Management strategies into policies and projects; operates five Transportation Management Districts located in urban activity centers of the County; and operates two commuter stores, one bricks & mortar, one mobile.  Ms. Brecher received her undergraduate degree from Ohio University and graduate education in urban planning at Cornell University.  Prior to joining Montgomery County, Ms. Brecher worked as an urban planning consultant, completing a variety of local and national assignments in transportation and land use policy, development planning, and community facilitation for public and private sector clients.