Nancy Retana is Clean Wisconsin’s Resilient Communities Program Director. Through partnerships with municipal leaders as well as through various coalitions and collaboration with community organizations, Nancy leads efforts to amplify community resilience to climate change impacts and address environmental justice issues in Milwaukee and throughout the state of Wisconsin.
Nancy oversees Clean Wisconsin’s green infrastructure program, led in partnership with the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, aimed to scale-up green infrastructure in Milwaukee’s 30th Street Industrial Corridor through education, outreach, policy, and on-the-ground installation of green infrastructure including rain barrels and rain gardens. Nancy also chairs the Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern Community Advisory Committee, a group that works to ensure that Milwaukee residents, especially those underrepresented in/excluded from environmental decision making, play an active role in shaping the decisions made during the Area of Concern delisting process.
Nancy is a proud first-generation Wisconsinite with roots in Durango, Mexico. Nancy has a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology and Spanish from Carthage College and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Nancy is a passionate environmental justice advocate who believes in the importance of centering equity in climate resilience planning and actions. She is dedicated to addressing historical environmental injustices while fostering opportunities for a more equitable and sustainable future.