Andrea Risotto is responsible for leading, developing, and executing IS’ communication and public relations strategy to amplify its mission and impact across diverse audiences. For two decades, Andrea has designed and implemented communications and outreach strategies to improve public policy and engage citizens in the U.S. and around the world. Before joining Independent Sector, she served as Chief Communications Officer at the Brookings Institution, overseeing communications for the organization and its research experts. Previously, Andrea was the head of communications for the NDC Partnership, a global coalition of over 200 countries and institutions dedicated to implementing national commitments under the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change. From 2013 to 2016, Andrea directed communications for The Pew Charitable Trusts’ global project to support countries in creating large protected areas of ocean, resulting in the conservation of 3.6 million square kilometers of ocean.
During the Great Recession, Andrea was the housing and foreclosure spokesperson at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, where she received an honor award for her service. She was also the inaugural communications lead for former New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s Office of Financial Empowerment, the first city government initiative in the U.S. focused on anti-poverty and financial empowerment for low-income families. Additionally, she spent four years at the U.S. Department of Education, collaborating closely with teachers, school administrators, and parents.
Andrea holds a Master’s degree in Latin American Studies from American University and a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish Language and Literature from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
