Michelle Knapik
Program Director, Environment

"There’s no divorcing the natural and built environments, no matter how dysfunctional the relationship has become. What gives me hope is the global, national and place-based work of diverse entities and individual champions seeking to integrate economic and environmental health and prosperity. The challenge and joy of my work is to connect the dots, amplify stories of sustainable development, promote collaborative efforts, stimulate innovation and support emerging leaders."

Michelle joined the Foundation after serving as the Director of Energy Policy for the City of Philadelphia. Her interest in things environmental began early. At age five Michelle helped rescue tadpoles from a cherished pond by her home that had fallen victim to the development policies and practices common to the early 1970s. From youth to young adulthood, she was an environmental activist who sought solace hiking the Appalachian trails in the Delaware Water Gap. 

Her desire to understand the interconnection between social and ecological systems led Michelle to East Stroudsburg University, where she earned a BA summa cum laude in Sociology and Women’s Studies and later to Temple University School of Law, where she received a JD. Her desire to promote social change then led her to the Environmental Leadership Program where she remains an active Senior Fellow. This journey resulted in Michelle’s view of the environment as a common thread binding rural, suburban and urban life together in one deeply textured tapestry.

As Philadelphia’s director of energy policy, Michelle put her experiences to work. She built bridges between the public and private sectors and took the lead in forging an array of sustainable development initiatives, including a building material reuse pilot. She carried her passion for community building into nonprofit service including board membership with the Energy Coordinating Agency and the Delaware Valley Green Building Council. Michelle also participated in the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia.

Michelle brings her passion and experience to the leadership of the Environment Program at Dodge, and she will also work in the Foundation’s other giving areas.