Paula Conolly

Paula Conolly, AICP, is the Director of Local Engagement and Senior Advisor for Distributed Infrastructure for the US Water Alliance, a national nonprofit organization advancing policies and programs that build a sustainable water future for all. Paula helps manage local technical assistance and community outreach efforts to support equal access to water services, maximize community and economic development, and build resilient communities. Prior to joining the Alliance, Paula was the Executive Director of the Green Infrastructure Leadership Exchange, a peer learning network of local public sector green infrastructure practitioners. A co-founder of the network, Paula helped build the organization and led the network toward adopting equity and authentic community engagement as tenets of the green infrastructure practice. Before that, she led policy initiatives for Philadelphia’s renowned Green City, Clean Waters program, helping to change “business as usual” to implement over 30 acres of green stormwater infrastructure on vacant lands, parks, streets and private property. She also helped establish a state-of-the art drinking water protection program for the City of Philadelphia, helping to raise over $3M to improve and protect the Schuylkill River Watershed. Paula graduated from the University of Notre Dame. In her free time, Paula enjoys helping her Philadelphia neighborhood get green, yoga, and dancing badly.