Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced the appointment of Dr. Atyia Martin as the City of Boston’s first chief resilience officer (CRO), a new position created to lead city-wide resilience building efforts to help Boston prepare for, withstand and bounce back from the ‘shocks’ — catastrophic events like floods, infrastructure failure and acts of terrorism — and ‘stresses’ — slow-moving disasters like persistent racial and economic inequality, lack of affordable housing and unemployment, which are increasingly part of 21st century life. As Chief Resilience Officer, Martin will report to Mayor Walsh and the Mayor’s Chief of Policy, and will oversee the development and implementation of a comprehensive Resilience Strategy for the city.
“I am honored and humbled to have been selected as the Chief Resilience Officer for the City of Boston and to be able to continue my career in public service in my hometown,” said Martin. “I am especially excited about Mayor Walsh’s bold and innovative move to focus on social resilience and incorporate root causes of inequity that impact the daily lives of our communities and post-disaster outcomes.”
Boston’s resilience initiative includes a unique focus on social and economic resilience in a city affected by historic and persistent divisions of race and class, along with a clear eye toward potential shocks the city may be exposed to. Disparities in health, economic and educational outcomes threaten community cohesion and weaken Boston’s overall resilience. Martin therefore will be charged with fostering a citywide dialogue on the root causes of these divisions, helping the city to unite and build the collective capacity for change.
Appointing a CRO is an essential element of Boston’s resilience building partnership with 100 Resilient Cities, pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation (100RC). Martin will lead the effort to develop a comprehensive Resilience Strategy for the city by building on the progress and dialogue launched during Boston’s Resilience Agenda-Setting Workshop this past May. Furthermore, she will receive technical support provided by 100RC and utilize resilience building tools from private, public, academic and NGO sector organizations that have partnered with 100RC. Boston’s strategy will be action-oriented and holistic, with an emphasis on partnership building and meeting the needs of poor and vulnerable communities.
