Posted by Eric Roecks on Sep 30, 2020
  • A resident of three US coasts
  • Holder of an advanced open water diver certification
  • A grant fellow for a distinguished US Senator on an issue she was extremely passionate about
  • A recognized national leader in climate change and a resilience advocate
These are just a few of the interesting facts relating to, and impressive achievements of, Seema Balwani. She is our newest club member.
Raised in New Jersey, she graduated from Columbia University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science, a Master of Marine Affairs from the University of Washington, and an Executive Master of Business Administration from the University of Hawaii. Along the way, she has held substantial roles with the Environmental Defense Fund and, for the last 16 years, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), where she is currently a senior environmental analyst.
 
Seema is passionate about environmental conservation. In her current role, she is widely recognized for driving climate change policy across multiple disciplines and is trusted to oversee some of the most prominent initiatives at NOAA. In fact, in 2017 she won the NOAA Administrator’s Award for dramatically improving the course of fisheries management and fish stock rebuilding efforts.
 
She also is passionate about community service and the possibility of Rotary to help deliver it. She joins us with a classification of Government and Policy.
 
Seema describes herself as resilient – and she would have to be, having moved to Seattle in the middle of a global pandemic! She has been here since July and currently lives in Ballard.
 
I have enjoyed getting to know her – and you will too. As you do, here are a few things you can bond with her on:
  • Scuba Diving
  • Speaking German
  • Gardening / Landscaping
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters
  • Cooking
  • Golf (A new interest!)
A hearty thanks to her sponsor, Jimmy Collins, for introducing Seema to Seattle 4 Rotary. Welcome, Seema!
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