Marissa Aho, AICP has served as the Policy Director/Chief Resilience Officer for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) since July 2021. DNR manages 5.6 million acres of forest, range, agricultural, aquatic, and commercial lands and has programs including Wildfire Management and Washington Geological Survey. She previously served as the first Chief Resilience Officer for the cities of Los Angeles and Houston. She led the development and implementation of the cities’ resilience strategies (Resilient Los Angeles and Resilient Houston) that are focused on preparing for catastrophic events and addressing chronic stressors. Prior to public service, she was a private urban planning and land use consultant for 10 years. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Communications, Legal Institutions, Economics and Government (CLEG) from American University and a Master of Planning degree from the University of Southern California.
