Cristiana V. Fragola to Join 100 Resilient Cities - Pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation as Regional Director, Europe and the Middle East

NEW YORK, April 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Michael Berkowitz, President of 100 Resilient Cities – Pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation, announced today that Cristiana V. Fragola has been appointed to the role of Regional Director for Europe and the Middle East. Ms. Fragola will help lead the organization's strategic vision and expansion in Europe and the Middle East and take part in overseeing the implementation of programs in both regions.

"Cristiana's deep relationships in cities and her knowledge of areas critical to resilience building make her a perfect fit to help lead our efforts in Europe and the Middle East," said Michael Berkowitz. "We are thrilled to have Cristiana on board to help us build resilience in cities around the world."

"I am deeply honored and excited to join the 100 Resilient Cities team," said Fragola. "Their approach to integrated and comprehensive resilience very much resonates with me. I look forward to supporting 100RC in developing innovative strategies and solutions inspired by effective peer learning and knowledge sharing. I am also very grateful for all that I have learned and grown with the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and their member cities, many of which are also 100 Resilient Cities."

Cristiana V. Fragola comes to 100RC from her previous post as the European Regional Director for the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group. In that role, she developed and managed relationships with 19 European cities, connecting them with the C40 global network to support the successful implementation of their climate action plans. She also solidified a strong collaboration with the Mayor of Paris in connection with the COP21, promoted city-to-city strategic partnerships for participation in EU funded projects such as Horizon2020, served on the Advisory Boards of the Mayor of Milan's Urban Food Policy Pact, and the Barcelona Smart Cities World Congress.

"Cristiana has been a true asset for C40 with her ability to build networks and connect to cities," said Mark Watts, Executive Director at C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group. "We are sorry to see her leave C40 but very happy that she will now be playing a leading role in one of our sister organizations and we are looking forward to working with Cristiana and 100 Resilient Cities in the years to come."

Prior to joining C40, Cristiana held several crucial positions serving as a legal advisor to the UN Development Programme, Deputy Director of Sustainability of the New York City Housing Authority and Director of MillionTreesNYC, a PlaNYC initiative.

While at the United Nations, Ms. Fragola served as legal counsel to executive leadership and set forth transparent reporting procedures for MDGs funding mechanisms. During her service in city government, she helped develop and managed large-scale environmental programs in New York City for Mayor Bloomberg's Administration. Ms. Fragola attended Harvard University where she received her MC/MPA and University of Pennsylvania School of Law. She is an Italian citizen and is fluent in Italian, English, French and Spanish.

Cristiana will begin her post at 100RC on April 20th, and will be based in London.

Lean more about 100 Resilient Cities here. Learn more about the Rockefeller Foundation here.

Contact: Maxwell Young – +1 (917) 710-0553 /MYoung@100RC.org