Possessing more than two decades of experience in politics and community development in Portland, Oregon, Sam Adams serves as director of the World Resources Institute (WRI) United States. Sam Adams first became involved with Portland’s government in 1993 when he was appointed chief of staff for Mayor Vera Katz. During this time, he undertook a number of sustainability initiatives, such as expanding public transit and improving overall air quality. In 2005, he was elected to City Council and continued to serve as an advocate for sustainability in the city.

In 2009, Adams assumed the position of mayor and continued to push for reductions in the city’s carbon emissions. During a period when the national average carbon footprint was increasing, he took steps to bring emissions below levels measured in 1990. As mayor, he also implemented the 2012 Portland Plan to increase sustainability from a variety of fronts for 25 years and helped develop the city into a leading destination for clean tech firms.

Now at WRI, he leads the organization’s national climate change initiative.