Equipo de liderazgo
Equipo de liderazgo
ABOUT ISD
We're Committed to Helping Communities Flourish
ISD is a practitioner-led think tank working at the intersection of disaster recovery, economic resilience, and community development. Our network of Fellows, recognized for their contributions to their respective fields, are dedicated to taking action, giving back and sharing their knowledge, and improving how community and economic development gets done.
Why does ISD exist?
At the Institute for Sustainable Development, we believe community success depends on more than any single issue.
Strong communities require healthy economies, capable institutions, quality housing, resilient infrastructure, strong social networks, educated citizens, natural resources, and a shared sense of identity. These forms of capital work together, and weakness in one often affects the others.
Our work helps communities manage risk, strengthen resilience, and invest in the assets that matter most. Drawing on experience in economic development, disaster recovery, resilience planning, and public-private partnerships, we help leaders turn complexity into practical action.
ISD exists because communities deserve the tools, knowledge, and partnerships needed to build lasting prosperity—and to keep it when challenges arise.
The Heart of ISD
Community development is not one field. It is many fields working together.
A community recovering from a disaster may need expertise in housing finance, small business recovery, infrastructure, workforce development, public health, environmental restoration, and long-term economic planning—all at the same time.
It needs people who understand federal programs and people who understand how local politics actually work. It needs data analysts and neighborhood organizers.
What ISD looks for in its Fellows is deep expertise in one domain combined with genuine curiosity about others and a commitment to collaboration that holds up under pressure.
ISD Fellows at the April 2025 Working Conference, which launched ISD's university partnership training initiative.
ISD Executive Director Stephen Jordan presenting at George Mason University'
This philosophy is the foundation of ISD's Fellows Network—the living core of the organization.
Each year, ISD's Fellows Committee, Advisory Board, and Board of Directors identify leaders who have demonstrated excellence in recovery, resilience, and community development. Fellows are selected not only for their accomplishments, but for their willingness to share what they have learned and help others succeed. Being named an ISD Fellow is both an honor and a responsibility, and our Fellows define who we are.