Forbes Tompkins leads the resilient infrastructure policy portfolio and stakeholder engagement strategies of Pew’s flood-prepared communities initiative, which aims to reform flood and disaster policy to better prepare people and property for future flooding. In this role, he has guided the development of innovative infrastructure policy approaches and led Pew’s call on behalf of mayors, state legislators, and governors for the federal government to give priority to flood resilience as the United States works to modernize its crumbling infrastructure.

Before joining Pew, Tompkins was a research associate at the World Resources Institute, where he analyzed the effects of rising sea level and heavy precipitation. He also held positions at the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development and on Capitol Hill as an environmental science and policy expert. He gained on-air experience forecasting the weather on “The Florida State University Weather Show” and at WCTV in Tallahassee, Florida.

Tompkins holds a bachelor’s degree in meteorology from Florida State University and master’s degrees in meteorology from the Florida Institute of Technology and energy policy and climate from Johns Hopkins University.