Mary Skelton Roberts is a globally recognized leader in harnessing the power of philanthropy and community building to design cities that are sustainable, inclusive, and vibrant. A strategist, change maker, and climate defender, Mary travels widely to bring globally pioneering strategies to the United States to improve mobility and resiliency for all people.

She works with boards, corporations, program staff and individual donors to develop comprehensive strategies that integrate policy, campaigns, and communications needed to achieve measurable results. She has extensive experience integrating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into program strategy and change management practices.

Mary previously served as Special Consultant to the Energy Foundation where she supported the implementation of the strategic plan. She was also Senior Vice President at the Energy Foundation where she oversaw the strategic implementation of a $160 million grants making budget aimed at reducing carbon emissions throughout the United States. Prior to that, she was Co-director of Climate at the Barr Foundation, based in Boston, where she developed strategies focused on transportation, climate resilience, and land-use, all critical levers for reducing emissions and protecting those most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

At EF, Mary led the national team that secured the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act in Illinois, galvanized the Clean Car goals for the United States, and provided expertise and advocacy support to the Biden Administration in support of the largest infrastructure package in the country’s history. In Boston she was the brain trust behind the City of Boston’s Go Boston 2030 transportation planning process which set a new standard for public engagement; the Boston BRT Initiative, and helped catalyze Climate Ready Boston, the City’s first comprehensive analysis of climate vulnerability and the first multi-neighborhood resilience plan in the United States.

Mary is a sought-after speaker, author, and visionary on issues of climate, community, and equity. She is a contributing author of If We Want to Win, A Latine Vision for a New American Democracy, which was publish November of 2021.

In Massachusetts, Mary serves on the Point32Health Foundation (formerly Tufts Health Plan Foundation). She serves on the board of directors for Hispanics in Philanthropy, the Massachusetts Governor’s Latino Advisory Commission, and is on the Board of Directors of the Boston Girls and Boys Clubs of Boston.

Mary earned her B.A. from the University of Southern California, a master’s from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She holds mediation and facilitation accreditations from Harvard Law School’s Program on Negotiation and from the Center for Dispute Resolution in London, England.

She is a native Spanish speaker with roots in Cuba.