Nancy Kirshner-Rodriguez serves as the Network’s Western Director as well as coordinator of its Ports & Logistics Working group, and Diversity Equity and Inclusion initiatives. An experienced government relations and policy strategist, Nancy has worked as a strategic consultant to the Network since November 2018, expanding the organization’s presence in western states including California, Oregon, and Washington as well as on federal legislative priorities.
Nancy has worked in Washington, D.C., Sacramento, and San Francisco where she managed federally funded programs, built and directed national and state coalitions, designed effective advocacy and communications strategies, and served as chief spokesperson on a variety of initiatives. Nancy’s government roles range from Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental relations at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and U.S. Department of Labor, to Director of Government Affairs for the City and County of San Francisco. She applies her extensive experience in local and regional planning, environment, energy, housing, infrastructure, and transportation policy development to support the growth of the offshore wind industry.
A committed civic leader, Nancy currently chairs the Board of Directors for Californians Dedicated to Education Foundation and the School of Environmental Leadership. Maintaining her passion for achieving equity in our public institutions, she is on the National Advisory Board for Emerge America. Nancy is also active in the Jewish community and serves as a Vice President of the National Council of Jewish Women – San Francisco Section. In May 2022, she was honored by JPAC with the Barbara Yaroslavsky Civic Leadership Award.
A graduate of Mount Holyoke College with a B.A. in Politics, Nancy received the Alumnae Medal of Honor in recognition of her years of service to the college. She currently resides in San Rafael, California with her husband, daughter, and dog Kona. Nancy loves to travel across the U.S. and has been to 42 states and counting.