Expertise

Lead Ocean Plastics Advisor, United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

As Lead Ocean Plastics and Urban Advisor for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Clare Romanik has been the architect of USAID programming to address ocean plastic pollution, including the design of USAID’s global program Clean Cities Blue Ocean that works with 25 cities in 10 countries to create an inclusive circular economy. Ms. Romanik contributes to broader U.S. Government policy formulation and negotiations and has formed strategic partnerships with the private sector, including a $35 million blended finance partnership with Circulate Capital to increase private sector investment in waste management and recycling. Ms. Romanik received her MPA in economics and public policy at Princeton University and over her career has worked in 35 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East, and Latin America and the Caribbean, including Ethiopia, South Africa, Uganda, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Kyrgyzstan, Romania, Serbia, Jordan, Lebanon, Dominican Republic, Panama, and Peru.