Andrea Risotto

Andrea Risotto is chief communications officer at the Brookings Institution. In this role, she oversees strategic communications initiatives in support of Brookings research experts and leads the management and operations of the communications department.

Andrea has over two decades of experience leading communications and outreach strategies to improve public policy. Prior to joining Brookings, she was the head of communications for the NDC Partnership, a global coalition of over 200 countries and institutions working together to implement national commitments under the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change. Andrea worked directly with national governments in support of their communications and outreach efforts to achieve more ambitious climate and sustainable development goals.

From 2013-2016, Andrea directed communications for The Pew Charitable Trusts’ global project to support countries in creating large protected areas of ocean, resulting in the conservation of 3.6 million square kilometers of ocean. In this position, she collaborated closely with national governments and local and Indigenous communities across Micronesia and Polynesia.

During the Great Recession, Andrea was the housing and foreclosure spokesperson at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. She received an honor award from the Treasury Secretary for her service. She was also the inaugural communications lead for former New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s Office of Financial Empowerment, the first city government initiative in the U.S. focused on anti-poverty and financial empowerment for low-income families. She spent four years at the U.S. Department of Education, collaborating closely with teachers, school administrators, and parents.

Andrea has a master’s degree in Latin American Studies from American University and a bachelor’s degree in Spanish Language and Literature from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.