Van Sullivan, the architect of several climate programs that have shaped flood resilience work across Greater Cincinnati, is now the permanent leader of Green Umbrella, the region's climate collaborative.
The nonprofit announced Sullivan's appointment on Aug. 18 following a national search. Sullivan, a 25-year Cincinnati resident, had served as interim executive director since February, when predecessor Ryan Mooney-Bullock departed after eight years leading the organization.
The timing matters. The appointment comes as east-side neighborhoods continue recovering from the July 17 storm classified as a 1,000-year event, which caused at least 1,500 sewer backups across the city and damaged dozens of homes and businesses in Hyde Park, Oakley and Madisonville. Cincinnati City Council voted in early August to double its flood relief fund to $2 million.
Sullivan built Green Umbrella's 25 Communities Project, which helps historically underserved neighborhoods plan for climate resilience, including reduced overland flooding. They also created the Climate Action Fellowship, which placed nine fellows in regional communities this summer to work on projects including flood management, and the Climate Research Incubator.
"Serving as Green Umbrella's Executive Director means that I'm developing climate solutions here for my friends, family, and neighbors," Sullivan said in the announcement.
Before taking the interim role, Sullivan served as senior director of programs and climate strategy. They were core support in designing the city's 2023 Green Cincinnati Plan and served as the inaugural chair of Cincinnati's Environmental Advisory Board. They also led Green Umbrella's transition from a sustainability alliance into a Regional Climate Collaborative, positioning it among more than 30 such organizations nationally and making it one of the largest.
Board president Jaime Love, director of programs at People's Climate Innovation Center, said Sullivan has "the vision, experience, and determination" to keep the organization focused on making Greater Cincinnati healthy, resilient and thriving.
During six months as interim leader, Sullivan oversaw Cincinnati's first Climate Week from June 8–14, which drew 67 events across 10 counties and more than 1,500 attendees. They also expanded the Green & Healthy Schools Network and launched new initiatives including Cincinnati's first Climate Storybank and the Food Policy Council's Summer Farmers Market Tour, which stopped at the Hyde Park Farmers Market on Sunday, Aug. 2.
In a July post on Green Umbrella's site, Sullivan warned that Greater Cincinnati sits "at the top of the list" of regions expected to experience the most extreme rainfall changes in coming decades, and that the city's combined sewer-storm system dating to the 1890s makes flooding an immediate public health hazard.
Mooney-Bullock, now executive director of Gorman Heritage Farm, praised Sullivan's "environmental policy expertise, commitment to justice and equity, collaborative approach, and strategic thinking."
What's next
Green Umbrella's Food Policy Council continues its Summer Farmers Market Tour with stops at the Covington Farmers Market on Aug. 29 and the Boone County Farmers Market on Sept. 5.
