Justina Thompson

Justina Thompson (she/her) enters all new opportunities with immense gratitude to the ancestors and generations before which have stewarded land and community where she engages. She has worked at the intersections of food, land, environment and community for over 10 years. She currently works as the Program Manager for Environmental Justice in the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Sustainability. With the City, she works with residents and community organizations to co-strategize ways to advance environmental justice and deliver resources from philanthropy, state, and federal departments to communities directly. Justina is a storyteller and steward who brings experiences from the past into the present and future as the foundation for stewarding land and community in harmonious relationship with the Earth. 

The City of Philadelphia’s Office of Sustainability (OOS) works to improve quality of life in all neighborhoods and works with partners across the city to advance environmental justice, reduce carbon emissions, and prepare Philadelphia for a hotter and wetter future. OOS defines environmental justice (EJ) as the equitable distribution of environmental benefits and burdens; righting of past harmful environmental policies and practices; and meaningful involvement in decision-making, particularly for those most impacted and that have been historically marginalized. The Environmental Justice division advances EJ through education, policy advice, and directly resourcing frontline and fenceline communities through the Community Resilience and Environmental Justice Fund.