Hi! I’m Becca.
I am a researcher, planner, and strategist working at the intersection of climate resilience, environmental justice, and community-centered policy. I hold a Master's in Urban and Community Planning from Pratt Institute and bring a decade of experience translating complex issues into clear, compelling action, first in copywriting/creative direction at places like VICE and McCann, and now in the neighborhoods and policy spaces where climate change is already here. I currently work as a Disaster Recovery and Resilience Specialist at the Red Hook Business Alliance, where I design programs, build community partnerships, and produce research that helps people and places adapt. My work spans flood monitoring infrastructure, small business resilience, biometric surveillance mapping, historic preservation, and energy justice policy. Across all of it, my practice is grounded in a simple belief: that good planning starts with listening, and that policy becomes most powerful when people get to speak for themselves.
Awards/Recognition/Certifications
WEDG Associate - Waterfront Alliance - March 2026
Applied Research Award - Pratt Institute - 2025
Historic Districts Council Grassroots Preservation Award, 2023
Jay Chiat Gold Award for National Strategy, 2021
Webby Award for Advertising, Media & PR, Public Service & Activism, 2018
The Drum 50 Under 30, 2018
email: becca.abellera@gmail.com
m: 630-730-8865