Celeste Connors

Background and Education

Professor Connors has over a decade of experience working at the intersection of economic, trade, environment, energy, and international development policy. Before joining SAIS, she was the Director for Environment and Climate Change at the National Security Council and National Economic Council in the White House, where she helped shape the Administration''s economic priorities and initiatives. In this capacity, she developed U.S. climate change, environment, and clean energy policies for a myriad of international institutions, including APEC, the G8 and G20.  Professor Connors led the US Green Growth policy strategy for the 2011 US-hosted APEC Summit in Honolulu, and helped catalyze innovative public-private partnerships announced at the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development on urban sustainability, supply chains, and clean energy finance.

Prior to joining the White House, Professor Connors served as a diplomat in Saudi Arabia, Greece, and Germany. She also held positions at the US Mission to the United Nations, and served as an Advisor to the Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs at the US Department of State. Professor Connors holds a MSc in Development Studies from the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and a BA in International Relations from Tufts University.  She is also the co-founder of cdots development, which focuses on building new public-private partnerships to mobilize investments in resilient infrastructure and services in vulnerable communities. 
 
Professor Connors is a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations, serves on the Board of Directors of America’s Service Commissions, and is a member of the Global Island Partnership (GLISPA) Steering Committee.