Candace Fatima Vahlsing

Bio

Candace Fatima Vahlsing serves as the Senior Advisor for Climate at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the world’s premier development agency. Ms. Vahlsing advises the Administrator on climate matters and is charged with driving strategic progress on Administrator Power’s policy priorities at the intersection of climate, finance, and international development across the agency, the Biden-Harris Administration, and with external partners. Prior to her appointment at USAID, Ms. Vahlsing was the Associate Director for Climate, Energy, Environment, and Science at the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), where she oversaw a portfolio of more than $350 billion in direct investment across more than 20 Federal agencies. In the 115th and 116th Congress, she served as Senior Advisor to U.S. Senator Michael F. Bennet and was the Minority Staff Director for the U.S. Senate Finance Subcommittee for Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure. During the Obama-Biden Administration, Vahlsing served as a Senior Policy Advisor for Energy and Climate Change, working with the Domestic Policy Council, National Security Council, and Council on Environmental Quality. She holds a PhD in Environmental Health Sciences and a Masters in Public Policy from the University of California at Berkeley.