Sonia Joshi

Sonia Joshi is the Great Lakes Program Officer at the Fred and Barbara Erb Family Foundation, where she implements program priorities and builds strong relationships with Great Lakes organizations and leaders. She is motivated by the natural beauty of the world and the deep interconnectedness between people and the environment—a perspective that has shaped her commitment to conservation and community resilience.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Sonia served as a Great Lakes Climate Resilience Specialist supporting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Climate Resilience Regional Challenge (CRRC) program through their Office for Coastal Management. In that role, she provided technical assistance and capacity-building support to Great Lakes grantee partners, designed training workshops, and connected partners with the tools and resources needed to advance their CRRC projects.

Earlier in her career, Sonia was Vice President of U.S. Programs at the Institute for Sustainable Communities, where she advanced community-centered climate resilience programs. She was also the inaugural Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Implementation Lead at the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability, and held a joint position with Michigan Sea Grant and the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, serving as the Program Manager and Outreach Coordinator for the NOAA Center of Excellence for Great Lakes and Human Health.

Sonia holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from Lake Superior State University and an M.S. in Human Dimensions of Fisheries and Wildlife from Michigan State University, specializing in Gender, Justice, and Environmental Change. Her master’s thesis focused on the drivers and barriers experienced by women Great Lakes leaders and advocates engaged in conservation.

Outside of work, Sonia enjoys hiking, camping, stand-up paddle boarding, and yoga. She also loves spending time with family and friends and indulging in a weekend brunch.