Kat Sisler joined Kresge as a Program Officer on the Environment Program last month after previously working for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

KM: How has your background and experience informed and influenced the role you want to play at the foundation?

KS: One of the things I’ve learned working in the climate field is that people come from many different backgrounds, and that is a strength. Health is often the most resonant lens for talking about climate, because ultimately, we care about this issue because of how it affects the well-being of the people we love. As a public health practitioner by training, I became interested in climate because I saw how its impacts show up in both big and small ways, multiplying the health challenges communities already face. Our changing climate touches every part of life: it can disrupt a child’s education, delay cancer treatments, make cities too hot to be livable, or compromise access to safe drinking water. And this burden is always borne inequitably, with its impacts being thrust upon those who have less power to push for change. I view my role at Kresge as a connector, clarifying how climate affects every sector, highlighting the implications for health and equity, and helping to advance a more resilient and just future.

KM: What interests and passions do you bring to your work?

KS: In addition to my interest in public health and climate change, I’m passionate about meditation and mindfulness, and try to weave them into daily life. That doesn’t necessarily mean the type of meditation you might be imagining now—sitting formally somewhere quiet—though sometimes it can look like that. But it’s also things like showing up fully in conversations without thinking about my next meeting, brushing my teeth without multitasking, or pausing for a breath before responding to something that bothers me. I have been reflecting on the idea that “calm is a form of resistance,” and I think that applies both personally and professionally. In a world that constantly demands my attention, there is something radical about choosing where my attention goes, rather than having it chosen for me. (If the phrase “attention economy” doesn’t mean anything to you, this is your sign to dig into the concept.)

KM: What do you see as the most urgent need(s) when it comes to improving the health and well-being of people and communities?

KS: Where do I begin! One of the most urgent needs I see is rebuilding social cohesion and a sense of shared responsibility. We saw this during COVID and continue to see it with climate change, where our willingness to prioritize the collective good is fragile at best. In my mind, that willingness of shared responsibility extends to other structural factors that shape daily life, such as access to reliable public transportation, affordable housing, safe water, and clean air. Without them, it becomes easier to retreat into individual solutions and harder to imagine what we owe one another. Strengthening the systems that connect us, and the trust that holds them together, feels essential to improving both health and community resilience.

KM: What is a good book that you’ve read recently that you’d recommend?

KS: I recently read Stuck: How the Privileged and the Propertied Broke the Engine of American Opportunity by Yoni Appelbaum, and I’ve been thinking about it a lot. Appelbaum argues that America’s historic “engine of opportunity,” which is the ability to move for better jobs, cheaper housing, or reinvention, has broken down. The book examines how zoning was employed to segregate communities and how even seemingly progressive policies now limit mobility by reducing housing supply and exacerbating inequality. While not a perfect book, I found it a valuable history that has me thinking about how zoning shapes daily life and opportunity. As our team continues to deepen its understanding of climate mobility and migration in cities, I expect it to be a book I will keep coming back to.

KM: What excites you most about the potential for cities to drive climate solutions?

KS: Cities excite me because they are more nimble than states or nations and can test innovative approaches more quickly. Their density allows for walkability, lower emissions, and better access to everyday needs, which benefits both health and climate. They also create more opportunities for “third places, ”such as cafes, libraries, or community centers, which support mental well-being and social connection. Cities learn from and signal to one another in ways that can quickly spread solutions, creating ripple effects that extend beyond their borders. Plus, when you have so many different people living in one location, cities demand creativity and collaboration. They are messy, diverse, and imperfect, but that is also what makes them powerful engines for climate solutions and for imagining more equitable futures.