About ICF

Paola Bernazzani

Director, Habitat Conservation Planning
Ohio
Paola is an ecologist, biodiversity expert, and planner with over 20 years of experience in endangered species and environmental compliance, domestically and internationally.

Paola is a conservation biologist and planner with 20 years’ experience in the environmental field. In her role, she manages and directs projects and supports marketing efforts, business development, thought leadership, and team growth. Paola’s niche is the integration of science with policy, projects, and planning. She works nationally and internationally on environmental issues covering endangered species compliance, biodiversity, tropical forest conservation, regulatory strategies, conservation of rare species, and compensatory mitigation.

Paola frequently presents on the role of science in the planning process. She has published several articles on topics, including participant perspectives of habitat conservation plans and climate change in the regulatory environment. She’s a reviewer for the journals Conservation Biology and Environmental Management.

In the U.S., Paola works with state agencies, foresters, electric utilities, water companies, counties, and cities. She manages project teams to solve problems through innovation and structured decision making.

Paola provides training, domestically and internationally, on topics that include stakeholder outreach. She also teaches at the UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education program. Paola has a Master of Science in Wildlife Biology from the Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management at the University of California, Berkeley. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Studies from Yale University.

Education
  • M.Sc., Wildlife Biology, University of California, Berkeley
  • B.A., Environmental Studies, Yale University

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