Our Team

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CEO

Matt Ward is a co-founder and CEO of Sustainable Strategies DC and a leader with 25+ years experience in community revitalization, economic and infrastructure development, sustainability and green economy projects, federal and state government affairs, and resource strategies and advocacy.  He is also the owner of the Ward Washington Law Firm, providing local government and environmental counsel and problem-solving.  Before Sustainable Strategies DC, Matt was a partner at The Ferguson Group, and previously served as a partner and government affairs advocate at the law firm Spiegel & McDiarmid. He is a co-founder of the National Brownfields Coalition and the Brownfield Communities Network, and has served as national policy director to a number of organizations including the National Association of Local Government Environmental Professionals, the National Association of Towns and Townships, the Manufacturing Alliance of Communities, the Mayors Automotive Coalition, and the American Waterfront Revitalization Coalition.  Matt has served as a city councilman and planning commission chairman for his hometown.  He is a proud Eagle Scout and soccer dad. 

President

Andrew Seth is the President of Sustainable Strategies DC, where he works with local governments across America in identifying and securing resources for their priority needs. He is a national expert on community revitalization, smart growth, brownfields redevelopment, infrastructure investment, and environmental sustainability. Andrew has established and managed multiple coalitions of cities and counties, including Climate Communities, First & Main, the National Association of Local Government Environmental Professionals, and the American Waterfront Revitalization Coalition. He was previously a partner at The Ferguson Group, providing federal advocacy for localities across America. Andrew also served as a project manager on environmental issues at the International City/County Management Association, where he directed the Local Government Environmental Assistance Network. Prior to joining ICMA, he was a member of the government affairs team at Spiegel & McDiarmid. Andrew began his career at the conservation non-profit American Rivers. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology from Salisbury State University and a Master of Science in Resource Administration and Management from the University of New Hampshire.

Partner

Ashley Badesch is a Partner at Sustainable Strategies DC and leads the firm’s Western Office in Denver. She provides full-service grant writing, government affairs, and legislative advocacy support to local governments, transportation authorities, and nonprofit organizations. Ashley helps clients identify funding opportunities, develop competitive applications, secure federal, state, and philanthropic funds, and advance community priorities. She also brings specialized experience in broadband infrastructure and challenges affecting Western communities. Ashley earned her J.D., magna cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center. She received a Master of Public Policy with a focus on environmental policy and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish with a minor in philosophy from the University of Virginia.

Director of Local Government Management Consulting 

Debra Figueroa serves as Director of Local Government Management Consulting in Sustainable Strategies DC’s Western Office. In addition to providing grant-writing and advocacy services, she advises local governments on organizational strategy, municipal operations, executive leadership, infrastructure delivery, emergency management, resilience, and grant program administration. Debra is leading the expansion of the firm’s local government management consulting practice, with a particular focus on helping public agencies establish effective systems to manage complex state and federal awards. Before joining Sustainable Strategies DC, Debra served as City Manager for the City of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, and Assistant Borough Manager for Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Debra brings clients the perspective of a former local government executive who understands the operational, financial, political, and organizational demands facing public agencies. Debra earned a Master of Arts in Political Science, with a concentration in Environmental Policy, from the University of Florida and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, summa cum laude, from Eckerd College. She lives in Glenwood Springs with her family.

Principal & Economic Mobility Director

Heather Iliff is the Principal & Director of Economic Mobility at Sustainable Strategies DC. She assists local governments and nonprofits in developing and expanding programs that promote upward mobility for communities.  Before joining Sustainable Strategies, Heather served as President & CEO of Maryland Nonprofits in Baltimore, MD, Deputy Director of the Alliance for Nonprofit Management in DC, and Assistant Director of the Institute for Education Policy at the Open Society Institute in Budapest, Hungary.  In these roles, Heather supported nonprofits and governments in creating and implementing strategies for systemic change.  She is a licensed consultant with the Standards for Excellence Institute.  Heather earned her MA in Political Science from Central European University and her BA in International Studies from American University.  Heather resides in Maryland with her family.

Senior Associate

Spiro serves as a Senior Associate in Sustainable Strategies DC's Western Office, where he helps local government clients obtain funding for their priorities. He is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles where he received Bachelor's Degrees in Public Affairs and Geography. Prior to joining the team, Spiro interned at the Los Angeles Mayor's Office of Budget and Innovation.

Senior Associate

Nicole Marion serves as a Senior Associate for Sustainable Strategies DC in the Washington DC Office, assisting clients on their grant proposals and other needs. She is a graduate of Georgetown University where she received Bachelor's degrees in Government & History. Prior to joining the team, Nicole worked in development at a variety of local non-profit organizations, including UN Women in New Zealand.

Senior Associate

Floyd McCluhan supports Sustainable Strategies DC’s Western Office in Denver, where he helps clients identify, develop, and pursue competitive funding opportunities and advance local priorities through strategic engagement with federal agencies and congressional offices. He has helped communities secure more than $45 million to advance priority projects. Floyd particularly enjoys working with Western communities to address the region’s most pressing challenges, including water infrastructure, public safety, transportation, sustainability, recreation access, and brownfield revitalization. He is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, and previously worked for a Bay Area conservation land trust, where he helped protect open space and promote thoughtful land-use development.

Associate & Grant Writer

Morgan Harron serves as an Associate and Grant Writer in Sustainable Strategies DC’s Washington, DC, office. She works with local government and nonprofit clients to translate community priorities into competitive grant proposals for federal, state, and philanthropic funding. Morgan also supports federal appropriations strategy, congressional advocacy, and funding opportunity research and analysis. Before joining Sustainable Strategies DC, Morgan interned as a Public Affairs Analyst at Qualcomm Technologies, where she worked on projects related to technology policy and digital connectivity. She earned a Master of Public Policy, with a concentration in Policy Design and Innovation, and bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Public Policy Analysis from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Associate & Grant-Writer

Emma Ekman is an Associate & Grant Writer at Sustainable Strategies DC's Western Office, assisting clients on their grant proposals and other needs.  Before joining S2, Emma served as the Research Assistant for the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's Subcommittee on Highways and Transit where she worked on the reauthorization of the five-year surface transportation bill. She also served as a Transportation Legislative Assistant at a global law firm where she developed experience in strategic advocacy and intergovernmental relations.  Emma is a graduate of Washington State University where she received a B.A. in Political Science with a focus in Environmental Science and Sustainable Development. 

Grant Writing Consultant

Katie Weintraub is a fundraising and project development consultant with 9 years of experience in grant-writing, nonprofit management, multi-stakeholder partnership development, and fundraising strategy. She has B.A. from Harvard University in Government, Global Health, and Health Policy and a masters in Sustainable Development Practice from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro with a focus on environmental policy. Her areas of expertise include ecosystem restoration, climate change adaptation and mitigation, regenerative agriculture, food security and nutrition, and social entrepreneurship.