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Education:
Northwestern University, B.A., Economics, Minor in Art History
University of South Carolina Moore School of Business, M.A., Economics, Concentration on International Trade and Development
Joanne Sonenshine joined the Center for Environmental Leadership in Business (CELB) in 2012 as Director of Food, Agriculture & Freshwater where she works with the corporate sector on integrating and implementing “climate-smart” agriculture in investment considerations. Prior to joining CELB, Joanne was responsible for leading CI’s climate change strategy.
Before joining CI, Joanne was the Senior Manager for Environmental Policy and Sustainability for the Consumer Electronics Association. She co-founded an environmental technology program designed to provide developing economies with resources necessary to create innovative and wide reaching technology. Joanne also advocated for policies on Capitol Hill and at international fora on matters such as: environmental trade, electronics recycling, green procurement, materials restrictions, design, sustainable production, energy use and other challenges impacting the consumer electronics industry. Before that, she worked for the U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration, where she focused on trade policy issues affecting multiple U.S. industries and represented the U.S. industry in international environmental trade negotiations.
Joanne received a silver medal from the International Trade Administration for providing the U.S. Congress with a comprehensive, timely and accurate report exploring domestic economic effects that have resulted from the disparity between U.S. and world market prices for sugar. She was also the 2006 ITA Quarterly Star Nominee for enhancing the Department’s approach to trade-related environmental issues and elevating the Department’s role in this growing component of U.S. trade policy. She currently lives in Arlington, VA with her husband and two children.