Deepa Vedavyas joined NOPEC in 2024 as the inaugural Director of Resiliency and Sustainability, bringing expertise in sustainable development across multiple sectors. With degrees in architecture and urban and regional planning, Deepa leads with an intersectional lens and an equitable collective action approach. As the former Program Manager for Neighborhoods and Environment at the Cleveland Foundation, she strategically aligned grants with the UN Sustainable Development Goals at the target level. She pioneered launch of ICLEI Northeast Ohio Resilient Cities Leadership cohort and SDG learning cohorts for Northern Ohio community foundations.

During her tenure as City of Cleveland's Sustainability Manager, Deepa spearheaded two significant initiatives: the Clean and Equitable Energy Future Plan and the city's LEED for Cities Silver certification. She also serves as a national co-chair of the UN SDSN USA’s national Working Group on Diversity, Equity, and Justice for Sustainable Development. She holds multiple roles, including an appointed membership on the international WELL Cities advisory, Climate Champion of Ohio of the American Planning Association’s Sustainability Community Division, board member of the region’s longest serving environmental justice organization - Environmental health Watch and in the advisory role at the City of Cleveland’s Office of Minority Health.
As a former delegate to COP27, COP28, and the recent ICLEI World Congress in São Paulo, Brazil, Deepa continuously seeks to learn and integrate best practices in the field, reinforcing her commitment to advancing equity in climate action through her active participation in regional, national and international climate dialogues.