About Dan Whittle headshot

Daniel Whittle

Associate Vice President, Resilient Caribbean

Contact

Raleigh, North Carolina Office

Work

Areas of expertise:

US environmental law and policy, Cuban marine and coastal resources law and policy , energy policy, rights-based fisheries management, marine protected areas, international government US environmental law and policy, Cuban marine and coastal resources law and policy , energy policy, rights-based fisheries management, marine protected areas, international government US environmental law and policy, Cuban marine and coastal resources law and policy, energy policy, rights-based fisheries management, marine protected areas, international government relations

Dan directs EDF’s Resilient Caribbean initiative, working to advance conservation of marine and coastal ecosystems in the region and to accelerate efforts to build more just and resilient electric systems. In this role, Daniel works with scientists, lawyers, resource managers and communities to identify and implement collaborative strategies for fisheries management, coral reef conservation and sustainable coastal development in the region.

Background

J.D., University of Colorado.

BA, economics and German, Vanderbilt University.

Adjunct Law Professor of Environmental Law, Wake Forest University Law School (2002); Senior Policy Advisor, North Carolina Department of Environment, Health and Natural Resources (1995-1997); Associate Attorney, Van Ness, Feldman & Curtis, P.C. (1991-1993).

Memberships and Honors include:

  1. Co-recipient of the AAAS David and Betty Hamburg Award for Science Diplomacy (2025)
  2. Representative Member, Local 2030 Islands Network, 2024-present
  3. Founding Member of the Forum for Cuba-U.S. Partnerships (FOCUS Partnerships), 2023-present.
  4. Member of Executive Committee and Board of Regents of the American College of Environmental Lawyers, 2021-present.
  5. Bellagio Fellow, Rockefeller Foundation, 2017
  6. Co-founder and director, Research Initiative for the Sustainable Development of Cuba, 2016-present.
  7. Member, Study Group on Marine Disaster Preparedness and Prevention in the Gulf of Mexico, Council on Foreign Relations, 2013.
  8. Founding Member and Advisor, Tri-National Initiative on Marine Sciences and Conservation for the Gulf of Mexico and Western Caribbean, 2007-present.
  9. Co-founder and Chair of the Board, North Carolina Conservation Network, 2004-2007.  Member of advisory committee, 2007-present.

Publications

He is the author or co-author of numerous publications and reports, including: Building a cleaner, more resilient energy system in Cuba: Opportunities and Challenges, (Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, 2024); Environmental and Scientific Cooperation between Cuba and the United States: A Bridge over Troubled Waters, (Center for International Policy Research, Havana, 2024); Integrating Science-Based Co-management, Partnerships, Participatory Processes and Stewardship Incentives to Improve the Performance of Small-Scale Fisheries (Frontiers of Marine Science, October 2017); What’s Next for Cuba’s Electricity Sector? (Electricity Journal, October 2017); Bridging the Gulf: Finding Common Ground on Environmental and Safety Preparedness for Offshore Oil and Gas in Cuba (EDF, 2012); Protecting Cuba’s Environment: Efforts to Design and Implement Effective Environmental Laws and Policies in Cuba (Cuban Studies Journal, 2006)