Emily R. Warren Armitano

Emily is the Land Conservation and Water Program Officer for the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation in Austin. She is responsible for leading the design of the land and water program strategies and managing a grants portfolio to achieve the foundation’s sustainability goals.

Emily joined the foundation in 2019, bringing with her deep experience in community engagement, movement-building, connecting research to action, and a commitment to equity and social justice.

Previously, she held leadership positions at the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, where her focus was on sustainable natural resources management. She also served as a member of the management team at United for Iran, working to improve human rights, support civil society, and increase civic engagement in Iran. In addition, Emily worked as part of the global management team for a United Nations Development Program aimed at reducing the volume and toxicity of health care waste in eight low-income countries across the globe.

Emily is from Venezuela and comes from a family that spans four continents. She is fluent in Spanish. Emily holds a Ph.D. in Geography from Texas State University, a Master’s of Science in Environmental Science and a Master’s of Public Affairs from Indiana University’s O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, and a dual B.S. in Ecology, Ethology, and Evolution and Pre-Medicine from the University of Illinois.