Thomas Carpenito

Associate - Cohort 004

Thomas Carpenito turns plans into realities. In every engagement he uses leadership experience gained from founding and running the environmental club at Pace University, lobbying skills attained from pushing through climate legislation in the New York Senate, and expertise acquired from firsthand experience with the effects of environmental degradation.

Carpenito’s work began in New York City in 2017 when he enrolled in Environmental Science at Pace’s newly created environmental department. The department and students were there, yet the community of environmentalists hadn’t flourished. With a simple goal of creating a platform for environmental students to congregate and make real change, Pace Sustainability Initiative was formed.

Under Carpenito’s leadership the initiative team worked with the administration to implement a water-saving proposal and to create a community park at the New York City campus. Environmental students were able to get involved and be environmentally active in the concrete jungle. Carpenito also worked to pass important legislation in NYC including the Climate and Community Protection Act with the non-profit organization Our Climate.

Now as an associate with Normal Next he is working to develop a resiliency framework for the Northeast Florida Regional Council to better help cities adapt to flooding and sea-level rise.

Carpenito is also a freelance writer, philosopher, movie critic, New York City tour guide, urban planner, world traveler, and a pretty good friend.