Arsht-Rock has appointed Tiffany Crawford and Krista Milne to the roles of “Chief Heat Officers” of the city of Melbourne, Australia. It is the first city in Australia to elevate heat as a key issue of focus by naming city officials dedicated to the task of reducing the city’s risks to extreme heat.  

During her decade of work on sustainability and climate initiatives for the City of Melbourne, Krista Milne has become an expert on the dangerous ways extreme affects the local population. “Our city and its environment have felt the impacts of heatwaves and decades of drought. Everyone is at risk during a severe heatwave. We have seen blackouts, significant decline in tree health, events interrupted, and business losing revenue. We will focus on improving our communications to support those most vulnerable to heatwaves.”   

Ms. Milne’s previous projects for the City of Melbourne have focused on creating zero carbon buildings, increasing access to renewable energy and adapting the city to climate change. Milne has a background in resource and environmental management and prior to City of Melbourne worked for 10 years in environment protection including regulatory reform, policy development and corporate sustainability.  

Tiffany Crawford brings nearly two decades of experience for the City of Melbourne, working with stakeholders to advance climate change initiatives. “We want Melburnians to use the city as a refuge during extreme heat events, but we cannot do this alone. Our partnership with Arsht-Rock will bring together experts, governments, and decision-makers to deliver solutions to keep Melbourne cool.”  

Ms. Crawford has worked on many of the City’s leading innovation and sustainability initiatives in environment finance, renewable energy, urban nature and green infrastructure.  Tiffany was Legal Counsel for City of Melbourne for over 10 years, and has degrees in Law, Arts, and an Executive Master’s in Public Administration.    

Crawford and Milne’s team focuses on achieving a resilient, well adapted and zero emissions city aligned with the Paris Climate Agreement and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.