Lucia supports Openlands as the Institutional Grants Manager, where she leads the organization’s grant writing and reporting efforts to secure funding for programs that connect people to nature and advance climate resilience across the Chicago region. With extensive experience in environmental communications and nonprofit development, Lucia brings expertise in storytelling, strategic messaging, and translating complex environmental initiatives into compelling narratives that inspire everyone to connect with their inner environmentalist.
Before joining Openlands, she worked as a freelance journalist, with her writing appearing in The New Yorker, Atlas Obscura, and South Side Weekly. She also previously served as Openlands Communications Manager, developing campaigns that inspired public engagement with nature and conservation. Lucia holds a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, where she was a Comer Scholar, and a BA in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Passionate about climate communication and environmental justice, Lucia is known for her creative approach to storytelling and her commitment to community engagement. She previously trained as a climate change educator with the Climate Reality Leadership Corps and she has served as a mentor for new trainees.
Favorite Place to Get Outside: She enjoys taking strolls through Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary before plunging into the lake.
LinkedIn: Lucia Whalen
Contact Information
- Email: lwhalen@openlands.org
- Phone: 312.863.6277
