Deborah Robertson has always understood that leadership means building systems that last. A proven public servant turned sustainability entrepreneur, she is now channeling decades of experience into a forward-looking enterprise: Environmental Sustainability Business Solutions — a company committed to job creation, green infrastructure, and long-term economic transformation.

While she now stands at the helm of a private sector venture, her legacy of results is unmistakable. Working with NRDC-IE, Deborah helped secure multiple multi-million dollar grants focused on workforce development, sustainable technology, and environmental resilience. Our collaboration supported groundbreaking initiatives that created jobs, expanded water tech access, and built out clean, future-forward infrastructure.

But what sets Deborah apart isn’t just her resume — it’s her ability to lead across sectors. She brought together municipal knowledge, regional planning insight, and real-world environmental expertise to create projects that funders could trust. And with NRDC-IE’s grant strategy, writing, and partnership development behind her, that trust turned into major wins.

We helped articulate the technical sophistication of her proposals while honoring the equity and economic impact at the core of her mission. Through our e3p3 model, we ensured that Deborah’s vision was not only fundable — it was scalable and replicable.

Now, as she embarks on this new chapter, her work continues to serve as a blueprint for what’s possible when innovation meets deep community-rooted leadership. At NRDC-IE, we’re proud to have helped fund some of her most transformative work — and even prouder to see her expanding that impact beyond the confines of any one institution.

Deborah Robertson is proof that sustainability isn’t just an idea — it’s a strategy. And with the right funding partner, it becomes a movement.