--- title: "Puerto Rico, Still Recovering From Storm, Focuses on Resilience" id: "41790" type: "post" slug: "puerto-rico-still-recovering-from-storm-focuses-on-resilience" published_at: "2018-03-09T22:52:54+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-16T21:30:54+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/03/09/puerto-rico-still-recovering-from-storm-focuses-on-resilience/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/03/09/puerto-rico-still-recovering-from-storm-focuses-on-resilience.md" excerpt: "The nonprofit community is focused on building long-term recovery solutions for the storm-ravaged territory through the Resilient Puerto Rico Advisory Commission, a group with foundation funding and local leadership." taxonomy_category: - "Advocacy" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "disaster recovery" - "disaster resilience" - "Leadership" - "Puerto Rico" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "Director" - "Executive Team" taxonomy_persona: - "Executive Leadership" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Puerto Rico, Still Recovering From Storm, Focuses on Resilience Nearly six months after Hurricane Maria slammed into Puerto Rico, the word on the minds of the island’s nonprofit community is “resilience” and a [wide variety](https://associationsnow.com/2017/09/groups-offer-aid-assistance-hurricane-maria-slams-puerto-rico/) of [groups](https://associationsnow.com/2017/09/arrl-amateur-radio-operators-puerto-rico/) have worked to help improve the situation on the ground. But as the storm draws further into the rearview mirror, one group is working to ensure long-term recovery is managed in an effective way. The [Resilient Puerto Rico Advisory Commission (opens in a new tab)](https://www.100resilientcities.org/resilient-puerto-rico/) , first announced in November, is designed to offer recovery recommendations that help strengthen the territory as a whole. While the commission is funded by three major foundations—the Rockefeller Foundation, the Open Society Foundations, and the Ford Foundation—it is operated locally. The initiative, which got going at the beginning of the year per *Nonprofit Quarterly*, [is currently in sprint mode (opens in a new tab)](https://nonprofitquarterly.org/2018/03/09/puerto-ricos-new-resiliency-commission-pushes-community-led-recovery/) , with the goal of developing a series of recommendations for how to rebuild Puerto Rico by focusing on six areas: economic development, energy, housing, natural infrastructure, physical infrastructure, and social services such as health and education. The commission’s executive director, Malu Blázquez, told the news outlet that things are moving quickly, with working groups set for the next few months. “We have an aggressive schedule of events,” she told the news outlet. “I packed as many meetings as I could to get as much participation as possible.” The focus on resilience is showing up in other ways as well. This week, a group called Resilient Power Puerto Rico, which is focused on renewable solutions to the territory’s power problems, announced a $2.5 million outreach initiative to help bring energy to 100 community centers throughout Puerto Rico. “We have an opportunity to make a significant humanitarian impact while also shifting the paradigm on how energy is delivered and consumed on the island,” [noted Jonathan Marvel (opens in a new tab)](https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2018/03/resilient-power-puerto-rico-launches-2-5-million-solar-campaign/) , who is active in both Resilient Power and the advisory commission. (NatanaelGinting/iStock/Getty Images Plus) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Tags: [#disaster recovery](https://associationsnow.com/tag/disaster-recovery/) [#disaster resilience](https://associationsnow.com/tag/disaster-resilience/) [#Leadership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/leadership/) [#Puerto Rico](https://associationsnow.com/tag/puerto-rico/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoThe Career Moves Every Association Leader Needs Right NowSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/the-career-moves-every-association-leader-needs-right-now/) - [VideoUrban Land Institute- Project Recovery: Rebuilding Los Angeles After the January 2025 WildfiresSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/urban-land-institute-project-recovery-rebuilding-los-angeles-after-the-january-2025-wildfires/) - [VideoNCRA: Safeguarding Cancer Surveillance: An Advocacy Response to FY26 Budget ThreatsSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/ncra-safeguarding-cancer-surveillance-an-advocacy-response-to-fy26-budget-threats/) - [VideoASAE Legislative Summit 2026March 26, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/03/26/asae-legislative-summit-2026/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2018%2F03%2F09%2Fpuerto-rico-still-recovering-from-storm-focuses-on-resilience%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !