San Diego Bay · 32.71° N, 117.17° W

C. WaldenKiker

Program & portfolio manager for the blue economy, natural resources, and clean energy.

For seven years he has managed programs with many stakeholders at the table: a portfolio of 15 startups, funded natural resource conservation projects, and clean energy research. He keeps partners aligned, turns performance data into decisions, and gets projects funded and delivered on time.

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Portrait of C. Walden Kiker by the water Port of San Diego
7yrsmanaging environmental & energy programs
15companies in the portfolio he manages
$300K+in competitive grant funding won
1,000sof financial & environmental data points analyzed and reported

About

Programs, portfolios, and the people in them.

He manages multi-stakeholder projects end to end, balancing what partners need with what his organization can deliver, and explains technical results clearly to founders, executives, and the public.

His work spans the blue economy (sustainability pilots, aquaculture, blue carbon), natural resource management (wetlands, living shorelines, and endangered species habitats), and clean energy (distributed energy resources program reporting, energy efficiency initiatives, and low-carbon fuel finance). He holds an M.A. in International Environmental Policy from the Middlebury Institute.

  • Program Management
  • Portfolio Management
  • Project Management
  • Stakeholder & Partner Management
  • Natural Resource Management
  • Data Analysis & Reporting
  • CRM / Salesforce
  • Excel
  • Power BI
  • Executive Presentations
  • Training & Mentoring
  • Energy Efficiency Programs
  • Clean Energy Finance
  • Financial Modeling
  • Business Development
  • Policy Analysis
  • Grant Strategy & Writing
  • Blue Carbon
  • ArcGIS Pro

Selected work

Four kinds of work, one way of managing it.

15
companies in his portfolio

Blue economy portfolio management

Manages the Port's portfolio of 15 blue-tech and sustainability startups in its Blue Economy Incubator, from due diligence through live pilot facilitation in San Diego Bay. He oversees each project from initiation to close, coordinates with Port subject matter experts and outside stakeholders, and holds every pilot to its deliverables, timelines, and KPIs.

Portfolio managementKPIsMulti-stakeholder pilots
$1.1M
in grants pursued · $300K+ won

Natural resource & blue carbon projects

Builds and funds projects covering 60+ acres of wetlands, habitat buffers, and nesting habitat. Funding he won protects nesting sites for the endangered California least tern and pays for studies measuring the carbon stored in San Diego Bay's eelgrass beds.

Natural resource mgmtGrant strategyBlue carbon
3
roles in clean energy

Clean energy & efficiency programs

Researched solar payback, clean energy financing, and program reviews to strengthen renewable and efficiency programs across North America. He modeled methane digester financing under California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard, and reports to Port leadership on energy efficiency initiatives.

RenewablesEnergy efficiencyProgram evaluation
1,000s
data points analyzed

Data to executive decisions

Turns financial and environmental performance data into clear briefings for Port executives, the Board of Port Commissioners, and public advisory committees, so leadership can decide which projects to scale and fund.

ExcelPower BIExecutive reporting

Focus areas

Where he does his best work.

Blue economy

Ports, ocean and coastal tech, aquaculture, and blue carbon.

Natural resources

Habitat restoration, conservation funding, compliance, and coastal resilience.

Clean & distributed energy

Energy efficiency, renewables, and customer energy programs.

Program managementPortfolio managementProject managementPartnershipsClient success

Career at a glance

2018 to today.

Each bar is a role or degree, drawn to scale by month.

Experience

The full record.

Dec 2021 – PresentSan Diego, CA

Environmental Analyst II Current

Port of San Diego

  • Manages a portfolio of 15 cleantech and sustainability startups in the Port's Blue Economy Incubator, owning deliverables, timelines, risks, and KPIs for each partner's pilot.
  • Acts as the bridge between partners, Port subject matter experts, and outside stakeholders, designing multi-party pilots and resolving issues as they come up.
  • Analyzes thousands of financial and environmental data points from partner pilots and presents findings to Port executives, staff, and stakeholders.
  • Pursued $1.1M in grants for 60+ acres of wetland and nesting habitat, and won over $300K for endangered California least tern protection and blue carbon studies of San Diego Bay's eelgrass beds.
  • Briefs Port executives on natural resource projects and energy efficiency initiatives, and reviews state and federal legislation for downstream effects on programs.
  • Trains and mentors California Sea Grant fellows, setting assignments and deliverables and tracking progress to on-time completion.
More from this role
  • Manages communications, due diligence, and pitch-deck review for incubator applicants.
  • Worked with aquaculture stakeholders to validate farm designs, system costs, and carrying capacity for the Port's Shellfish and Seaweed Aquaculture Program.
  • Performs field and compliance work on the Sweetwater Bike & Pedestrian Path urban greening project, and collects bay water samples for shellfish basket studies.
  • Drafts agenda sheets for the Environmental Advisory Committee and Wildlife Advisory Group, and memos to the Board of Port Commissioners.
May 2021 – Dec 2021Remote

Research Analyst

Green Energy Economics Group

  • Researched solar payback periods, clean energy financing, and environmental justice initiatives for renewable energy and efficiency programs across North America.
  • Analyzed annual program reviews to improve program effectiveness.
Jan 2021 – Jun 2021Monterey, CA

Regenerative Agriculture Finance Consultant

California FarmLink

  • Created lending solutions to help farmers adopt sustainable and regenerative practices.
  • Researched investment pathways for methane digesters, including Low Carbon Fuel Standard credits.
Jan 2021 – May 2021Remote

Environmental Conservation Intern

Port of San Diego

  • Built a blue carbon framework to guide the Port's wetland and eelgrass conservation and restoration strategy.
Aug 2020 – Dec 2020Monterey, CA

Graduate Student Researcher

Center for the Blue Economy

  • Aggregated and visualized coastal economy data (tourism, artisanal fishing, commodity trade) to track market growth in several East African nations.
2018 – 2020Washington DC · Annapolis · Sydney

Earlier internships

  • World Resources Institute · Built a networking platform for the Cool Food pledge, whose members serve 1 billion meals a year, and compiled 40 food-policy interventions for municipalities.
  • The Good Food Institute · Analyzed global seafood data and built a decision tool for the alternative seafood sector.
  • BoatUS Foundation · Supported grant proposals, legislative research, and community outreach.
  • WWF-Australia · Led a food waste study for an international hotel brand, leading to food donation and an anaerobic digester.

Education

2019 – 2021

M.A., International Environmental Policy

Middlebury Institute of International Studies · Monterey, CA

2013 – 2017

B.A., History and Political Science

University of Maryland · College Park, MD