Naomi Fraenkel Altschul, AICP, FE, is a nationally recognized infrastructure development and funding strategist and public-sector economist with more than 25 years of leadership in civil engineering, water resource planning, and transportation development. In her distinguished career at the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Naomi became a pivotal figure in shaping America’s coastal resilience and infrastructure risk management agenda. She is completing her term as the chief economist for the USACE’s North Atlantic Division and its national Planning Center of Expertise for Coastal Storm Risk Management (NPCX-CSRM), where she oversaw the economic analysis of the nation’s most comprehensive and complex infrastructure portfolios. She is currently seeking to transition to board advisory and portfolio roles.
Naomi’s professional impact is deeply rooted in her ability to merge engineering insight, public policy, and financial analysis to solve some of the most pressing infrastructure challenges facing urban and coastal communities. Her leadership directly influenced the development and authorization of over $11 billion in federally funded projects authorized in the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 alone and over $50 billion over the course of her USACE career. Her efforts have shaped high-visibility infrastructure initiatives across New York, New Jersey, Boston, Miami, San Francisco, Chicago, and Puerto Rico—advancing a national strategy that balances engineering innovation with equity, environmental sustainability, and economic feasibility.
Among her recent signature achievements are projects like the Baltimore Metropolitan CSRM effort, which secured over $80 million to protect critical I-95 and I-895 infrastructure from flood risk; the Rhode Island Coastline project, which embedded resilience planning across vulnerable communities and historic assets; and the Puerto Rico Coastal Project, a politically sensitive and groundbreaking relocation initiative in Rincón that Naomi helped guide through successful stakeholder consensus and federal approval.
Naomi’s innovative mindset has transformed how infrastructure planning is conducted. She led the creation of the Coastal Hazard and Risk Tool (CHART), a new national standard for evaluating storm risk and resilience, and helped overhaul outdated systems into web-enabled, GIS-integrated platforms that modernize how data on damageable assets is captured and analyzed. She is also a dedicated mentor, coaching early-career professionals and teaching at institutions like MIT, Harvard, Columbia, and Princeton.
Naomi holds dual graduate degrees from Harvard University—a Master in Public Policy (Kennedy School of Government) and a Master in Urban Planning (Graduate School of Design)—as well as dual undergraduate degrees from Columbia University, including a B.S. in Civil Engineering and an A.B. in Urban Studies, graduating cum laude. She is certified by both the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) and in Fundamentals of Engineering (FE). She is also trained in mediation, negotiation, and dispute resolution, speaks fluent Spanish, and has working knowledge of French.
Beyond her technical expertise, Naomi is a passionate advocate for inclusive infrastructure, a proud mother and wife, an enthusiastic gardener, LEGO-addict, and Boston Celtics fan. She previously served on a family foundation board, a nonprofit infrastructure committee, and as the curriculum chair of the Children’s School of Science in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.
As she transitions toward board service and private-sector roles, Naomi is eager to bring her unmatched public-sector experience to organizations focused on hard construction investment, urban technology, water transportation, and public-private partnerships. With deep insight into federal policy, infrastructure finance, and community-centered design, Naomi Fraenkel Altschul is poised to help boards and leadership teams navigate the future of resilient, equitable, and high-impact development.
Character: Naomi Fraenkel Altschul is deeply principled, mission-driven, and committed to public good, consistently demonstrating integrity and accountability in high-stakes infrastructure planning.
Knowledge: She possesses exceptional expertise in infrastructure economics, resilience planning, and public finance, supported by over 25 years of experience and advanced degrees from Harvard and Columbia.
Strategic: Naomi is a visionary leader who has directed the development of over $50 billion of dollars in federally authorized projects by aligning engineering, economic policy, and fiscal strategy for long-term impact.
Communication: She is a skilled communicator and mentor, adept at translating complex technical concepts for diverse audiences and guiding collaboration across federal agencies, academia, and local stakeholders.
