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Our Story
It started in a Durham backyard.
When Keshi Satterwhite bought her home in Durham, the big backyard flooded every time a heavy rainstorm came through. She did not have the technical understanding of what was happening or know who to contact for help.
A neighbor invited her to a community meeting. She was invited to the table and became co-chair of a committee helping Durham residents remove barriers to employment. A community leader then encouraged her to apply for a community engagement specialist role at Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association. With no environmental background, she studied everything she could and got the job.
She built deep environmental knowledge, brought it to communities, and paired it with her own lived experience. She rose to Community Relations Director, pursued additional education, and then launched Planning Ahead.
"I was just trying to fix what was happening in my own backyard."
Keshi Satterwhite, Executive Director
Our Mission
We strengthen community and institutional resilience through disaster preparedness, community engagement, environmental literacy, curriculum development, and climate adaptation planning. We help organizations turn complex risks and community knowledge into practical strategies, programs, and tools, centering the communities most affected by extreme heat and flooding.
500+
people served
50+
communities reached
25+
programs delivered
Our Approach
Four commitments guide every program we deliver.
Preparedness + Adaptation
We bridge emergency management and climate planning, meeting immediate needs while building long-term resilience.
Equity-Centered
Environmental justice is our core framework, not an add-on. We design with and for the communities most affected by climate change.
Practical Action
Hands-on training, accessible tools, Stay Ready kits, and implementation support that goes beyond planning documents.
Community Knowledge as Expertise
We treat community knowledge as technical expertise, bringing residents’ lived experience to the table alongside data and research.
Our Work in Action
Ready Together: Disaster Preparedness in Durham
Residents of Merrick-Moore and Braggtown are building household and neighborhood readiness through a four-workshop series supported by the CO2 Foundation, NC State CHHE, and the City of Durham. One session was a Planning Ahead Community Café on asset mapping, held with the North Carolina Environmental Justice Network, that brought together 45 participants. We have distributed 99 preparedness kits to residents so far.
Project WET Workshop
With City of Durham Environmental & Street Services, 22 educators and community leaders earned certificates. One participant shared:
"The workshop was great and thoughtfully planned, which came through in the details."
Partners who make this work possible
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Interested in partnering with Planning Ahead?
OUR TEAM AND BOARD
Keshi Satterwhite
Executive Director
Aniya Bourne
Board Member
Tiki Windley
Board Member
Ziona Bates Norris
Board Member
Marvis Henderson-Daye
Board Member
Jennie Belle
Board Member
August McConnell
Board Member
The Emerging Climate Leaders Program
You Could Be the Next Planning Ahead Intern
Through our Emerging Climate Leaders Program, students, emerging professionals, and community members learn by doing, working alongside communities on climate resilience, environmental education, outreach, and disaster preparedness, with a focus on extreme heat and flooding.
What Interns Gain
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Hands-on, community-centered environmental work
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Mentorship and leadership development
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Experience supporting workshops, outreach, and education
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Portfolio-building projects and real-world skills
Who Should Apply
College and graduate students, emerging professionals, people exploring climate careers, and community members who care about resilience and environmental justice. No matter your background, we encourage you to apply.
