Donna Attanasio

Donna Attanasio is the Managing Director of The George Washington University Alliance for a Sustainable Future.  Ms. Attanasio supervises the day-to-day operations of the Alliance, including its Academic Sustainability Programs and the GW Sustainability Research Institute, and supports its work in convening, communicating, and fundraising.

Ms. Attanasio is a lawyer by profession. Her practice, writing, and teaching focus on the electric sector. Her current scholarly interests are microgrids, hydrogen, advanced nuclear technologies, and the intersection of regulation with emerging electric technologies. From 2013-2023, she was a member of the GW Law School staff where she expanded the energy law program and was appointed the Law School’s first Assistant Dean for Energy Law. Immediately prior to joining GW, she was a partner at the law firm White & Case LLP, capping over two decades in private law practice. She served as President of the Energy Bar Association, an international organization of energy lawyers (2008-2009), and has served in many other positions in the EBA and its affiliated organizations, including its Charitable Foundation. She is a member of the advisory board for Smith College’s Center for the Environment, Ecological Design and Sustainability (CEEDS). In her free time, she enjoys gardening, reading, and travel.