Belmont, California, United States
Sustainability isn't just for people who think of themselves as environmentalists or "green." Our community's health, economic vitality, and environmental stability are woven together. By working together across sectors -- public agencies, community-based organizations, small businesses and large corporations -- and including voices that have typically been underrepresented, we can co-create innovative solutions to the complex challenges we face. Key skills: -Strategic collaborations -Program management -Team management -Business development -Leadership -Community-based social marketing -Behavior change -Strategic planning
I manage the Climate Protection team and support department staff in empowering our departments, employees, and community members to take meaningful actions on sustainability. In particular, I'm involved with climate action planning and implementation and electrification of buildings and transportation.
I host a monthly working group to help city sustainability coordinators develop and implement climate action plans. I work with internal and external partners to make energy programs more comprehensive for different customers -- small businesses, schools, municipalities, and residents. I'm leading a regional "systems mapping" effort to make it easier for existing single-family homes to decarbonize (switch from natural gas to all-electric appliances, increase efficiency, add solar and battery storage, and add EV charging).
I launched the WaterLink program in Santa Clara, San Mateo, and Alameda counties. Our 21 team members installed free water conservation equipment in houses and apartments, restaurants, and grocery stores in areas that the State of California recognizes as “disadvantaged.” In 2017, WaterLink received a Silicon Valley Water Conservation Award in the Organization category for our water conservation achievements.
I coordinated the San Mateo County Energy Watch, a program that provides energy efficiency services to local governments, nonprofit organizations, special districts, and small businesses. I also hosted zero net energy workshops and other energy efficiency training events for the community. My favorite part of the job was assisting local governments with climate action planning, as well as collaborating to implement their CAPs via the RICAPS Multi-city Working Group.
As a freelancer, I produced community engagement events and increased awareness of SSMC's Sustainability Hub, a one-stop online resource that enabled community members to find and share local solutions that promote sustainability. This included launching "Healthy Communities Forums" in partnership with the Loma Prieta Chapter of the Sierra Club.
I presented Sunset's capabilities to executives at blue-chip corporations around the country, then led cross-functional teams in designing and producing complex strategic communications programs that impacted consumer behavior. I developed proposals, presentations, responses to RFP requests, and design mock-ups to capture client interest. I managed and mentored teams that launched and/or redesigned magazines, online content, and email newsletters for clients such as Safeway, Acura, Procter & Gamble (Spanish and English content), Cisco Systems, and the California Commission of Travel & Tourism.