Black and Brown communities have been disproportionately impacted by pollution. How do you plan to mitigate the damage pollution has caused?
This agency is responsible for ensuring that this country has clean air, clean water and that we do it in a fair and equitable way. When we look at the laws that are on the books, often they are not applied equally across the spectrum and many of our communities have been disproportionately impacted by the pollution from these entities for decades. Under the president’s leadership, we are committed to righting the wrongs of the past [and] as we develop the solutions for a clean energy future to combat climate change, we [intend to] bring all communities along as a rising tide.
What skills is your agency look for in the people you hire?
We have people with strong backgrounds in public policy, science, engineering, mathematics. There are a lot of opportunities for our communities to get involved, get engaged, and get the right training. Anyone pursuing any academic field can make a really strong connection to the future of this planet: clean energy, clean water, technology, and justice and equity.
If you were giving a speech at your alma mater, what would you tell the students about how to become a leader?
We have to let students know they can be the VP or president, the bottom line is that there are so many opportunities and we cannot put limits on that. Second, we cannot take education for granted, learn as much as possible. [Lastly], have no fear, take chances.
