Today we’d like to introduce you to Salome Garcia.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was lucky to come to the United States with my mother from Colombia at the age of six. Growing up in Hialeah, alongside so many other hard-working first-generation immigrants showed me the importance of people from diverse backgrounds working together to create a community we are all proud of. My mother further instilled in me a strong conviction in making my community a better place, and my father instilled in me a strong mission to protect our environment. In 2014 I co-founded an FIU organization dedicated to environmental education, engagement, and advocacy. Since then, I’ve worked on environmental policy and education through political campaigns, congressional lobbying, state and local advocacy, and grassroots organizing. In my work, I’ve worked with local elected officials to draft and pass over twelve resolutions fighting off-shore oil drilling and natural gas activities, introduced legislation at the state level to expand solar energy investments, trained hundreds of activists, and advocated for equitable solutions to climate change.
The past three years, working as the Policy Manager and now as a policy consultant for the CLEO Institute have been the most rewarding experience. At The CLEO Institute, I get the opportunity to work with youth activists, experts from all types of backgrounds, and everyday residents on how to bring equitable, intersectional solutions into existence. It’s in this role that I see firsthand how through inspiring our neighbors to become politically engaged, educating our elected officials, and working together with unsuspecting allies, we can make real, lasting, positive change.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not a smooth road at all. A constant struggle for me has been how politically charged environmental, climate change and energy policy can be. Growing up as a young republican with a passion for environmental activism, I always understood the importance of clean air, clean water, and green spaces. Unfortunately, it is not easy to get everyone to agree on a solution. Climate Change is an incredibly complex problem, the biggest crisis in modern history, and touches every part of our lives. Hotter temperatures impact hurricanes, flooding, insurance, outdoor workers’ health, food prices, income inequality, respiratory health, and so much more. So naturally, finding a solution that can effectively deal with all issues while also benefiting our economy can be extremely difficult. Between working for months on legislation that dies in a committee to trying to get organizations behind a proposed solution, this work can be exhausting and heartbreaking.
But no matter how difficult it is to make political change, I see hope and value in doing everything we can to make it a reality.
Especially coming from Colombia, where being an environmental activist is one of the most dangerous things you can do, and it is not uncommon for environmental activists to disappear in the middle of the night or be openly murdered. We have the privilege in this Country to safely challenge our elected officials to take care of our world, so it is our responsibility to do so and speak for people in other parts of the world without that ability. I do not take that responsibility lightly.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a political consultant for environmental, climate, and energy issues. I have a bachelor’s degree from FIU in International Relations and Sociology, a Graduate Certificate from Yale School of Public Health in Climate Change and Health, and am finishing up my Juris Doctorate from Florida State University College of Law focusing on Environmental Law and Energy Economics. I work with non-profit organizations, as well as political candidates for state and local races.
Specifically, I work on an organizational strategy for political advocacy, drafting legislation, environmental platforms, as well as lobbying.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Networking and mentorship have been the most helpful tool for growing as a policy professional. I have found mentorship in the most unexpected places. One moment that I always remember fondly is the passing of a local resolution against off-shore oil drilling in the city of South Miami, an instance that in isolation I would not have imagined changing the course of my career. Years later, however, Mayor Stoddard wrote me a letter of recommendation for law school, recommended me to my very first consulting position, and continues to this day to be a helpful and invaluable ally. This experience shows that you can find mentorship in the most unusual places and people who you work with for a short time in one moment can grow to be consistent friends and supporters of your journey.
