Stepping Stones to Sustainability: The Landscape of Green Jobs
Lauren Faber O’Connor is the chief sustainability officer for the City of Los Angeles. In this role, she is driving the implementation of LA’s landmark Sustainable City pLAn, released in April 2015, which puts forth an actionable vision for transforming LA's environment, economy, and equity. Working with every city department and outside stakeholders, O'Connor focuses on strategic integration of the pLAn's pillars in order to achieve the city's short and long-term goals, ensure benefits accrue to all communities in LA, and pursue regional and international collaborations including Climate Mayors, a coalition of nearly 400 US mayors committed to US leadership on climate change.
Prior to joining the Garcetti Administration, O'Connor served for four years as the West Coast political director for the Environmental Defense Fund ("EDF") in San Francisco. At EDF, she worked on building successful strategies and constructive partnerships to win support on innovative approaches to protecting and promoting climate, clean energy, land, water, and wildlife. In 2010 O'Connor was appointed to assistant secretary for Climate Change Programs at the California Environmental Protection Agency, where she was dedicated to the design and implementation of California’s landmark Global Warming Solutions Act, AB 32. Prior to her work at CalEPA, she served as senior director for Lighthouse Consulting Group in Washington, D.C., where she advised on comprehensive national climate change and energy strategies for domestic and international companies, and non-government organizations, and in particular, the U.S. Climate Action Partnership. From 2005-2009, she served at the British Embassy as senior policy advisor for climate change and energy.
O'Connor serves on the Board of the California League of Conservation Voters and the U.S. Department of Energy State Energy Advisory Board. She is a member of the Catto Fellowship for environmental leadership at the Aspen Institute and of the Truman National Security Project. She holds a bachelor’s degree in earth systems and economics from Stanford University, and master’s degree in Climate and Society from Columbia University.
Ms. O'Connor is the keynote speaker for CMC's fourth annual Green Careers Conference sponsored by the Roberts Environmental Center.
View Video: YouTube with Lauren Faber O'Connor