Amber Leavitt is a Coastal Planner for the North Coast District of the California Coastal Commission, focusing on transportation projects as a Caltrans liaison. In this role she analyzes and permits transportation projects, ensuring minimal adverse environmental, visual, and public access impacts to the coast. As part of the transportation team, she also works on…

Serena Pelka is the Zero Waste Lead at the Solana Center for Environmental Innovation where she provides environmental consulting services across the San Diego region and works to build a more connected and sustainable community through public education and outreach. Serena has worked in local government, at various non-profits, in academia, and with community and…

Rosa served as a 2019- 2020 CivicSpark Fellow with Compton Community College District (CCCD), in conjunction with the California Community Colleges–Chancellor’s Office to implement a historic statewide student housing project. As a Fellow, Rosa facilitated an Implementation Workgroup that met throughout her 11-month Fellowship. In addition to her key role in the Workgroup, she also…

Hannah Schanzer grew up in Chapel Hill North Carolina with a deep love for the environment and a passion for social justice. In 2019, she graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Policy with concentrations in Environmental Justice and Urban Sustainability. At Wash U, Hannah served as the Student…

Raised in Honolulu, Hawai`i, Vanessa Shin moved to the Bay Area to study at Santa Clara University, where she received a B.S. in Environmental Science. While an undergraduate student, she enjoyed the opportunities to engage her campus community in sustainability, participate in community-based research, and explore environmental justice in various communities.  Vanessa served with the…

Edgar served as a 2017-18 fellow primarily with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), but was also engaged with the County of Sacramento as well as the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD). His project focused on seeking to better understand the effects of heat pollution and its implications for the public and private…

Elena Guevara is a policy analyst with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Office of Sustainability where she helps oversee the food systems and resource recovery programs and initiatives outlined in the Mayor’s Green New Deal. Elena joined the Mayor’s Office in October 2016 as a CivicSpark Climate Action Fellow. She was previously a sustainability associate…

Chelsea Marcell is an Environmental Planner with Jacobs Engineering based out of their Oakland office. In her position, she provides planning support for a state-mandated critical infrastructure program where she identifies environmental and land impacts, constraints, and solutions as well as facilitates long-lead permitting efforts across multiple resource and ministerial agencies. She ensures projects are…

Arlin is focused on environmental and community outreach work. Early in his childhood, he had opportunities to engage in volunteer work around outreach and providing community residents in multiple communities around Marin County, CA, the resources that support healthy quality lives. These experiences sparked a genuine interest in public service, which led Arlin to study…