“While you don’t need to apologize for having grown up privileged or having privilege, it’s your job to use that to advocate for the people who have less than you.” These were words shared by environmental policy expert Maria Tooker during our conversation. Maria works in sustainability and policy, but is also a connector, an advocate, and someone who actively bridges the world of institutions with the people and communities they often overlook.
In this post, I dive into my conversation with Maria: her path in policy and nonprofit leadership, her thoughts on the state of U.S. climate regulation, and her work to empower communities that have been excluded. For students like me, who are just beginning to imagine their place in the climate field, Maria offered a blueprint for how to lead with both intellect and empathy.
Maria’s Path: From Policy to People
Maria’s journey into the world of environmental science and sustainability didn’t begin with a perfectly mapped-out career plan. She initially set out to become a chemical engineer until one college class shifted everything.
“I took one geology class, and that was enough to change my mind.”
That class introduced her to environmental geology, pushing Maria to change her major to Environmental and Ecosystem Sciences. She immersed herself in undergraduate research that spanned policy, environmental systems dynamics, and nutrient cycling in soils and vegetation.
Entering the environmental field during the pandemic, Maria found creative ways to continue contributing, from tutoring to virtual data modeling for environmental projects. Eventually, she landed a contract role in environmental policy that evolved into a full-time role. Her work centered on compliance with CEQA and NEPA–two foundational environmental laws at the state (California Environmental Quality Act) and federal (National Environmental Policy Act) levels. These policies, enacted decades ago during a major environmental awakening in the U.S., now face severe erosion, a concern Maria would later reflect on in our discussion.
As Maria grew in her policy role, she saw a gap between minimum legal compliance and meaningful, proactive change. This realization led her to co-launch a sustainability practice within her firm. Instead of just helping clients meet environmental regulations and checking regulatory boxes, Maria worked with them to go further through incentives and partnerships to drive environmental action that was both strategic and scalable.
To do this effectively, she learned how to tailor her message to different stakeholders. Whether speaking with financial decision-makers or marketing teams, she framed environmentally friendly solutions in terms that resonated with their specific priorities. It was about translating sustainability into a language each audience could understand and act on.
The Power of Transferable Skills
Maria’s professional journey has spanned various roles, from tutoring and research to consulting, marketing, and nonprofit leadership. When I asked how she connects all these different paths, she shared that they all tie back to her passion for sustainability and social impact work.
From these experiences, she’s developed a core set of transferable skills that show up everywhere: public speaking, project management, and stakeholder engagement. But she emphasized the value of soft skills in addition to technical ones. Stakeholder management proved crucial across all types of roles, as one needs to understand people’s motivations, what they care about, and their end goals. That’s how you can make real progress.
Empowering Others Through HydraEarth Network
Maria currently serves on the advisory board of HydraEarth Network, a young nonprofit launched in late 2024 that focuses on workforce development in the environmental sector. The organization aims to upskill people from underrepresented communities—such as veterans, formerly incarcerated individuals, and those without four-year degrees—to secure jobs in climate and sustainability roles.
Maria explained that HydraEarth Network’s programs aim to eliminate barriers that often have nothing to do with a person’s skills or potential. She emphasized that a lack of formal education doesn’t mean someone isn’t capable of contributing meaningfully to the climate field. What’s needed are opportunities, training, and support that recognize and build on the strengths these individuals already bring.
Her role includes participating in board meetings, providing strategic guidance, and helping with planning events like HydraEarth Network’s upcoming appearance at New York Climate Week. For Maria, the most rewarding part is knowing the work directly changes people’s lives, like helping someone secure a stable job to support their family.
Navigating Barriers: Privilege, Perspective, and Advocacy
One of the most meaningful moments in our conversation came when Maria shared a classroom metaphor. Imagine a teacher tells everyone in a room to throw a crumpled piece of paper into the garbage can at the front. Those in the front row make the shot easily. Those in the back struggle, and when they speak up, the front-row students say, It’s not that hard.
It was a vivid, visual way to understand privilege by proximity. Some people are closer to opportunity—to the trash can, clean air, funding, and networks. Others have to work harder just to be seen.
Maria emphasized that the goal isn’t guilt but responsibility. If you have access, you must use it to amplify others. As someone who grew up in the Bay Area, I recognize the privileges I hold—access to clean air, stable education, and resources that many others don’t have. It’s reflections like these that shape the direction of my work: to support those whose challenges I may never fully understand but whose voices deserve to be heard.
At the core of Maria’s work is a desire to be of service rather than to seek recognition. She hopes that when she looks back decades from now, she can feel confident that she made a real effort to help others. That mindset—rooted in humility, purpose, and persistence—is what makes her work resonate beyond the technical or political. It reminds me that the climate movement needs more than facts. It needs people willing to step up, speak out, and show up for others. This is what gives her work such impact!
Facing the future: Challenges and Censorship
When we began discussing current climate policy in the United States, Maria freely shared her concerns. We agreed that environmental policy, and even climate science at its core, is quite polarizing in our current situation, particularly under this administration. In real life, this looks like deregulation, silencing scientists, and erasure of vital environmental data from public access.
Maria shared that she and several of her colleagues have faced personal backlash, ranging from harassment to outright threats, simply for doing their jobs. This serves as a stark reminder of how emotionally and even physically taxing this work can be.
Despite the risks and challenges, many people continue working in the climate space because they are driven by a deeper purpose. For Maria, motivation isn’t about being remembered personally but making a meaningful contribution. Rather than fearing obscurity, she is more concerned with the idea of not using her time and skills to create a lasting, positive impact.
Maria’s commitment to transparency and accessibility led her to create Climate Shift (Substack, LinkedIn), an online platform aimed at helping everyday people understand the policy decisions shaping their environment. “These were conversations I was already having with friends and family who are educated, intelligent people—but still confused about what was really happening,” she explained. “How can we expect people to vote effectively if we’re not giving them the tools to understand the information being thrown at them?”
Through Climate Shift, Maria breaks down complex environmental policy into digestible, relatable stories. When deciding which regulations to cover, she focuses on what’s most urgent, overlooked, or misunderstood—especially issues that directly affect public health and environmental justice. This intersection of science communication and policy literacy is where Maria shines. She believes that if we want an informed public, we need to meet them where they are, not with dense white papers but clear, human language.
Still, Maria emphasized that not all hope is lost at the federal level. She pointed to local and state efforts—from climate-forward municipalities to innovative nonprofits—that are continuing to move the needle on sustainability. “Change is still happening from the ground up,” she said. “It’s just not always visible unless you’re looking for it.”
Hope in Innovation and Community
Despite the current challenges, Maria remains optimistic about the future of climate action. She highlighted how local governments and grassroots organizations continue to move the needle, even without federal support. New climate technology and workforce training forms—like those piloted at HydraEarth Network—also offer hope. She shared that you can’t underestimate how powerful it is when a city or a community just decides to lead.
Advice for Students and Early Career Professionals
When I asked Maria what advice she would give to young people entering the climate space, she emphasized one core idea: students are allowed to take up space. You can join professional organizations, attend meetups, and start building your network now, not later.
Learning how to network is a skill. The earlier you practice, the better. Some of Maria’s most important opportunities came from just showing up and talking to people. Her advice felt particularly validating for me. Through this blog project alone, I’ve already found myself in conversations I never expected–with directors, scientists, and leaders like Maria.
I’ll carry that with me for this blog, this summer, and every subsequent step.
Final Thoughts
Maria’s story is a reminder that leadership in climate and sustainability doesn’t require a perfect path, but rather a commitment to serving. What stood out to me wasn’t just her accomplishments; it was her mindset. She sees herself as a bridge: connecting ideas to action, institutions to communities, and privilege to purpose.
As a student still finding my way in the climate field, I left our conversation feeling inspired and grounded. I need curiosity, compassion, and the courage to keep showing up.
Maria’s journey also proves that policy isn’t just for lawmakers, and climate action isn’t just for scientists. In a world where policy is often opaque and change can feel out of reach, Maria makes it very practical and possible. That’s the kind of leadership I hope to follow–and, someday, embody.