WDC hosted an informative Happy Hour With a Purpose with expert guests Adam Ortiz and Dr. Fatima Candace Vahlsing to discuss the current climate policy

Adam Ortiz is the EPA Director for Region 3 (our area).  Before coming to EPA, Adam was the Director of the Montgomery County Maryland Department of Environmental Protection, where he launched programs boosting recycling, curbside compost collection, building energy efficiency standards, and ecological targeting to watershed restoration projects with a focus on equity.  Previously, Adam was the Director of the Department of Environment for Prince George’s County, Maryland, where he led the county to the highest recycling rate in the state and led a $100M public-private green infrastructure construction program focusing on small and minority business development. He served in the administration of Governor Martin O'Malley and at the Department of Labor under former Secretary Tom Perez. Adam also served three terms as Mayor of Edmonston, Maryland.

Dr. Fatima Candace Vahlsing, Ocean Conservancy’s Vice President, leads a robust team of policy experts and scientists working at the intersection of climate change and the ocean. Ocean Conservancy’s climate portfolio includes accelerating the shift to responsible clean ocean energy and spurring critical technology innovation; transitioning to a zero-emission maritime shipping industry; and advancing the body of ocean climate science.  Dr. Vahlsing has served as the inaugural Senior Advisor for Clean Energy Industrial Strategy, Senior Climate Advisor at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and as the Associate Director for Climate, Energy, Environment and Science at the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB).  She also served as Senior Advisor to U.S. Senator Michael F. Bennet and was the Minority Staff Director for the U.S. Senate Finance Subcommittee for Energy, Natural Resources and Infrastructure. In the Obama White House, Dr. Vahlsing served as a Senior Policy Advisor for Energy and Climate Change, working with the Domestic Policy Council, National Security Council and Council on Environmental Quality.