2024
A Chicago native with a background in urban planning and community organizing, Angela Tovar takes a community-led, justice-first approach in her role as the City of Chicago’s Chief Sustainability Officer. Since her appointment in 2020, she has established the City’s first Office of Climate and Environmental Equity and led the development of the Cumulative Impact Assessment, which identifies Chicago environmental justice neighborhoods and essential action items. She is leading the effort to transform the city’s climate office into the Department of the Environment, which will be responsible for the implementation of the 2022 Chicago Climate Action Plan. With her collaborative leadership approach, she is working across city departments and neighborhoods to create change for all Chicagoans, especially those who have experienced legacies of environmental discrimination.