Michele Beasley
South Bay Field Representative
Greenbelt Alliance
www.greenbelt.org

Greenbelt Alliance has been the San Francisco Bay Area's advocate for open spaces and vibrant places since 1958.

As the South Bay Field Representative, Michele works on public policy development, advocacy, and education to promote livable communities and protect natural areas. She works in close partnership with diverse coalitions of other groups to achieve smart growth that balances open space protection, affordable housing and good transit. Her particular region encompasses two counties, so while they're trying to protect the landscape of working farms and wildlife habitat, they do that in part by promoting sustainable development in existing cities and towns.

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M: Thank you. Nice talking to you, too.

GCC: Let's begin by talking about your current job. Can you describe what you do in your current job as the South Bay Field Representative for Greenbelt Alliance?

M: Sure. I work on public policy development, advocacy, and education, and work in close partnership with diverse coalitions of other groups to both promote livable communities and protect natural areas. My particular region encompasses two counties, so while we're trying to protect the landscape of working farms and wildlife habitat, we do that in part by promoting sustainable development in existing cities and towns.

GCC: There were a lot of phrases in that first sentence. Can you list those again? Public policy… M: Yes. Public policy development -- we get policies enacted at the local level to protect, for example, working farmlands. We do a lot of advocacy and grassroots organizing, and then, basically educating the general communities as to why certain types of developments are good and why certain lands should be protected from development.

GCC: Great! Sounds fascinating.

M: It is! I enjoy it.

GCC: So in the two counties you work in, you're working on the urban areas and the rural areas. M: Yes.

GCC: How did you transition from your original job as a community outreach coordinator into this job?

M: Well, I was working with the homeless in a separate county, basically managing the volunteers and in-kind program, but I did a lot of community outreach -- working with a variety of groups and also doing a lot of education around the need for supporting the homeless and breaking the cycle of homelessness, and really trying to address the core issue of the need to have more affordable housing. And one of the things that I coordinated in that job was Affordable Housing Week. We did that for about three years. Through working with Affordable Housing Week, I discovered Greenbelt Alliance, and I was impressed that there was this environmental organization out there getting involved in homelessness issues and poverty and addressing it through trying to advocate for more affordable housing in appropriate places, particularly near public transportation. So when I was looking for a new job, it just so happened that this South Bay position was open, and it was exciting to switch my focus from helping people to really helping the environment…and I thought that would also help people, and it just feel nicely in line with what I felt I wanted to work on. I think Greenbelt Alliance was happy with my background in working with affordable housing and homeless issues, and that's part of the reason I think it's such a nice fit.

GCC: Other than that connection, was there any specific training that you got to get this job, or did they train you on the job?

M: No. It was an entry level position. I would say it's been on-the-job training. Greenbelt Alliance has done a great job every month in providing training for the staff to learn how to work with the media, to understand CEQA, which is the California Environmental Quality Act, to learn how to write comment letters on draft environmental impact reports, to really try to get into the nitty-gritty of infrastructure and water supply, and how we can come across as authorities on different issues so that we can effectively promote livable communities and effectively protect the working landscape around it. You know, I've been at Greenbelt Alliance for 3½ years, and they're still providing training on a variety of issues. I was a business major in college, and I think a lot of people in this position had backgrounds in urban planning or environmental studies or public policy, so I didn't have any of that. I have learned a lot in the past 3½ years, and it's been wonderful. I think my business background kind of helps to balance out a lot of these other folks I work with, and I think that's a good thing.

GCC: Yes. We all need to bring our skills to the forefront, and it's good when they all blend together. Everything "green" is very interdisciplinary, actually. We can't just say it belongs to one group of people. It has to be everybody.

M: Right.

GCC: So how has your current job helped you with your own career path? Do you see where you might go in the future? M: Yes. Actually, I'm interested in pursuing a green MBA, so I want to get a master's in business, but I want to focus on sustainable business practices -- and that's something I've really come to appreciate working at Greenbelt Alliance. It has been an eye-opening job that has put me in contact with a variety of people, which has helped me figure out where I want to take my career next. So, ideally, I would go back and finish a degree, and it would be wonderful to even work for a foundation and support environmental programs. In this country or internationally, I think it's something that's starting to really become a common language for everyone. Everyone realizes that we really need to think green, and it would be fun and good for me to help people start something along those lines. So, working for a foundation would be a great next step.

GCC: Yes. And it sounds like the work you're doing really is giving you that broad picture of how it all works together, which is helpful for any future career that you have.

GCC: What would you say is one of the highlights of your current job?

M: I would say that, again, working with a variety of people, working with elected officials, with the labor community, with the media, with affordable housing advocates, developers, and the business community, I really get a kick out of having people from such diverse and different backgrounds coming together and working towards common solutions. There was a time when environmentalists and developers it was just, you know, there was no way those two groups would ever get along. Why is Greenbelt Alliance actually supporting a development? And I think that the only way we're going to solve some of the big problems in our world is we all learn to work together, because I think at the end of the day we all want the same thing. It's just we might be going about it in different ways. If we just open up the lines of communication and realize, "Hey, you know, we have some common ground here. How can we solve some of these big problems"… I really enjoy that aspect of this job, seeing developers actually want to do go developments, and seeing the business community want to support affordable housing, and not just the usual suspects advocating for those things.

GCC: Sounds great! The wins must be very exciting, when you really see something come together that you've been working on. I'm sure it takes a long time, but…

M: It does take a long time. At my last job, you know, you had small, little success stories every day and it felt like "Yes!", I was accomplishing something. Here, when you're working on big environmental issues, it takes a lot longer, but I think the reward is much sweeter. Again, just being able to network and work with different groups of people -- those are the small, little successes along the way that lead to the big ones at the end of the day.

GCC: Great! Do you have any advice or insights to share with people who are currently looking for a green career?

M: Well, I definitely think that this is the way of the future. I think, most importantly, that people should definitely follow their hearts. That's what I have done. I just kind of listened to what direction I wanted to go in. Sometimes it seems a little rocky. My first couple of months on my current job were very difficult for me, because I didn't have that urban planning or environmental studies background. It felt like I was a fish swimming upstream, but I stuck with it because I wanted to. I believe in getting my feet wet and understanding things. By sticking with it, I have grown to love this job, which during the first couple of months I didn't think was going to ever happen! So I looked into my heart and I made a commitment to this job. It turned out to be a wonderful decision that really kind of opened up all these doors for me. I feel like I have a good idea where I'm going, and right now I'm very happy with my current job. Make a commitment to something and stick with it. It might be difficult at first, but that's good. Growing pains, challenges…those are all great things.

GCC: Wonderful. Does your organization have a website?

M: Yes. Our website is www.greenbelt.org">www.greenbelt.org.

GCC: Okay. Thank you so much for your time today, Michele. We really appreciate your insights, and good luck with the future of your career. It sounds like you're on a great track!