Sometimes, a single conversation is all it takes to motivate a person to take action.

Aura Vasquez serves on the board of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the nation’s largest municipal utility. She’s helping develop a plan for the city to transition 100 percent clean energy.

She says her career was inspired by a conversation with her school principal when she was in fifth grade.

Vasquez: “I asked her what was she doing about global warming, and she turned around and said, ‘Well, what are you gonna do about it?’ And I think that was the question that really shaped my career and my life.”

Soon after, Vasquez started an environmental club at her school in Colombia. It was only the beginning.

After going to college in the U.S., Vasquez worked as an organizer for projects such as the Sierra Club’s “Beyond Coal” campaign. She helped push Los Angeles to commit to using only coal-free sources of electricity by 2025.

In her current role, Vasquez continues to advocate for a clean energy future. It’s been decades since her principal challenged her to take action on climate change, but she’s still working to do her part.

Vasquez: “You know, I really believe that if it’s not going to be me, then who?”

Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy/ChavoBart Digital Media.
Photo: Courtesy of Aura Vasquez.