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Cristina Garcia

Deputy Director, Building Electrification Institute

2020 Advocacy Award Winner

Cristina Garcia is Deputy Director of the Building Electrification Institute, an organization that equips cities across North America with knowledge, tools, and resources to accelerate building systems’ transition from fossil fuels. Her role focuses on inclusive labor and workforce policies for building electrification that will enable an equitable transition. A New York City (NYC) native, Garcia also served in the NYC Mayor’s Office of Sustainability for nearly three years, leading electrification and workforce development initiatives. She created an internship program that trains local college students in building systems science, energy efficiency, and clean energy technology. These students are then connected with local sustainability employers that offer semester-long internship opportunities. Garcia’s passion for workforce development and increasing diversity in the sustainability industry led to her founding Latinxs in Sustainability, which has two parallel focuses: to inform Latinx students about sustainability careers and opportunities, and to connect and grow the Latinx professional community working in the sustainability and energy sectors. Through this group, Garcia has hosted numerous events covering topics such as solar energy, electrification, and the passive house energy efficiency standard. For her involvement with Latinxs in Sustainability, she was recognized as a rising star in the 2022 Crains New York 40 Under 40 and featured among the 2022 Coors Light Lideres of the Year. Garcia is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM), an EcoDistricts Accredited Professional, and a Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Green Associate, as well as a Climate Reality Project Leader and an Environmental Leadership Program Fellow. She holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Environmental Engineering from the City College of New York, where she currently serves as the Chairperson of the Environmental Engineering external advisory board.