Cristina Garcia is a New York City native, working at the Building Electrification Institute, an organization that equips cities across North America with the with the knowledge, tools, and resources they need to accelerate the transition of building systems away from fossil fuels. Cristina’s role within the organization is focused on inclusive labor and workforce policies for building electrification that will enable an equitable transition. Prior to this role, Cristina worked at the NYC Mayor’s Office of Sustainability for nearly three years, leading their electrification and workforce development initiatives. During her time there she created an internship program which trains and connects local college students in building systems science, energy efficiency and clean energy technology. The program then connects these students to semester long internship opportunities with local sustainability employers. Cristina’s passion for workforce development and increasing diversity in the sustainability industry led to her involvement in the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) NYC chapter.
In 2017, Cristina founded Latinxs in Sustainability, a subgroup of SHPE- NYC. This group focuses on informing Latinx students about sustainability careers and opportunities while connecting and growing the Latinx professional community working in the sustainability and energy sector. Cristina has hosted nearly 20 events through this group including topics such as solar, electrification, and climate justice. Cristina holds a Certified Energy Manager (CEM), EcoDistricts AP, and LEED GA certification. She has participated in trainings such as the Climate Reality Project, and the Environmental Leadership Program. Cristina holds a Masters and Bachelors from the City College of New York in Environmental Engineering, where she is now the Chairperson of the Environmental Engineering external advisory board. Cristina was awarded the 2020 Department of Energy’s Clean Energy Education and Empowerment (C3E) Award in Advocacy.