In August San Diego Coastkeeper launched its inaugural Community Advisory Council. After a surprising flood of applicants, we selected 10 community members to sit on our first Council in October. Many of you have met them, heard about them and maybe even know them personally. But, I think it’s important to share with everyone what they’ve been up to for the last few months.
I doubt I can appropriately convey how awesome it is to sit in the room when our Council gets together. There is always that fear, when you get a group of complete strangers together, there will be total silence. I am thrilled to report we don’t have that problem. Our Council members are passionate in ways greater than I anticipated. They come with ideas, thoughts, suggestions and thoughtful questions about making our water cleaner, healthier and safer.
Through the fall, the Council unanimously decided to target their efforts on giving back to our communities, focusing on our youth and students and aiming to develop new environmental leaders. The next few months will be filled with planning, development and pooling together their knowledge to make an impact in their own neighborhoods and throughout San Diego.
In the year ahead, we look forward to working with our Council to not only reach the youth of our region, but to form closer connections with community groups. Our Council provides us with a new way to communicate and work beyond our traditional locations.
While we have a great deal of work ahead of us, our Council is proving to be a valuable resource as we move ahead. We are hearing new voices at San Diego Coastkeeper, bringing in a range of experiences, backgrounds and perspectives through each of our 10 members.
What may be most impressive about the Council is their ability to work seamlessly when linked by their goals and interests, even with their vast diversity. As we’re approaching some critical points in San Diego’s water legacy, I am sincerely motivated by our Council. They are a constant reminder that across our communities and neighborhoods we’re not alone in our fight.
