Board Spotlight Shines on Sustainability Leader, Debbie Raphael

By Hernan Gallo-Cornejo

SEI is spotlighting the incredible and inspiring sustainability leaders who serve on our board through a series of interviews. We are kicking off the board spotlight  series with Debbie Raphael, Director of the San Francisco Department of the Environment.

Meet Debbie Raphael

Debbie Raphael is the Director of the San Francisco Department of the Environment and longtime board member at SEI. Debbie believes that cities can take bold action to address environmental harm. 
 
A scientist by training and public servant by profession, Debbie has spent most of her career working in government to ensure that everyone has an equal right to a safe and healthy environment.  Debbie created first-in-the-nation policies on toxics reduction, green building, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), healthy nail salons, and the precautionary principle -- a decision-making framework that protects the public from exposure to harm even in the face of scientific uncertainty. Debbie was named one of the world’s 100 most influential people in climate policy and holds a Bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of California, Berkeley and a Master’s Degree in Physiological Plant Ecology from UCLA. 

Why do you serve on SEI’s board? 
I believe in the mission of SEI – to build the capacity of our youth and young professionals to work in the environmental field and to create the solutions needed to heal this planet. I serve on the Board because I believe in the importance of “paying it forward”. I believe it is my responsibility, as an environmental professional, to support organizations like SEI to be the best they can be.

What about SEI inspires you the most? 
The staff and interns/fellows at SEI inspire me every day. Their dedication to service, to bringing their “A game” to work each day, to lifting each other up – it all inspires me and brings me hope that we can tackle the tremendous challenges ahead of us.
 
What’s your favorite part of your job? 
As the Director of San Francisco’s Department of the Environment, every day is an adventure, every day brings me into contact with someone new or something interesting to learn. The ability to continually grow and learn is by far, my favorite part of the job. I have learned that curiosity can be a driving force behind innovation. Feeding that curiosity by always asking, “What more do I need to know?” enables me to identify opportunities to craft groundbreaking policies and to find partners in all corners of society who will help make them real.
 
What do you think is the most important quality in a sustainability or environmental leader? 
The most important qualities are really a combination of skills: humility, willingness to listen, and personal initiative. None of us have all the answers – no matter how long we’ve been in our positions. Everyone brings value to a conversation – especially those who aren’t usually at the table. No one is going to tell you what you need to do next to make things happen – it’s up to you to discover what is truly possible.
 
What advice do you have for anyone interested in entering the climate workforce? 
Don’t be afraid to try something new. Raise your hand, volunteer to participate or to lead.  You never know what you are capable of until you put yourself out there.
 
How can youth get more involved in climate action?
 I believe that the world is run by those who show up.  There are many ways to “show up”.  Here are some ideas:

1. Start in your own neighborhood.  Look around and see something you want    changed.  Go to a city council meeting and, during the opening public comment period, offer your assessment and ask for help in making the change you want to see.  Make sure you are willing to do the work yourself and tell them so.
   
2. Join a club at school or start one if what you’re looking for doesn’t exist.
   
3. Volunteer – to figure out where, start by doing “informational interviews” to discover what people really do for a living.  Then ask if there is a way you can help.
   

 
What does a resilient world look like to you?
 In a resilient world, the air and water are clean, nature’s cycles are in balance, the earth supports and nurtures all living things. In a resilient world, access to health care, to a safe place to live, to meaningful work and pay, to healthy food and a good education are all fundamental rights that are reflected in the design of our cities and in our systems.
 
If you were a sustainable technology or item, which one would you be and why?
I would be a green bin. One of the simplest, most elegant climate solutions is food and green waste composting.  Spreading that compost onto rangeland or agricultural fields avoids methane emissions from landfills, improves water-holding capacity and fertility, and transforms soil to store or sequester carbon dioxide. What a perfectly wonderful example of supporting the cycle of life.
 
 
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