Adam Ortiz

I oversee and champion the Federal programs to protect public health and the environment in close coordination with state governments and community leaders. In this role, I have led our Priority Engagement Communities effort that focuses on the 30 most environmentally distressed neighborhoods in our region that have been historically overburdened with pollution. We directly engage with these communities where they are and enlist state and nonprofit partners to co-create solutions with them.  This effort has helped break down barriers and make real progress addressing access to clean water, reducing air pollution, increasing greenspace, and removing toxic contaminants from their neighborhoods.  Importantly, we work in a bi-partisan and inter-cultural way, since everyone deserves a healthy and high quality of life. From the mountains of Appalachia to the Atlantic Coast, we work to leave our environment better than we found it.

I have always had an interest in service, and it has been a privilege to have a career doing what I love. This job has allowed me to meet and work with people from walks of life I would not have met otherwise, including former coal miners, Amish farmers, African American churches, and Chesapeake watermen and women. I’ve met with hundreds of activists, volunteers, and community members. Listening to and collaborating with others has allowed me to be a part of many groundbreaking and innovative projects that have made communities better, improving the quality of life for so many people. Throughout my career path, I have learned that the most powerful thing we can do is give our time, labor and love - the return is tremendous as we make a difference far beyond our individual selves.

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