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Angela Maria Ortiz Roa, climate justice program manager at the University of Colorado Boulder, is a native of Colombia who arrived in Colorado in 2001. Rooted in an eco-cultural upbringing and a commitment to serve the communities she belongs to, Angela's migration experience led her to seek education on concepts of eco-social justice, cross-cultural communication and intersectionality to actively become a change agent in her community.��

Living as a cultural and linguistic minority guided her to obtain an associate's degree in Interpreter Preparation at Front Range Community College in 2014. That same year she received her Permaculture Certificate and began working as a bilingual urban agriculture educator, which renewed her connection to the land and nature.��

In 2016, Ortiz became program coordinator for the Foundation for Leaders Organizing for Water and Sustainability (FLOWS).��

She is intentional about making use of her multicultural and multilingual skills as a grassroots community organizer, climate justice advocate, cultural broker and language service provider.

She worked as a community empowerment liaison for Boulder County's Department of Housing and Human Services from 2019-2021, and earned a bachelor's degree in 2020 from Metropolitan State University in Denver.

She serves on the boards of Boulder Food Rescue and Harvest of All Nations.

Ortiz said she is determined to continue to educate herself so she "can better support the creation of bridge between people, cultures, natural resources and the earth and to be a dynamic part of the liberation and transformation of humanity."

Angela has spent six years with the Environmental Center.��She joined as the FLOWS Program Coordinator and in the past year shifted to the Climate Justice Programs Coordinator. Angela has recently announced a shift in positions and leaves the EC for the City of Boulder.��We are so honored to have worked with Angela these past six years.����

In her resignation announcement, she states, “It is my heart’s dream that we can find urgent solutions for the serious climate issues we are facing and that while doing so, we truly center equity and transformation in all our efforts, not only in our words, but in every single action we take. Even though I am stepping away from FLOWS, the Climate Justice Team��and the EC Team, I am still going to be an active change agent in our community through my new role in the Community Engagement and Communications Department at the City of Boulder.”

Working with Angela has been the most rewarding and life changing experience for FLOWS Coordinator��Indya Love, who started out as a volunteer for FLOWS in 2017. She was immediately impressed with Angela’s warm and infectious energy and always felt very welcomed by her and the FLOWS team.��

Indya, as well as other staff at the Environmental Center, really admire her hard work and dedication to FLOWS, to climate and social justice��and most of all, to her community.��

Angela is a strong and courageous leader and many have learned an enormous amount in such a short time from her.����

“I have no words to express my heartfelt gratitude for everything Angela has done. I will miss my mentor and friend dearly and will always use her great wisdom to guide me through challenging times,” said��Love.

We know Angela will continue the fight for social and climate justice and be an ally to the ���������� community. Thank you for always bringing your passion, dedication, and light, Angela. The world needs more leaders like you!