Working In Sustainability Has Allowed Me To Give back to the Community, Protect Open Spaces, and Appreciate the Outdoors Even More

By Orlando Cazarez, Chief Executive Officer of Arizona Sustainability Alliance and HECHO HCLC member from Arizona.  

I was born in Sinaloa, Mexico, along the Pacific coastline. My dad was a migrant worker, and he worked with my grandfather and his brothers in the fields of California, picking grapes, pears, and apples. In 1986, he came to Arizona and made the Grand Canyon state his home. While working at Whitfield Nurseries, he was sponsored to become a U.S. legal resident, which opened the door for my mom, my two brothers, and me to come to the United States and join him. 

We moved to Phoenix in 1988 and grew up in Maryvale in the West Valley. I immediately fell in love with Arizona and its diverse and beautiful landscapes, from the Sonoran Desert to the northern forests. But starting a new life in a new country is not easy. When we started school, we didn't know a word of English, but that didn't prevent us from pursuing our dreams and making the most of the opportunities this country has to offer. 

After high school, I got a scholarship to study at Arizona State University, and after graduating, I started my career at IBM in the technology sector. While I was doing great in the corporate world, I felt something was missing. After ten years in the corporate sector, I decided to move on to the nonprofit world and make more of an impact. I went back to ASU and completed the energy and sustainability program paired with an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management.  

Then, an incredible opportunity presented itself: to become the Chief Executive Officer for the Arizona Sustainability Alliance, a nonprofit organization that aims to create and support cutting-edge, project-based sustainability solutions in Arizona through civic engagement, collaboration, and education.  

This role combined what I was looking for: giving back to the community, working in sustainability, and protecting the environment and the open spaces in nature, where I have loved spending time since I was a kid.  

Growing up, we did a lot of outdoor activities as a family, primarily because they were affordable. My parents took us camping and on day trips and overnight trips to explore rivers, lakes, and many other outdoor spaces. I cannot get enough of exploring Arizona's many natural treasures. Spending time outdoors is a passion I continue to share with my family and friends.  

Backpacking, fishing, camping, and just being outside in nature brings me peace and more awareness of how much it takes to maintain and protect these places outdoors and make them more accessible to all of us. There is nothing like sitting around a campfire with friends and family and sharing stories while looking at the sky. Once you experience that, it's hard not to want more of that! 

Because of the impact that being outdoors has had on me, I hope more people of color get to experience our public lands, become returning visitors and more involved in conservation efforts. 

It is vital that our voices, the Latino voices, are heard in the policy conservations because our community is one of the most impacted by environmental issues ranging from climate change to air and water pollution.  

When I heard about HECHO’s Hispanic Conservation Leadership Council (HCLC), I felt it was very fitting to what I believe in and joined as a member. I want to use my voice to bring awareness of environmental issues affecting our community, advocate for more public access to the outdoors for all and protect our public lands so current and future generations can enjoy them just as I have.