Hello, Nature Forward!
My name is Angie McCarthy (she/her), and I’m proud to be Nature Forward’s new Maryland Conservation Advocate. Before your heart starts pounding, Denisse Guitarra is still an important part of our Conservation team. She will now be focused on our community outreach events. I am so grateful to be able to learn from her while I get my sea legs! Right now, I’m learning more about the issues important to the people, partners, and communities I will be advocating for. For example, I’ve hit the ground running on responsible data center development in Maryland as well as updating our local tree canopy and conservation laws.
I have wanted to join Nature Forward for years now and am ecstatic to have finally made the plunge. I graduated from Middlebury College in Vermont with a degree in Environmental Studies and Geography. From there, I worked at M&T Bank, headquartered in Buffalo, New York. In addition to becoming a rabid Bills fan and chicken wing aficionado, I developed an understanding of macroeconomic factors and how they impact recessions, model risk analysis, and streamlining operational processes. After working through COVID in Buffalo, I wanted to align my day job more closely with my values of community-building and equity. I chose to join Montgomery County Council’s Andrew Friedson’s office, where I managed all external communications for the office and staffed the Council President on environmental matters including forest and tree matters, stormwater issues, and the Agricultural reserve. I left the Friedson office to join New Columbia Solar, the largest rooftop solar developer in the DMV. As part of the Business Development team there, I was able to bring on nearly 32 MW of solar into the construction pipeline – suffice to say, I love to talk. With this opportunity to bring my professional experience to Nature Forward, I am excited to continue being a “Jane of all trades” working for common sense environmental policies for all Marylanders.
In my free time, I love enjoying the outdoors. Sometimes that means taking long, bustling walks through Downtown Silver Spring with my dog. It also means finding quiet while paddleboarding on one of Maryland’s lakes. Above all else, I love to cook entirely too complicated campfire meals while in one of our wonderful regional state and national parks – tandoori chicken or Old Bay shrimp anyone? When I am not outside, I am trying to knock out books from my TBR list, ranking local dim sum restaurants, and spending time with my three siblings and friends.
My topmost priorities during these first few months are to get to know the community and to learn what issues I can best be of service on. Please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] with your concerns, or to set up a call. You can also sign up for Action Alerts here. While I am working on responsible data center development and expanding tree protections, I am here to learn and listen if you have other areas of concern. To me, I am not simply a Lorax advocating for pristine rivers and saccharine landscapes. I am also championing the people who deserve to enjoy fresh air, cool shade, and clean water, regardless of their class, race, or if they view themselves as “outdoorsy.”
Talk soon,
Angie
