TreePeopleAs CEO of TreePeople, Cindy Montañez has rapidly expanded the Los Angeles-based organization’s impact across Southern California and turned it into the largest environmental movement and the fastest growing environmental nonprofit in the region.
At the age of 25, Cindy was elected as the youngest councilmember of her hometown of San Fernando. She became mayor at 27 and at 28 years old, was elected the youngest woman ever to the California State Legislature.
Upon leaving the legislature, Cindy was hired as Assistant General Manager at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, where she was a core part of the team transitioning the nation’s largest publicly-owned utility to cleaner energy and a more sustainable local water supply.
Cindy has been a longtime champion for bringing people together around the environment, sustainable urban planning and social justice.
In addition to her role as CEO of TreePeople, Cindy was elected in November to the San Fernando City Council and is currently a Board Member for the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability.
After a week in Glasgow, Scotland, for the 26th United Nations Conference of Parties (COP 26), the annual climate conference, I’m even more passionate about the work TreePeople does every day to build community resilience. More than ever, I am convinced that we need trees and we need them now. On day two of the…
Many of us know how it feels to have an irrepressible urge to do good but not know exactly what to do with that energy. With all of the challenges our world faces — from social inequity to climate change — how do we make sure our actions bring about the most good? How do…
At TreePeople, creating and driving policy is critical to our impact. Energized by victories on the $4 billion State Park Bond and the Residential Stormwater Property Tax Incentive and over $20 million of funding for urban forestry at both state and city levels, we’re accelerating our determination to transform people’s relationship with water and City’s…
Yesterday, the LA County Board of Supervisors awarded TreePeople $1.2 million to pilot an innovative approach to home rainwater capture projects in unincorporated areas of LA County, with a focus on underserved communities. The project will help protect vulnerable communities from flooding, contribute toward our region’s water supply, improve water quality and offer water storage…
The Friday after Election Day, I traveled to Standing Rock with my mom and TreePeople Board Chair, Ira Ziering, to join our water protector brothers and sisters in North Dakota in defense of water, people and planet. As soon as we arrived at the wintry camp, our spirits were lifted by the strength, peace and…
Fired up? Ready to go! Last weekend, I marched through the streets of Los Angeles with my mom, TreePeople Founder Andy Lipkis and 750,000 beautiful people ready to stand up for an inclusive society that cares for our communities and our planet as the precious resources that they are. I’ve spent my whole life…
As a lifelong Los Angeles resident, I understand the extremes that mother nature can throw at us. I recall the droughts of my youth, when we were all urged to be thoughtful about our water use and conserve. I also remember vividly the opposite extreme, when that scarcity turned to plenty, neighborhoods flooded and streams…