Berenice Garcia-Tellez sees her new job with the city of Denver as an extension of what she helped start as an economic sustainability specialist for the city of Longmont.
Garcia-Tellez worked for four years in Longmont to develop the first equitable sustainable business program, or SBP, in the country. “This program became a safe platform that not only advanced environmental sustainability actions but integrated socioeconomic equity aspects that filled the gap in many aspects for small businesses,” Garcia-Tellez said via email.
“The influence of the SBP program is a legacy that I hope will last forever in Longmont and beyond,” she said. “I am grateful for all the collaborations and partnerships we developed in and out-of-state to create the first equitable sustainable business program in the country.”
Garcia-Tellez’s work was recognized in August by the Boulder Chamber in the 26th annual Women Who Light the Community celebration. She was singled out by Ricardo Cabrera — former Latino Chamber of Boulder County operations manager — who nominated her for the award.
She left her Longmont job on Jan. 14 to become the equitable implementation administrator for Energize Denver.
The Energize Denver ordinance was passed by the Denver City Council on November 22, 2021 to establish energy reduction targets for buildings over 25,000 square feet, prescriptive measures for buildings 5,000-25,000 square feet and electrification requirements for all existing buildings, Garcia-Tellez said.
“I will lead the equitable implementation of the policy by co-creating services and technical support under resourced buildings in Denver,” she said. “The purpose is to reduce GHG emissions in buildings by creating benefits and advancing resiliency in neighborhoods.
Garcia-Tellz said she will continue to serve as chair of the Latino Chamber of Boulder County and advocate for Latino businesses in the county. She also plans to finish her term on Erie’s Sustainability Advisory Board in April but will engage the board on specific tasks, Garcia-Tellez said.
