Jessica Diaz is an ecologist and environmental justice advocate whose work is rooted in her experience growing up in east Houston, Texas as a daughter of Mexican immigrants. The dual experience of living with the petrochemical industry looming in the background and her cultural connection to the earth drives her commitment to improving air, water, and environmental quality for all communities and our non-human relatives. Jessica currently serves as the Restoration Manager at the South Baltimore Gateway Partnership, where she helps lead Maryland’s largest shoreline restoration initiative, the Middle Branch Resiliency Initiative. 

Jessica’s background spans marine science and coastal resilience, environmental justice, data science, public policy, science communication, youth climate organizing. She has a Master’s of Science in Marine, Estuarine, & Environmental Sciences from the  University of Maryland, Baltimore County and a Bachelor’s of Science in Fisheries & Wildlife from Michigan State University. Jessica is a member of the First Unitarian Church of Baltimore in Baltimore, MD. She believes that cultivating relationships is what keeps us grounded in a world that often feels on fire.