(she/ella)

Leadership Development Coordinator

Gladys Nava-Jacobo was born in Jalisco, Mexico and raised in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles. In early 2024, she moved from California to Portland for a Geographic Information Systems and Conservation internship with the West Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District. She has been in love with the city ever since.

Gladys studied Geography and Environmental Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she learned about systemic environmental injustices and gained a new perspective about environmental issues in her neighborhood and others with similar demographics. At UCLA, Gladys joined the Sustainability Action Research: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Sustainability team and was a student researcher for a Heat Study Project. She was eager to learn how to combat environmental injustices in communities of color, and she developed a passion for supporting frontline community members to do the same. Gladys is thrilled to be the Leadership Development Coordinator at Verde.

In her free time, Gladys likes to explore the city and enjoys taking in as much of the scenery as possible through walks and hikes. On rainy days, she likes to read and tend to her house plants, which are doing surprisingly well!