Allison Chan
Political Director
Save the Bay
Oakland, CA USA
“Be afraid but do it anyway.”
Videos
By Roadtrip NationAllison Chan
01:00
Allison Chan Highlight05:46
Interview01:45
I Went Into Advocacy And Policy To Create The Change I Want To See01:00
Save The Bay’s Mission03:01
My Career Path01:46
How To Have Effective Conversations With Political Decision-Makers00:51
Environmental Policy Work Is A Commitment02:06
The Importance Of A Work-Life Balance When Doing Mission-Driven Work01:48
Getting The Attention Of Policy Makers As A Small Organization02:31
How To Create An Emotional Impact With Policy Makers01:22
The Value Of Finding A Professional Mentor00:50
Policy Work Is About Building Relationships01:46
Day In The Life Of An Environmental Political Director
Milestones
My road in life has been direct.
I always had an appreciation for nature growing up.
I went to college to study environmental engineering because I knew that engineers made more money, but I quickly realized that I wanted to go down a more people-centric and multidisciplinary path.
I switched my major and graduated with a degree in environmental studies.
After graduating, I decided to pursue a master’s degree in environmental science and management—the program offered more involved focuses, which really helped me find my footing in the field.
After grad school, I did some field research along the California coast.
By the time I had made my way to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2008, the economy crashed and I lost my job.
Fortunately, I found Save the Bay’s internship program and joined the team as a policy specialist—I’d never done advocacy work before and essentially received all of my training in policy on the job!
I’ve since spent over 12 years with Save the Bay, effecting change through policy and advocacy to protect our environment.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Bachelor
Environmental Studies
University of Southern California
Environmental Studies
University of Southern California
Graduate
Environmental Science & Management
University of California, Santa Barbara
Environmental Science & Management
University of California, Santa Barbara
Career
Political Director
I lead a team working to influence local, regional, and state policies to protect the San Francisco Bay.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Environment & Nature
Politics
Upholding a Cause and Belief
Skills & Qualities Beyond School
Relationship-building skills are key. A lot of policy work is about building relationships. You need to be able to help policymakers understand that you and your organization are valuable to them, you're a resource, and you can help them craft policy that can be part of their legacy. Patience and perseverance are also important. Environmental wins are difficult and facing inaction gets frustrating. You'll need patience, an outlet to release your frustration, and the perseverance to keep going.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for everyone
Find a mentor. Having a professional mentor that can help you evaluate opportunities and work through professional challenges can be a real asset. It's not absolutely necessary—I didn't have one—but if I were to go back to my early career, a mentor could've helped me get to where I am a little faster or with less confusion. The best way to find a mentor is to have a lot of conversations with people. If you're interested in someone's role, reach out and ask them for an informational interview.
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Family:
"You should be an engineer. They make more money."
Interviewed By
Serving Change
See how people serve the common good
