Mayor Alma Hernandez’s first official involvement in local politics was serving on Suisun’s Climate and Environment Committee. Now as Mayor, she chairs the Climate and Environment Committee, which incorporates constituent voices to foster climate resilience in the city.
In 2022, Suisun City received the Mayors’ Climate Protection Award for the Citywide Energy and Infrastructure and Efficiency Program. The U.S. Conference of Mayors recognized Mayor Hernandez for this work.
The influence that environmentally-conscious governance can have on residents’ lives often goes unnoticed, but Mayor Hernandez’s work can be a precedent for other small cities that are not addressing climate risks.
Mayor Hernandez’s love for her city comes from its community strength. Having lived here since the age of seven, she enjoys the unique businesses and the environmental benefits of the Suisun Marsh, which serves as an educational opportunity for the local youth.
Compared to the other eight Bay Area counties, Mayor Hernandez believes, Solano County lacks the economic support and resources to invest in climate resilience infrastructure and economic development. So she builds community coalitions among private and public sectors to prepare her city for a changing climate.
For the Mayor, fostering partnerships is key to advancing resilience projects. Her work with organizations and agencies (including Sustainable Solano, The Nature Conservancy, San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, Fairfield Suisun Sewer District, Greenbelt Alliance, and others) builds capacity and support for on-the-ground climate resilience in Solano County and throughout the Bay Area.
Inspired by her own kids, Mayor Hernandez understands that her critical action to build climate resilience will protect future generations. “The decisions that I make have to outlast my time in office.”