Ms. Angela Tovar, JD
Chief Sustainability Officer
City of Chicago
Angela Tovar has worked as a community planner, program manager and climate and environmental justice advocate for over 15 years. In 2020, Angela was appointed as the Chief Sustainability Officer for the City of Chicago by Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Angela has committed to centering the City of Chicago’s climate and sustainability agenda on equity and mitigating environmental harm in Chicago’s most overburdened and underserved communities. Angela began her career in the public sector in 2019 as a Program Manager for Cook County Department of Environment and Sustainability where she focused her efforts primarily on clean energy programming. Prior to that, Angela worked in the South Bronx for over a decade, first as the Director of Policy for Sustainable South Bronx and later as the Director of Community Development for the POINT CDC. In these roles, Angela oversaw community partnerships, advocacy and environmental justice efforts, and climate mitigation, including the development and implementation of a community-based climate resiliency plan known as The South Bronx Community Resiliency Agenda. Angela’s passion for social and environmental justice stems from her experience growing up on the industrial waterfront of Lake Michigan on Chicago’s Southeast side. She holds a B.A. in Urban Studies from the College of Charleston and a Masters in Urban Planning from City University of New York - Hunter College.
