Building a Resilient Future

From Camilla Zapata/Sept. 4, 2020, 9:52 a.m.

My name is Camilla Zapata and I am delighted to announce my candidacy for Arcata City Council. I am 30 years old and am a business development consultant assisting hospitals across the country. 

 

Within the community, I serve as a board member for the nonprofit Zero Waste Humboldt and have focused my energy on finding new ways to streamline productivity and more recently, fundraising efforts. My work with ZWH inspired a deeper commitment to this community and was a key component in my desire to run for City Council. As a city council member, I hope to continue to promote policies that incorporate environmental and economic resilience for Arcata. My background in business development and environmental advocacy puts me in a strategic position to develop more sustainable opportunities for the area. 

 

I acknowledge the city is made up of many moving parts and that its resources are finite, especially during these times.While working within existing budget constraints, I believe there is room for a fresh perspective on how to approach dialogue, project implementation, and partnership development; all of which will advance social, environmental, and economic resilience. 

 

However, as we navigate unprecedented times, it is vital that we continue to focus on Arcata’s community-based economic recovery and environmental resilience by advocating for policy that supports a robust local economy while also identifying new opportunities for growth. 

 

I will focus on creating more living wage jobs, especially for those immediately impacted by changes and closures within our local economy. I believe creating a facility capable of processing organic waste will mitigate waste expenses, create jobs, bolster local resiliency, and generate local market viable products. I would like to work towards encouraging inter-city dialogue and partnership development to find creative solutions for existing problems facing both Eureka and Arcata. While each city has a diverse landscape, there are many overlapping issues and mutually beneficial solutions we could both benefit from. Lastly, adopting an asset management standard and conducting a sustainability assessment of our city’s resources could illuminate potential savings in operational costs, saving the city time and money for years to come.

 

I believe in environmental justice, equity, and inclusion. The social movements currently vibrating our country have brought new clarity to some and affirmation to others, that the marginalized in our culture need all of our support to enact real change. Using an intersectional approach to include all disenfranchised groups, I hope to provide space for honest and inspired conversations on how to support each one of our diverse community members. I am willing to put the time and energy in to aid in the changes needed for us to collectively move into the future.

 

These objectives will require hard work and more than just optimistic ideals, but these contemporary times urge us to build an inclusive and sustainable society. Ultimately, that urgency is why I’m running for city council and I am excited to see so many candidates feeling that same urgency. I am eager to continue to engage with public officials and a wide variety of community members in the upcoming months. I believe diverse groups lead to increased productivity and I hope to see that come to fruition at the end of this election.

 

Please feel free to reach me at any of the following:

Camilla2020.org

IG: @Camillazapata2020

FB: camillazapata2020

camillaforarcata@gmail.com