Women’s History Month Kickoff spotlights women leading in  sustainability

Long Beach City College launched Women’s History Month with an opening celebration that highlighted women leading the way in sustainability on Wednesday, March 4. 

The two hour gathering, held in the LAC’s T-1200 building, brought together students, faculty, and board members to celebrate women’s leadership while providing education, food and entertainment. 

The event was hosted by Elisabeth Orr, the dean of social and behavioral sciences, and Brianna Pinkerton, an administrative assistant for the Completions and Second Year Experience program at LBCC. 

“From the fires last year in the Palisades and the Altadena, to sustained drought in many parts of the country…The world is in the midst of climate change and it feels unfamiliar to us and scary at times. It can also feel overwhelming and paralyzing but, our program today is going to highlight women who are leading change toward a sustainable future,” Orr said. 

Orr referenced environmental pioneers such as Rachel Carson who launched the modern day environmentalist movement with her book “Silent Spring,” which helped raise awareness on the dangers of pesticides. 

She also referenced Margie Richard, who was awarded with the Goldman Environmental Prize for advocating for environmental justice and protecting her neighborhood from the harmful toxins that a nearby Shell company was releasing into the air. 

Following the opening remarks, the event transitioned into a panel discussion featuring professionals working in sustainability and environmental fields including Anjana Mepani, Environmental Officer at the Port of Long Beach, Joanna Haan, LBCC professor and co-department head of physical sciences and Melissa Bahmanpour, director of climate resistance and sustainability at LBCC. 

Panelist Bahmanpour discussed how sustainability extends past being a single field. 

“I know we’re discussing sustainability as a monolith but it’s not really an industry or its own sector, it runs through every industry and every sector and it’s a matter of practices and technologies that can create more of a sustainable situation for human beings. Because it’s similar to a car, the better you take care of it the long(er) it will last you,” said Bahmanpour. 

Bahmanpour also shared how her background as the daughter of Iranian immigrants has shaped her drive towards her career path.  

“I’m a first generation American and both of my parents are immigrants from Iran, those two identities woven together … (I’m) very used to “okay I need to figure this out” for everyone and also I have an opportunity that no one else has had previous to me. I am the very first woman in my family who was given the right to choose her own reproductive choices, going to school, even having a career, and so I really didn’t take that lightly. And I think a combination of those things has made me bold and fearless in a lot of way,” said Bahmanpour. 

Mepani recounted being in spaces where she is often the only woman in her workplace and she shared how she uses this identity as an advantage to approaching leadership and collaboration in professional spaces. 

“I do think a lot about being a woman in the workplace, for me most of my career has been in a very white male dominated field. … Most of the time I’m the only woman there, woman of color, it’s very common. As a woman I think women are very empathetic and involved in our communities which makes us more… able to see with a wider lens because we are part of the community. As I work, as I lead I try to be empathetic, I try to be emotionally intelligent aswell,” Mepani said. 

_{Superintendent-President Mike Munoz was among the participants at LBCC’s Women’s History Month Kickoff event on Wednesday, March 4. (Jessica Rodriguez)}

Overall, panelists shared their experience navigating through environmental careers or adjacent positions, while discussing the need for diverse voices in climate and sustainability leadership. 

Ennette Morton, vice president of the Board of Trustees, acknowledged the importance of events like the Women’s History Month Kickoff for the campus community.

She mentioned that these events are about, “building pathways to help students move forward with confidence and support.”  

Morton also reflected on her own experience as a first generation college student and how Women’s History Month and community support can shape education journeys.

“…Women’s History Month is not about separating us, it is really about recognizing the contributions that have too often gone unseen and unnoticed. When women are supported, families are stronger, communities benefit and institutions like LBCC really grow more resilient,” said Morton. 

^{Ennette Morton was among the Long Beach Community College Board of Trustees at the Women’s History Month event, Wednesday, March 4 at Long Beach City College. (Jessica Rodriguez)}

The Women’s History Month kickoff marked the beginning of a month of events dedicated to honoring women’s achievements and encouraging student involvement.