Dr. Susan Pacheco Receives Prestigious White House Champion of Change Award

Washington, DC (July 9, 2013) - Dr. Susan Pacheco, a member of the Climate Reality Leadership Corps, today received the prestigious White House Champions of Change award in a ceremony at the White House.

The Champions of Change Program was created as part of the Obama Administration's Winning the Future Initiative. The Climate Reality Project nominated Dr. Pacheco for the award based on her work to raise awareness of climate-related health effects, to take steps to reduce carbon emissions, and to help better protect communities from the effects of climate change.

Dr. Pacheco underwent training to be a Climate Leader in 2006, and since that time has played a variety of roles with the Climate Reality Leadership Corps, including serving as a District Manager and mentor at four national and two international Climate Reality Leadership Corps trainings. Dr. Pacheco has also delivered more than 75 presentations on the health effects that arise from climate change to students, community groups, and health-related academic fora.

"Two weeks ago, President Obama recently declared that solving the climate crisis is not just a job for politicians. Susan Pacheco's extensive work to educate the country about the health impacts of climate change is a key example of the leadership needed from many sectors to confront the climate challenge and lead the conversation on solutions," said Maggie L. Fox, President & CEO of The Climate Reality Project. "We proudly join President Obama and the thousands of Climate Leaders around the world in congratulating Susan on this tremendous recognition."

"I am honored and humbled in being a part of an ever growing movement- a movement that is committed to addressing the climate crisis head on," said Dr. Pacheco, the recipient of the Champions of Change Award and an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Texas Health Science Center. "This also serves as a reminder of the challenging tasks ahead, and I am confident that together we can continue to lead and change the conversation on climate change."