Gloria D. Smith is a managing attorney currently advocating for renewable energy, building electrification, and fossil plant retirements before public utility commissions and courts nationwide. Gloria received her BA in environmental science at the University of California at Santa Barbara, and her JD and certificate in environmental law at Lewis & Clark College of Law in Portland, Oregon.
Before joining the Sierra Club, Gloria worked for four years in the Department of Interior’s solicitor’s office in Washington, D.C. where she represented the Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service before FERC. She then spent several years honing her trial skills at a plaintiff’s-side law firm in the Bay Area. While enjoying both whitewater rafting and backpacking, she prefers the former as it offers more expansive food and drink options without compromising wilderness and wildlife opportunities. Gloria also reads many books each year.
With the Inflation Reduction Act, new state climate policies, and increased public awareness of the effects of climate change, we are in a moment when clean energy opportunities like the just and equitable electrification of buildings and transportation feel attainable. I love my work because it is inclusive, innovative, and transformational.