Margaret is a fourth generation Californian who spent a large chunk of her life in New England, where she started a family and established a career. She has been working with 350 CCA since she moved to Contra Costa County from Berkeley in April 2020. In that time, she has become the co-lead of the Communications Team and has helped start the Climate Circle and the speaker training initiatives.

What first struck Margaret about 350 CCA was that they seemed like “people on the move” who were taking real action for change. Although she felt a little lost when she first started volunteering, she let herself listen and learn: she attended meetings for every team and became “a fly on the wall.” She has been impressed with the dedication and knowledge of both the founders and other volunteers, as well as their friendliness and welcoming warmth. 

Margaret felt most drawn to the Communications Team, which was a natural fit, as she has always been fascinated by language and how people communicate. After teaching K-12 English learners, Margaret built a career supporting, first, international MBA students and, later, international tech executives in developing their communication styles with an eye toward cultural differences. The Communications Team offered “things to be done that I can and like to do,” like writing letters to the editor and interacting with people while tabling. 

Since becoming the co-leader of the Communications team, Margaret is most proud of the camaraderie and team spirit. “I like feeling that we are a team, that we work together, that we listen to each other, that we can express differing opinions,” she says. “We have grown to a robust team—and people seem to enjoy being a part of it.”

Margaret encourages anyone who is curious to take a chance on volunteering. She says,

We can accelerate change faster the more people that we have helping. You don’t need to be an expert. You just need to be present, listen, ask questions, and educate yourself as well as you can. It just takes time and exposure and willingness. I love to see people come in and find their niche.