Heather Adelman

Biography

Heather Adelman joined Oberlin College in 2022 as the Sustainability Manager. She works on initiatives across campus and the community to meet the College’s ambitious carbon neutrality goals. She plays a leadership role in setting and implementing campus sustainability policy and works with students to catalyze unique, meaningful projects and internships.

A California native who relocated to Oberlin in 2011, Heather began her career at the US Environmental Protection Agency in San Francisco where she spent nearly 10 years working directly with tribal nations in Arizona, California, and Nevada on a variety of waste management and reduction initiatives. Upon arrival in Oberlin, Heather served as the Assistant Director of the Oberlin Project focusing on education, local foods, and waste reduction. She is the co-founder of the Oberlin Food Hub, a nonprofit local effort to increase hyper-local food in northeast Ohio and provide economic opportunities for small and medium farmers surrounding counties. She served as a member of Oberlin City Council for just over four years where she co-authored the Climate Action Plan, lead the development of the Sustainable Reserve Fund, successfully advocated for investments in sidewalk infrastructure and an electric vehicle car share program, co-authored an antidiscrimination ordinance to provide additional protections for the LGBTQ+ community, and co-lead the design and implementation of  the City’s residential and commercial food scrap composting program. 

Heather believes strongly in giving back and is active in the Oberlin volunteer community. She managed the Oberlin Farmers Market for six seasons and has served, or is currently serving, on numerous boards and commissions in Oberlin and Lorain County including Oberlin Community Services, the Oberlin area League of Women Voters, the Oberlin Community Investment Corporation, the Oberlin Community Land Trust, and the Lorain County Solid Waste Management Policy Committee. She has been awarded several prestigious national awards from the US Environmental Protection Agency for her work with communities.