As President of the Silver Lake Chamber of Commerce since 2016, Natalie has fought for resources for small business owners, employees and non-profit organizations. Under her leadership, the Chamber has become more active in the community and has developed strong relationships with the Los Angeles City Council, the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development and multiple City departments. In 2020, she expanded the scope of the Chamber beyond the membership, working with dozens of restaurant owners in Northeast LA to overcome the challenges brought by the pandemic.
Natalie is currently on the steering committees of the Beautiful Boulevard, Rock The Boulevard and Sunset4All street and transit improvement projects. She has actively campaigned for these and related improvements since 2019, working with residents, small business owners and employees to build support for more equitable and efficient transit options.
In 2020, Natalie became a strategic partner with Reusable LA (RULA), a coalition of well-known non-profits working to phase out single-use plastics (SUPs) in the greater Los Angeles area. RULA recently celebrated landmark campaign victories at both the City and County of Los Angeles, to which she contributed her experience in sustainability and her relationships with restaurant owners.
Since 2009, Natalie has organized campaigns for the Perros Project and other non-profits providing no-cost spay and neuter services for street dogs in Peru, Ecuador and Spain. She fundraises for medical supplies and travel, recruits and supervises volunteers and liaises with local organizations. Once in-country, her role includes working with media, government officials and community members to create awareness of the clinics and encourage participation.
In 2021, Natalie was appointed to represent Council District 13 on the Los Angeles City Council Redistricting Commission.
Natalie received her degree in Environmental Policy from Occidental College. Her passion for community and environmental justice began then as a Public Policy intern with the Lead Poisoning Organizing Project. Since that time, she has worked to represent the neighborhoods she lives and works in and the causes she believes in, using diplomacy and collaboration to find creative, implementable solutions for environmental and small business concerns.