Shifting Municipal Power
Wisdom on public speaking from former mayor Heidi Harmon
Getting some one-on-one coaching from a former city mayor on how to speak to people in power is a valuable gift. I sat down with Heidi Harmon, the former mayor of the coastal city of San Luis Obispo, California to gain insight about the perspective of city officials who must listen to countless public speakers. She grew up in the community and was deeply interested in environmental activism from an early age so I felt she could give me pointers for my own environmental activism. She later enrolled in Cuesta College and transferred, finishing her education at Cal Poly (San Luis Obispo) with a BA in liberal studies/liberal arts.
In her pre-office years, she was a prominent educator and local climate and community organizer in San Luis Obispo. Motivated by climate change as "the defining issue of our time," she transitioned into politics. In 2014, she ran as a Democrat for the California State Assembly (District 35). Though she lost the race to incumbent Republican Katcho Achadjian, her campaign successfully pushed environmental initiatives into the mainstream local conversation. In 2016, she served as a national convention delegate for Bernie Sanders.
She was re-elected for 3 consecutive terms, all focusing on progressive policies such as climate action, housing, infrastructure, labor, equity, and many more. She was able to set a climate-neutrality goal and led the city council in adopting a Climate Action Plan aimed at achieving a net-zero carbon footprint by 2035, making it one of the most aggressive municipal targets in the United States.
She was also able to transition the city's power source entirely to renewable and carbon-free energy through Central Coast Community Energy, a locally controlled, community-choice aggregator. She expanded sustainable transit by drastically increasing local bike paths, building open space access, and hiring the first municipal Sustainability Coordinator in the city's history. Also, she eliminated single-use plastic cups and water bottles from city-owned properties. On top of all of these achievements, she was able to achieve amazing results in the human rights department.
In August 2021, Harmon announced her mid-term resignation as mayor to "step up" her environmental work at the state level. She joined the Romero Institute-a Santa Cruz, a law and public policy nonprofit. Later, she became Senior Public Affairs Director for their “Let's Green California!” project (Greenpeace USA).
Her two-year tenure was short-lived; in mid-2026, Harmon announced that her role at Greenpeace was coming to an end due to sweeping organizational changes and layoffs. Greenpeace was facing a huge lawsuit owing over $345 million in damages and laid off the majority of its staff, she being one unfortunately.
During my interview with Heidi Harmon, we were able to discuss much about the power of large numbers of activists, especially with youth delegates! This is our future, and while the older generations have lived their lives and experienced the world, we youth are still waiting for ours to begin!
"We will leave our children
a legacy of ash and stone,
a pile of rubble where a garden grew.
They will ask us why we stood aside,
and let the waters steal the tide."
-anonymous (graffiti in Mount Laurel, NJ)
Many of us forget we have the freedom to speak up, so let’s do it!
Heidi Harmon's Strategy and Tips for Effective Activism
Power in Numbers
To prove a point, we can’t show the opposition our weaknesses; we must always be five steps ahead when proving a point this important. The power of youth can be easily dismissed, so we have to increase the size of our groups, regardless of age, and show not only that we are angry and want change, but that the majority does!
The trick to making the most impact when asking people with so much power is to show that everyone knows what they are talking about and is keen in the way they express it. Organize a good number of people and assign 2-5 main speakers. This way it relieves stress, and everyone plays a part.
“You should aim to fill or maximize the meeting chamber with aligned people to push the statement even fuller!” But we should avoid taking over or arguing with the legislation because speaking time is very limited., Clarify to your group that there is no tolerance for loud or disrespectful crowds, which can diminish the effectiveness of your overall message.
“There is a time and a place for aggression in activism for impact, but some of the best impacts have been from simply speaking calmly and directly.”
-Heidi Harmon
Preparation & Organization
It is good to reach out to the mayor’s office or city council that you want to meet with to try to express some of your conviction early. The majority of the time, when you speak at the podium, you are allotted about 1-3 minutes, so be concise and get the point out.
“I suggest writing out three separate scripts, for each of the 1-, 2-, and 3-minute increments, just in case they cut it short at the last minute.”
-Heidi Harmon
Research
The best way to present a request at a public meeting is to do deep research into every possible angle of your subject, especially ones that might be used by the opposition against your statement. Make sure you are paying attention to all “negative” views on your issue and address them swiftly, using only facts; avoid opinions.
Presentation
To prove a point, you should present yourself in the ideal way to be taken seriously. Being dressed in more formal or matching attire will give the impression that your group is aligned and serious about the points being made. Appear confident, prepared, and ready for any sort of pushback!
Heidi advises being prepared for long meetings and being scheduled last to speak if your topic is moved to the end of the meeting agenda–you just have to wait. Being the last to speak means everyone is exhausted and ready for the end of the meeting, so you have to muster the necessary energy, no matter what; but it could also mean that you leave a positive, lasting impression, so make your comments something they won’t forget!
Moral of The Story
Let’s promise we will continue working hard at saving our planet, and to succeed, we need united actions. Let's work together, make valuable steps towards change, and create a better world for us and future generations!
Sage Baron
FFF USA National Communications Coord.
They/Them
New Jersey, USA
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