(she/her/hers)

Board Member

Connie Adams’ passion for conservation began during her childhood in Salem, Oregon. Money was tight in her family, so her mother Sharon instilled her with an understanding that we humans are wasteful, we create too much garbage — and it’s not only costly to dispose, but harmful to the earth.

Salem did not provide free trash pickup, and it cost hardworking families dearly to pay per can. What to do? Connie’s mom made a deal to split the cost of a single can with a next-door neighbor. To get Connie and her siblings actively involved, Sharon had to make recycling fun. She created a family game to see how little garbage they would end up with at the end of week. They reused, donated, recycled, and composted to minimize trash. This fostered a deeper connection to the earth and one another by working together as neighbors to reduce and conserve. It was a great lesson.

Connie moved to sunny San Diego in 1999, attracted to its abundance of outdoor activities like biking, hiking, boogie boarding, beach walks, and beautiful sunsets. But she recalls a shocking moment that shook her to her conservationist core: amidst all this natural beauty, she witnessed a driver roll down his window and brazenly throw an oversized cup with a lid and a straw out onto the road. (If only he’d had a mother like Sharon Adams!) These two experiences planted a seed in Connie that would grow to a desire to take an active role in recycling and conservation — leading her to the Solana Center.

In business, Connie has a background in “Employer Best Practices” for a multitude of topics involving employee benefits, HR, and insurance. Connie earned a bachelor’s degree in Business and Finance-law from Portland State University. She continued her path as a life learner and educator by earning the CEBS designation from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania as well as the Professional in Human Resources – California® (PHRca®) through the Human Resource Standards Institute. Connie enjoys public speaking which she calls “Edu-tainment” - speaking to educate, inform and inspire. She has a special aptitude for breaking down complicated legal-speak into training components that are digestible in small bites.  

For fun, Connie loves organic vegetable and fruit gardening, cycling, walks on the beach, singing and playing ukulele, and has performed in several North County entertainment venues with her partner Martin. Connie wants to give back to this wonderful community. She believes the Solana Center is the perfect investment in the future — an outlet to give back today in hopes of many more beautiful tomorrows.