President & Chief Executive Officer

The Climate and Clean Energy Equity Fund, a pathbreaking grantmaker and policy accelerator dedicated to advancing climate solutions, has named Andrea Cristina Mercado as its next President & Chief Executive Officer, effective January 2, 2025.

Andrea brings over two decades of experience in civic engagement, strategic campaigns, and leadership within multiracial communities. She is joining the Equity Funds after having been a grantee partner for nearly eight years at Florida Rising Together and New Majority Education Fund, where she served as executive director and spearheaded large-scale civic engagement programs that grow the political power of Black, Latinx, and multiracial communities. Under her leadership, Florida Rising played a pivotal role in registering over 200,000 Floridians to vote and secured significant victories in voting rights and climate justice, setting crucial legal precedents. Her exceptional ability to mobilize communities and negotiate with major utility companies has directly benefited more than 75,000 families.

The daughter of immigrants from Peru and Argentina, Mercado grew up in South Florida and has been organizing in communities of color and immigrant communities for more than 20 years. Her background includes leadership in the National Domestic Workers Alliance, where she led impactful campaigns for immigrant and worker rights. 

Andrea is a graduate of Brown University, Fulbright Scholar, and Emily’s list awardee, recently named best South Florida Activist by the Miami New Times.

For the complete press release, please follow this link. 

Karen Wilcox led this search with Damla Williams, Rachel Banderob, and Harley Bartles.