Meet our Board

Celeste Flores

Celeste Flores is a community leader, environmental justice advocate, and elected public servant whose work reflects a deep commitment to building a more just, resilient, and sustainable future for Lake County and beyond. A first-generation college graduate and the daughter of Mexican immigrants, Celeste has dedicated her career to advancing equity, civic engagement, public health, and environmental sustainability.

Celeste serves as a Trustee for the College of Lake County, where she advocates for equitable and affordable access to higher education, and as Vice President of the Warren-Newport Public Library Board, supporting lifelong learning, digital equity, and community resources for community members of all ages.

For more than a decade, Celeste has worked alongside frontline communities on issues related to environmental justice, clean energy, immigrant rights, and public health. She mobilized hundreds of volunteers in the successful effort to retire the Waukegan coal plant while centering the voices of impacted residents. She also helped advance landmark legislation focused on clean energy, pollution reduction, environmental protection, and equitable economic investment across Illinois. In recognition of her environmental justice leadership, Celeste was invited as U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth’s guest to the 2020 State of the Union address. Her leadership and advocacy have earned statewide and national recognition, including being named to Energy News Network’s 40 Under 40 and participating in the Edgar Fellows Program. She currently serves on several regional and statewide boards and councils focused on collaboration, community wellbeing, and sustainable futures.