Olivia Rodríguez Balandrán currently serves as the Deputy Associate Director for the Planning and Analysis Branch in the Water Quality Protection Division of the Environmental Protection Agency, Region 6, in Dallas, Texas. In this capacity, she assists the Associate Director with development and implementation of strategic plan measures to meet the Agency’s water environmental goals. The planning is done in coordination with the five states within the Region: Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Louisiana.
She also serves as the Co-Chair of the Pipeline for Advancing Careers and Education Workgroup of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Beyond Translation Forum Initiative. This initiative seeks to reach out to and involve the Hispanic community in a meaningful way through networks with Hispanic leaders in academia, business, health organizations, civic groups and grassroots organizations.
Olivia previously served as the Associate Director for Environmental Justice in the Office of Environmental Justice and Tribal Affairs in the EPA, Region 6 from 2003-2005. In 2005 she served as Acting Branch Chief for the Water Assistance Programs Branch. Upon completion of her assignment, she was recognized for her negotiating skills in resolving controversial issues with two major local government water program grant recipients. During her tenure at EPA, she has worked extensively on building partnerships with communities and states, having worked for five (5) years as Community Involvement Coordinator in the Superfund Program.
In 2002, she worked for Congressman Ciro Rodriguez (U.S. Congressman from San Antonio, TX) as a Congressional Fellow in his Washington, D.C. Office, helping him address environmental concerns. In 1997, she served as Special Assistant to the former EPA Region 6 Deputy Regional Administrator.
Prior to joining the Federal Government in 1992, she worked for local government in Texas serving as Assistant to the City of Fort Worth Manager in 1990-1992 where she assisted the Mayor and City Manager as liaison to various task forces, commissions and advisory councils. She also served as weekend news anchor from 1985 to 1987 at the Dallas satellite office of Cadena Radio Centro, a Spanish language national news radio station centralized in Mexico City.
She holds a Master's Degree in Sociology from the University of Missouri in Columbia and a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and Spanish from the University of Texas - Pan American, Edinburg, Texas.