When Victoria Durand graduated in 2025 with a Master of Arts in Global Sustainability with a concentration in Sustainability Policy, she already knew one thing: she wanted to make a difference. For her, sustainability was never just a career path鈥攊t was a calling that began long before she could define it.
Today, as a Planner with the Hillsborough County Planning Commission, she works behind the scenes, shaping long-range plans that influence how communities grow, move, and thrive over the next 10 to 20 years. But her journey toward public service and planning started with something much simpler: a love for animals, beach cleanups, and a deep concern for people and the planet.
Victoria with Dr. Michael Spencer - Director of Sustainability Policy at PCGS
A Calling That Started Early
Victoria鈥檚 interest in sustainability didn鈥檛 begin in a classroom. As a child, she gravitated toward environmental and social causes, participating in beach cleanups and being deeply affected by stories about hunger, access to clean water, and environmental degradation.
鈥淚 remember thinking, I want to do something about this,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 just didn鈥檛 know what it was called yet.鈥
She went on to earn her bachelor鈥檚 degree in International Studies, blending international relations and political science with minors in social justice and sustainability. Even then, she understood that meaningful change often happens through governance and policy.
Victoria at an international event
鈥淚 knew I wanted to work in government,鈥 she said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 where policies are created. That鈥檚 where change can actually happen.鈥
After facing the common challenge of entering the workforce with only an undergraduate degree, she made a decisive move: she would pursue her master鈥檚 immediately. In 2025, she graduated with a Master of Arts in Global Sustainability, with a concentration in Sustainability Policy.
The policy focus aligned naturally with her long-standing interest in systems-level change. Through her graduate studies, she deepened her understanding of sustainability frameworks, stakeholder engagement, and the complex relationship between environmental priorities and public decision-making.
More importantly, she developed the confidence to bring those ideas into real-world spaces.
From Outreach to Long-Range Planning
Victoria began her professional journey with Hillsborough County while still completing her master鈥檚 degree. She joined the Solid Waste Department as a Waste Reduction and Recycling Specialist, a role that placed her directly in the community.
She visited neighborhoods and homeowner associations, led outreach initiatives, and educated residents on waste reduction and recycling practices. Behind the scenes, she also worked with data and reporting鈥攇aining experience that blended communication with analysis.
鈥淚t was about making sustainability understandable and practical,鈥 she said. 鈥淗elping people see how their everyday actions matter.鈥
Less than a year later, an opportunity opened within the county鈥檚 Planning Commission on the Strategic Planning and Environmental Research Team. The role focused on long-range planning鈥攄eveloping comprehensive plans and guiding community visions for the next decade or more.
Victoria interviewing for Sustainabilabuddies
Although many in the field held degrees specifically in urban planning, Victoria brought something equally valuable: a sustainability policy perspective grounded in systems thinking and public engagement.
She applied. She interviewed. She was offered the role.
Now, her work includes conducting data analysis, supporting comprehensive plan updates, facilitating public meetings, gathering and interpreting community feedback, and presenting findings to the Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners.
Standing before decision-makers to explain data and defend recommendations is one of the most demanding aspects of her role.
鈥淚t鈥檚 scary,鈥 she admitted. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 part of the job.鈥
Over time, those presentations have become opportunities rather than obstacles鈥攑roof of how far she has come professionally.
Urban planning and sustainability intersect constantly in her work. Conversations about walkable communities, transit systems, and long-term development strategies directly connect to environmental resilience and quality of life.
Often, the most meaningful impact happens in small exchanges.
鈥淚t鈥檚 those small conversations,鈥 she said. 鈥淵ou teach one person, and they tell someone else. That鈥檚 how change spreads.鈥
Victoria outside of Patel College of Global Sustainability after graduating.
The Skills That Shape Her Career
When asked what she relies on most in her current role, Victoria doesn鈥檛 hesitate: communication.
From collaborating on team projects to presenting before officials and engaging with residents, her ability to navigate different personalities and perspectives has become one of her strongest professional assets.
She credits her academic experience for strengthening those people skills鈥攍earning to work in teams, adapt to different communication styles, and think critically under pressure.
At the same time, she remains humble about the learning curve in her new role.
鈥淚t almost feels like I鈥檓 back in school sometimes,鈥 she said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot to learn. But I also bring something different to the table.鈥
That 鈥渟omething different鈥 is her sustainability lens. An approach that considers environmental responsibility, social equity, and long-term impact in every planning conversation.
For students and early-career professionals hoping to enter sustainability or public service, her advice is practical and direct:
Apply broadly. Take opportunities, even the ones you鈥檙e unsure about. Learn from every experience.
鈥淓ven if you鈥檙e not 100 percent interested, you never know what you鈥檒l gain from it. Everything builds.鈥
Victoria Durand
Planner with the Hillsborough County Planning Commission
From childhood beach cleanups to shaping county-wide planning initiatives, Victoria Durand鈥檚 journey reflects a consistent commitment to community impact. Her work may involve data, policy documents, and long-range strategies鈥攂ut at its heart, it鈥檚 about people.