Profiles of Members of EPA's LGBT Community: DavidBrian Esch

Profiles of Members of EPA's LGBT Community

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Where were you born?

California

What brought you to EPA?

When I was a kid, I used to ride my bike to school and wonder what a day would be like without breathing in car exhaust. As an adult, I realized I had the power to bring that day about with the help of others, but collaboration needs structure, strategy, and execution. I found process improvement principles and techniques from different cultures married the best of strategy and operations and was excited to see EPA utilizing continuous improvement tools.

Describe the type of work you do at EPA.

As a black-belted improvement specialist, I have the privilege to work with many offices and teams across the country to help make processes flow more smoothly resulting in higher quality products and faster delivery. This type of continuous improvement analysis requires a commitment to both environmental justice and operational efficiency because of the calculus involved in ensuring we are maximizing environmental protection metrics while also sustaining optimal accessibility of information, scientific integrity, engagement of the workforce, and solving problems to ensure all communities have clean air, water, and land.

What is your highest level of education? What was your major?

Master of arts in comparative religion and culture

What message would you like to send other members of the LGBT community who are considering college or a career in environmental protection?

Our shared natural environment shows us the healthiest ecosystems are the most diverse ecosystems, and the opposite is true—monocultures are the least healthy. This is true whether we are talking about crops or humans. We are one EPA, but our multiplicity is our strength, and that is why we all have a different color in the infinite rainbow and share the national motto of “e pluribus unum” or “out of many, one.”