Victoria Young
Victoria Young is a transformational leader in sustainable construction, environmental policy, and community revitalization based in Chicago, Illinois. With over 15 years of experience in environmental health and safety, construction project management, and analytical reporting, she has built a career focused on improving both indoor and outdoor environmental quality. She is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Naturally Urban Environmental, Inc. (N.U.E. Inc.), established in 2011, where she leads initiatives in sustainable development, energy efficiency retrofits, climate resiliency planning, and workforce development. Her academic foundation includes a Master of Science in Environmental Sciences from Drexel University and a Bachelor of Science in Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Law from Lincoln University of Missouri.
Throughout her career, Victoria has managed complex environmental projects including Superfund site assessments involving soil, air, and water analysis, as well as indoor air quality compliance aligned with local, state, and federal regulations. She is a certified solar installer and holds multiple technical certifications, including OSHA 10, 40-hour HAZWOPER, EPA RRP, and UST Class A/B Operator credentials. Her expertise spans construction project management, real estate asset management, stormwater and solid waste systems, and environmental policy compliance under frameworks such as the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, RCRA, and CERCLA. She is also skilled in advanced laboratory and field methods such as ICP-OES and gas chromatography analysis.
In addition to her technical and business leadership, Victoria plays a significant role in public service and environmental governance. She serves as Chair of the Illinois EPA Environmental Justice Commission and as a Commissioner for Cook County Environment and Sustainability, where she helps shape policies that promote equitable access to environmental resources and climate resilience funding. Her work integrates policy advocacy, grant development, and community engagement to support underserved communities and expand access to sustainable infrastructure. She is also actively involved in workforce development and STEM education initiatives, mentoring emerging professionals and supporting minority contractors in entering the sustainability and construction industries.
• Certified in Solar Installation
• Certified in Energy Efficiency
• Notary Signing Agent
• Drexel University - M.S.
• Illinois EPA Environmental Justice Commission
• Cook County Environment and Sustainability
• The Purpose Center
• Environmentalists of Color
• Navoya Environmental
• Forever Hope Agency
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to a strong internal drive, especially when challenged or told something cannot be done, which motivates me to prove what is possible through persistence and results-driven work. I am also deeply motivated by seeing the real-world impact of environmental conditions on communities, which has strengthened my commitment to advocacy and collaborative solutions. Growing up in Chicago, I experienced firsthand the stark contrast between a lakefront community with clean recreational spaces and a heavily industrial area affected by landfill pollution, and that experience shaped my understanding of how environmental factors directly influence public health, quality of life, and community well-being.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
The biggest advice I can say is find a mentor and a coach that will be able to hold your hand through every phase of your process. Because no career is absolutely certain, no direction is guaranteed or laid out for you. You have to follow your own green path. We're paving the way now for these STEM careers and disciplines. I coach and mentor my mentees that are in nonprofit state agencies, organizations, or coming out of grad school, even college, going and leaving for college, and they're always looking for how to get into the space.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The challenges inside of sustainability and environmental justice communities are really focused on education. Education is always at the root of what we focus on. We reshape through education, revitalize through occupation, and renew through innovation. So we want to really make that a part of our model, our living model. We make all efforts we can in regards to educating the community about what's going on. Being able to actually implement change required for me to be able to carry some leverage, especially with buildings that we occupy having the largest carbon footprint.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me in both my work and personal life are being solutions-focused, service-oriented, and grounded in education and continuous improvement. I am driven by a commitment to find practical answers, support others, and create meaningful, lasting impact in the environments and communities I serve. At my core, I operate with a servant’s mindset—nurturing people, relationships, and spaces—while prioritizing education as a tool for empowerment. I believe in reshaping systems through learning, revitalizing communities through opportunity, and renewing industries through innovation, with a strong focus on creating healthy, safe buildings and expanding access for minority business contractors in sustainability and workforce development.
Locations
Naturally Urban Environmental , Inc.
1449 S. Michigan Ave #304, Chicago, IL 60605