New Staff Q&A: Crystal Weston

OEC is excited to introduce our new Environmental Health Program Director, Crystal Weston!

Crystal hails from California originally, but has been a proud Oregonian since 2003. Throughout her time here, she has worked in all corners of the public health sphere - from the Oregon Health Authority, where she addressed nitrate contamination, to the University of Oregon, where she focused on substance abuse prevention and harm reduction. Her wide-ranging experience in identifying solutions to environmental health concerns in our state make her the perfect person for the role at OEC.

Look out for Crystal's work to address PFAS(aka "forever chemicals") and more in the coming months! In the meantime, explore her background, interests and what motivates her work, below.

What was your dream job when you were a kid?

I was always a little bit undecided, but I knew I wanted to do something that made an impact at a big level. I worked as a health educator at one point; I liked helping each individual patient, but I wanted to be able to do something that would help people at the society-level. I was always attracted to that kind of work.

How did those childhood aspirations lead you to where you are now?

I started out with some public health work and also different nonprofit work. I worked in affordable housing, with youth that had been in foster care, and I also did a lot of work with farm workers and immigrants. I think the intersections between health and the environment are really important. People are just trying to raise their families, go to work, take care of themselves, and then they're being exposed to environmental toxics. You can't avoid them. You're just trying to work, eat, use everyday products, and your health is affected. They're affecting people without their consent, without their knowledge. So if we can remove those toxics and hazards, I think that that's a good way to make a big impact.

Was there a lightbulb moment when it really dawned on you how big of an issue environmental toxics are? When did it come onto your radar?

I think I've always been aware of it. I identify as mixed race; my mom's Latina, and a lot of people on that side of the family were farm workers, including my grandparents and my aunts and uncles. You would hear about people being exposed to chemicals or unsafe housing. My dad also worked in construction. There's just exposure that everyday people deal with that not everyone cares about, because they think it doesn't affect them. But these issues really affect everyone, especially children and young people. We're experimenting on our young people right now with all these chemicals. We don't really know what the outcome is, but things aren't looking good. We have higher incidences of childhood cancer than we had before, and more disabilities. It's impacting the educational system, and it's going to impact our workforce and our overall long-term economic viability. So I think I've always been kind of aware of it, but I didn't put it all together until a little bit later in my career, drawing from those intersections of what people are exposed to at work, and what they are exposed to in their everyday lives. We need to address it now.

If you could tell the world one thing about environmental health or toxics that they might not know now, what would you tell them?

I think it would be that we don't have to accept the way things are right now. A lot of products add toxic chemicals for convenience, efficiency, or slightly improved performance. But if you had all of the information, I think the risk reward scale would tip for most people. Would you rather have your jacket be perfectly waterproof, or have a lower risk of cancer? Would you rather your child have a toy that's a little bit shinier, or know that your child's risk of a disability is lower? You wouldn't take that risk. People deserve to have the information and be able to make their own choices. They should have that freedom.

What do you like to do when you're not at work?

I have a pretty busy life! I have three kids, and I also serve on my local school board. So that takes up a lot of my time. But I also like to do creative things like art, and spend time in the garden.

What's your favorite place in Oregon?

I really love Crater Lake. I like the alpine plants, how they're small and kind of different. But it's a tough choice! Oregon has a lot of fantastic landscapes of different kinds.

What are your biggest hopes for the future of Oregon?

My biggest hope is a future that prioritizes our young people and their future in Oregon. We need to be thinking about what kind of environment we are leaving for the next generations. Our work today must prioritize the world we want to build and give our young people the resources they need to thrive.