Seattle Reign FC Legend: Paulina López, LLM – Executive Director of the Duwamish River Community Coalition

The Legends Campaign, a partnership between Seattle Reign FC and Starbucks, honors women for their extraordinary contributions to our community in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Prior to Seattle Reign FC’s match against Utah Royals FC on July 19, the club recognized Paulina López, LLM, Executive Director of the Duwamish River Community Coalition. 

Paulina is an organizer, facilitator, community and policy strategist and movement builder with over 25 years of experience working on issues of civil rights, social environmental justice, equity, education and diversity. She is always working towards bringing community health standards for people that have benefited the least. 

Paulina originally emigrated to the U.S. from Ecuador and has made Seattle her home for nearly two decades. Upon moving to Seattle, she noticed two things immediately – first, the beauty of city, but second, and perhaps most importantly, the disparities between the neighborhoods that make up the city.  

She first joined the Duwamish River Community Coalition as a volunteer, advocating for access to a safe, clean environment for the families in her community. She holds a master's degree in Human Rights Law from St. Thomas University. 

A leader in in social, environmental and racial justice organizations, Paulina has developed expertise in multi-sector stakeholder engagement, networks, collaborative problem solving and building power with BIPOC communities of color, immigrants and refugees.  She is focused on building systems of power and shifting power outward to those most impacted by injustice and oppression. 

As an Executive Director, every day looks different for Lopez. Some days include working with federal agencies, while others involve meeting with the community and doing outreach in the field. 

“Using the river as the main teacher is one of my favorite things to do. We have boat tours that allow people to see the river and experience the setting, rather than showing them something like a powerpoint.” 

As someone who has grown into her leadership role, Lopez offered the following advice to young women. 

“Sometimes we think we will give up when hard times come, but using perseverance as your main thing is going to get you far. Even when it feels like you want to give up, it’s important to keep going and recenter your goals." 

“Everyone can be vocal about injustices and join those communities that are working toward progress. I think everyone can contribute and make small changes to work toward climate justice and environmental justice.” 

When asked what it means to her to be honored as a Seattle Reign FC Legend, Paulina noted that it feels like more than individual honor. Rather, it feels like an acknowledgement of her entire community. 

“It's a lot of responsibility and I am very honored. For me, it goes back to our youth that worked so hard, and to my community that has been resilient through all of the injustices. It’s a great feeling to be honored – not because of the recognition, but because it says to my community that we're not alone.”