Sophie Bartley
Sophie Bartley — Building Community-Driven Resilience on California’s Central Coast
By Aaron Kershaw
Who is Sophie Bartley? Passionate Project Manager Looking to Enhance Community Resilience
When Sophie Bartley describes her role as Project Manager for LegacyWorks Group’s Central Coast Region, she lights up. For her, it’s a “dream role”, bringing ideas to life. Known by friends for her meticulous, step-by-step planning (“I have a three-day, hour-by-hour Thanksgiving itinerary,” she admits), Sophie applies that same precision to help partners turn concepts into impactful projects.
One of her first assignments as Central Coast’s Project Manager is helping guide the Central Coast’s application for Sentinel Landscape designation, which has been a crash course in collaborative conservation. “It’s about bringing together organizations and individuals who might not otherwise work together, recognizing shared interests, and creating something better than we could do apart,” she says.
She also guides community engagement for the Santa Ynez River Estuary Restoration Project, ensuring the integration of residents’ priorities into the design. “It’s not just listening to ideas,” Sophie emphasizes, “it’s making sure people are part of the process as key community leaders.”
The Journey to LegacyWorks
Sophie’s path to LegacyWorks began in corporate finance, specifically in sustainability and shareholder advocacy. She once believed the best way to create change was from within the private sector, but during her master’s program, her perspective shifted. A book club discussion of The Case for Degrowth opened her eyes to the limitations of top-down change.
“I realized the solution couldn’t just come from making corporations slightly more sustainable,” she explains. “Real change comes from community-based solutions — helping communities set their own priorities and take the lead.”
When Sophie learned about LegacyWorks, she saw an organization practicing exactly that approach. “LegacyWorks removes the ego. It’s not about us getting the recognition; it’s about making projects and communities stronger. That’s so counter to how most of our society works — and it was exactly what I was looking for.”
She felt at home almost immediately. “The way we start meetings with genuine check-ins, the way my colleagues treat each other as people first — It makes me feel every day that I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.”
Environmental Roots and Personal Commitment
Sophie grew up in Thousand Oaks, the daughter of British parents who instilled a daily sense of gratitude for California’s natural beauty. “I’ve never gone a day without thinking how lucky I am to live here,” she says. That early connection to place shaped her commitment to environmental work.
Her career path started in fourth grade, when she ran for “Recycling Chairperson” in student council — wearing a homemade tree costume complete with branches and a green swim cap. “That mix of creativity and environmentalism just clicked for me,” she recalls. “I realized this was a space where I could make an imapct.”
Her deep ties to the region make the Central Coast projects personal. “This place made me who I am,” Sophie says. “Working here isn’t just a job, it’s a way to give back to the community and landscape that raised me.”
Building Relationships for a Thriving Future
Sophie’s earlier experience as an ESG Analyst in London honed her ability to bridge worlds — translating environmental priorities into the language of business, aligning diverse stakeholders around shared goals. It’s a skill she now applies daily to complex partnerships like the Sentinel Landscape initiative.
Outside of work, Sophie channels her creativity into cooking elaborate meals, hosting friends, knitting sweaters for rescued chickens, and leading a 27-member book club she started in Santa Barbara. These personal passions — connection, care, and creativity — mirror her professional mission.
Looking ahead, she hopes the Central Coast team’s work will “create a place where all beings can thrive in harmony” by breaking down isolation, building trust, and helping communities embrace the discomfort that leads to growth. “The foundation of society is about building relationships and breaking down walls to reduce fear of one another,” Sophie says. “I believe in creating a safe space for discomfort and mutual support that ultimately helps us grow.”
