Paco holds a BSc in Civil Engineering from the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC) and an MSc in Renewable Energy from the Autonomous University of Guadalajara (UAG). As a graduate student, he worked on a project funded by the Mexico National Council for Science and Technology on the electrification of Guadalajara’s BRT system, and a project led by the Mexican Center for Geothermal Energy Innovation assessing the environmental and social sustainability of potential geothermal energy extraction sites in rural Mexico.  

After earning his degree, he founded and led Cambio de Aires, a nonprofit that promotes a sustainable urban economy in Ensenada. Under his direction, they created the Ensenada Green Drinks Forum Series, organized a donation campaign to help establish the Cultural and Environmental Park of el Keki, launched the youth engagement Ensenada Global Shapers Hub, and collaborated with UABC on the Sustainable Community Development Program aimed at strengthening the agricultural chain in indigenous communities in Baja California. In 2018, he accepted a position as a CivicSpark Fellow with the City of San Luis Obispo, where he assisted in the research and development of the City’s 2020 Climate Action for Community Recovery Plan, a CEC grant-funded Zero Net Energy Neighborhood study, and a comprehensive energy benchmark analysis for SLO County community service districts.