ForbesWoman is a new section for professional and executive women. Enter your email below to start receiving ForbesWoman news and updates.  Kirsten Gillibrand was appointed senator of New York in January and seems unfazed that hers is not a household name--unlike that of her very famous predecessor, Hillary Clinton. With big shoes to fill, Gillibrand is busy carving out a legislative agenda that she hopes will address a mosaic of issues--from education to energy to the economy.  Gillibrand's political career began in 2006 when she beat Republican incumbent John Sweeney to become the first woman and second Democrat to represent New York's 20th Congressional District--a largely rural district that stretches into the Adirondacks and Catskills. Before running for Congress, Gillibrand had crisscrossed from the public to the private sector, serving as Special Counsel to Andrew Cuomo in the Department of Housing and Urban Development and as a corporate lawyer.  In the House, Gillibrand was a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition, and she voted against the Troubled Asset Relief Program twice. She champions affordable childcare and renewable energy, and she wants to put her own stamp on women's issues by encouraging and training women to enter the fields--math, science and engineering--that she thinks will be the backbone of the so-called green economy. At 42, she's closer in age to Obama than to most of her colleagues in the Senate.  ForbesWoman sat down with Gillibrand to talk about the economic crisis, the new roles that women will have to play in the economy and Gillibrand's own legislative goals. Excerpts from the conversation follow.  ForbesWoman: You've been in the Senate for six months. What are you working on these days?  Kirsten Gillibrand: The energy debate is what we are in the middle of right now. I want the U.S. to be energy independent in the next decade, so I am committed to Obama's plan to focus on renewable energy, tax incentives, and research and development to drive those energy sectors to become market leaders.  How do you see your role playing out in all this?  There are a lot of areas where I can assume a position of leadership, such as getting more women into the mass sciences and engineering. Women need to be the pipeline for those industries. I'm also working on passing legislation on childhood obesity. I can be part of the big picture in terms of energy and health care and turning the economy around, but I can also be part of small, targeted pieces of legislation that address families' individual needs.  Why is the number of women in elected office still so dismally low?  What the experts often say is that women like to be asked and encouraged, whereas men just assume they can do the job. Also, politics is a very tough sport. It's a blood sport for a lot of people. And a lot of women don't want to go into an arena where they are going to be criticized. On the positive side, Sen. Clinton running for president was a watershed moment for women in politics.  But you have broken those molds. How did you do it?  I have role models. My grandmother was very active in politics and got me involved at a very young age. She organized a generation of women to care about public service, and they worked on campaigns. So I worked in a family where every fall we were working on someone's campaign. My grandmother's vision was that women should have a say in who is elected. I developed a strong appreciation for public service and the basic understanding that what we do with our time matters, that our voices matter, and women have a role in leadership.  You've described Hillary Clinton as your "friend and mentor." What's the best advice she gave you?  When I asked her whether I should run for Congress, she told me: "If this is something you feel you have a calling for, it doesn't matter if you lose, you just have to run. This is what you want to do, so just give it all your effort and move forward."  You are on a committee that deals with the new economy. How do you define the "new economy" and what implications does it have for job growth--for women in particular?  The new economy focuses on opportunities in the high-tech sector, such as nanotechnology and energy. These fields are growth opportunities, but they are also not traditional sectors for women. When I meet with students, I suggest they go into these areas. This is where the jobs are right now.  How do you encourage more women to enter these sectors?  You have to get young women interested early. When I was at the Department of Housing and Urban Development as a young lawyer, we had a program to get more women to train as apprentices in the building trade. That's the kind of thing we need more of now.  [Another way to do this is to provide] quality affordable health care. Statistics show that if you can offer daycare at work, women are happier and more successful. That's a way we can help women enter the workforce.  Do young women need to rethink their career paths?  Yes, if they want to work.  What does the government need to do to get the economy moving again?  We need to generate jobs in growing and vibrant sectors.  Is this where the "green economy" comes in?  Yes, it means incentivizing sectors, companies and individuals to make products that run on new energy sources. You have a vibrant middle class when you invest in manufacturing and new energy sources. Ask any family--if they could cut their energy costs in half, they'd be thrilled.  Do these arguments resonate with families you've talked to in New York state?  Completely. When I was a House member, I went into the community and taught people how to lower their energy costs through energy-efficient changes, such as using different light bulbs. It was as basic as recalibrating how your energy and heat is delivered into your home. If you can save between one and two thousand dollars a year on energy, that is an enormous savings.  Given your commitment to the green economy and renewable energy, would you say the climate change bill is the most important piece of legislation for women right now?  The most important issue for women is the economy. The economy is where it all comes together. The energy revolution is the greatest market opportunity of this generation.  Are women making this connection?  They have to. If America leads in the green revolution, we will create jobs for this generation and future generations--jobs that will not be easily outsourced. So yes, it is very important for women.  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Kirsten Gillibrand is the youngest and second-newest member of the United States Senate, but she's already making waves championing the ''green economy.''