Experience

Sowing Change Strategies

• Environmental Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Founder and Principal

  • Jan 2020 - Present

  Partnering with academic, public and private sector clients to deliver inter-disciplinary solutions to seemingly intractable climate and energy challenges.


Sandia National Laboratories
• United States
• Defense and Space Manufacturing
• 700 & Above Employee
• External Advisory Board Member

  • Mar 2022 - Present


Tahoe Regional Planning Agency

• United States
• Government Administration
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Governing Board member

  • Nov 2021 - Present

  Appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom


Vibrant Planet
• United States
• Environmental Services
• 1 - 100 Employee
• Chief Climate Officer

  • Sep 2021 - Present


University of California, Berkeley

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Research affiliate, Nature-based climate solutions

  • Apr 2020 - Present

  Berkeley, California, United States Working with colleagues from the Institute, the College of Natural Resources, The Nature Conservancy, and Tsinghua University to identify opportunities for expanded use of nature-based solutions to climate change worldwide on a path to carbon neutrality.


Spatial Informatics Group, LLC
• United States
• Environmental Services
• 1 - 100 Employee
• Policy Lead and Project Advisor

  • Oct 2020 - Aug 2023


California Environmental Protection Agency

• United States
• Government Administration
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Deputy Secretary for Climate Policy

  • May 2012 - Oct 2019

  Sacramento, California Member of the CalEPA executive team, manager of CalEPA Climate Unit, climate advisor to CalEPA Secretary and Governor's Office, and cross-agency climate lead. CalEPA lead for: $11+ billion in Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund budget proposals, reporting and investments; $70.3 million Community and Watershed Resilience Program, awarded to California by HUD; Inter-agency development and implementation of 2020, 2030 and carbon neutrality Climate Change Scoping Plans; Five-member… Show more Member of the CalEPA executive team, manager of CalEPA Climate Unit, climate advisor to CalEPA Secretary and Governor's Office, and cross-agency climate lead. CalEPA lead for: $11+ billion in Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund budget proposals, reporting and investments; $70.3 million Community and Watershed Resilience Program, awarded to California by HUD; Inter-agency development and implementation of 2020, 2030 and carbon neutrality Climate Change Scoping Plans; Five-member Independent Emissions Market Advisory Committee; Strategic Growth Council, steering development on housing and community investments in disadvantaged communities; and Forest Management Task Force, and others. Show less



Bureau of Land Management

• United States
• Government Administration
• 700 & Above Employee

• Renewable Energy Program Manager

  • 2010 - 2012

  Sacramento, California Led the US Bureau of Land Management's California Renewable Energy Program from its inception. Founding member of the state-federal Renewable Energy Action Team and Policy Group. Co-lead west-wide solar PEIS. STAR award, 2011

• Presidential Management Fellow, Renewable Energy Project Manager

  • 2008 - 2010

  Sacramento, California Area STAR awards, 2009, 2010



U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)

• United States
• Government Administration
• 700 & Above Employee

• Presidential Management Fellow, Environmental Specialist

  • 2009 - 2010

  Developmental assignment to the Department of Energy's Wind and Hydropower Technologies Program, focusing on environmental siting.



National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS)

• United States
• Research Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Research Assistant and Course Coordinator

  • 2006 - 2008

  2/08 - 7/08 Forest pests and pathogens in the United States. 10/06 - 7/07 Agrobiodiversity and ecosystem services.


Environmental Defense Fund
• Living Cities Intern

  • 2007 - 2007


California Academy of Sciences

• United States
• Museums, Historical Sites, and Zoos
• 400 - 500 Employee

• Manager, Careers in Science

  • 2002 - 2006

  Selected as Coro Community Fellow, 2005 Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association Educator of the Year, 2006