Secretary for California Environmental Protection
California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal EPA)
Sacramento, CA, United States
Yana Garcia was appointed California Secretary for Environmental Protection by Governor Gavin Newsom in August 2022. In this role, Secretary Garcia oversees the state’s efforts to fight climate change, protect air and water quality, and advance environmental justice. As a member of the Governor’s cabinet, she also advises the Governor on environmental policy.
Secretary Garcia is a nationally recognized environmental leader who has long worked to uplift voices from historically marginalized communities. Prior to her appointment, Secretary Garcia served as Special Assistant Attorney General to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, advising him on legal and policy matters pertaining to the environment, land law, and natural resources, and in various leadership roles at CalEPA focused on environmental justice and tribal affairs.
Prior to her state service, Secretary Garcia was as an attorney for Earthjustice in San Francisco and Communities for a Better Environment in Oakland and Huntington Park, focusing on environmental justice issues, civil rights, land use, toxics and chemical disclosure, oil and gas extraction, and crude transport.
Secretary Garcia holds a degree in politics from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a law degree from Northeastern University School of Law.
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Keynote: Presentation Title TBD - Cal EPA
Thursday, July 11, 2024
2:30pm – 2:40pm PDT