Gov. Gavin Newsom Monday appointed his chief environmental advisor, Oakland resident Lauren Sanchez, as the new chairperson of the California Air Resources Board.
If confirmed by the state Senate, Sanchez starts the job Oct. 1, the day after current chairperson Liane Randolph retires, according to a news release from Newsom’s office.
“Lauren has been my most trusted climate advisor and the chief architect of California’s bold climate agenda — helping deliver billions in new investments and cementing our state’s role as the global leader in the fight for a clean, healthy, job-creating future,” Newsom said.
Prior to her appointment, Sanchez held a number of different positions, including Newsom’s senior advisor on the climate, senior advisor to President Joe Biden’s special presidential envoy for climate and deputy secretary for climate policy and intergovernmental relations at the California Environmental Protection Agency, among other things.
Sanchez, a Democrat, has a Master of Science degree in environmental management from Yale University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in environmental studies and biology from Middlebury College in Vermont.
Her new job pays $214,956 a year.
The California Air Resources Board is responsible for protecting residents from air pollution and developing ways to fight climate change, according the board’s website.
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