Sara Aminzadeh joined the California Natural Resources Agency in March 2023. As the Deputy Secretary of External Affairs, she leads federal relations with California’s Congressional Delegation and federal partners on the Agency’s behalf. Sara will be working to advance federal policies and investments that combat climate change, expand outdoor access and protect biodiversity. Before joining Governor Newsom’s administration, Sara spent fifteen years working at the intersection of environmental policy and politics, on behalf of advocacy and philanthropic organizations, and the private sector. Sara has created and led numerous campaigns and initiatives to defend California’s rivers, bays, coast and ocean, and deliver climate resiliency and water equity for historically marginalized communities and working families. Sara served as a member of the California Coastal Commission from 2017 to 2023. In 2022, Sara ran for state Assembly in California’s 12th District in the North Bay Area. Sara lives in Marin and enjoys soccer, dancing, hiking, running, kayaking and stand-up paddling with her partner and son. Sara holds a Juris Doctor from the University of California, San Francisco College of the Law and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
