Investing in Climate Despite Budget Uncertainty

Senator Scott Wiener represents San Francisco and northern San Mateo County in the California State Senate. Elected in 2016, Senator Wiener focuses extensively on housing, transportation, civil rights, criminal justice reform, clean energy, and alleviating poverty. He chairs the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review, and is the past Chair of the Housing Committee and LGBTQ Caucus. Before his election to the Senate, Senator Wiener served as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Before taking public office, Senator Wiener practiced law for fifteen years, including nearly a decade as a Deputy City Attorney in the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office. He received degrees from Duke University and Harvard Law School and was a Fulbright Scholar in Santiago, Chile.

Elected in 2022 to represent California’s 12th Assembly District, Assemblymember Damon Connolly brings nearly 20 years of dedicated public service. A former Marin County Supervisor, San Rafael Vice-Mayor, School Board President, and Deputy Attorney General, Connolly has championed renewable energy, affordable housing, and public transit while prioritizing fiscal responsibility and environmental conservation. As a State Assemblymember, he holds key roles in climate change, wildfire prevention, and energy policy committees. A UC Berkeley alum, Connolly lives in San Rafael with his family.

Amy Costa is Founder and CEO of Full Moon Strategies. She is a public policy, public affairs, and organizational strategist with over two decades of experience in an array of senior strategic and executive roles. Costa’s experience includes serving as top leadership at the highest levels of California government, leading public affairs strategy for one of California’s largest employers, teaching and coaching organizational decision-making for Fortune 100 companies, overseeing public affairs strategies for one of the world’s largest higher education systems, and running one of California’s largest counties.

Chris Chavez is the Deputy Policy Director for Coalition for Clean Air. Chris joined Coalition for Clean Air in 2017, and works on the state budget, local advocacy, and issues involving low-income and disadvantaged communities. Previously, Chris served as a Legislative Aide for State Senator Fran Pavley (ret.), staffing her on transportation, local government, and the Senate floor. Additionally, Chris served as a Senate Fellow for then-State Senator Alex Padilla and staffed legislation that improved rail service in Southern California. Prior to his time at the Capitol, Chris was a student advocate for California’s public higher education system. Chris has a BA in Political Science from California State University, Long Beach, and is a member of the City of Long Beach’s Parks, Recreation and Marine Commission.

Sneha Ayyagari (she/her/hers) utilizes her background in engineering, policy analysis, and capacity building to help advocate for more climate resilient and equitable policies, organizations, and technologies. She focuses on policy advocacy and implementation efforts for topics including equitable building decarbonization, energy equity, and clean energy workforce and entrepreneurship. She has a background in policy advocacy and analysis across a range of energy topics including distributed energy resources, energy efficiency, and environmental justice climate mapping tools. Most recently, Sneha was a Senior Associate at RMI where she supported government agencies and advocates in creating equitable energy efficiency and housing policies.

Baani joined The Climate Center in June of 2022 as the Natural Sequestration Initiative Manager. In this role, she leads the organization’s work on advancing nature-based carbon sequestration solutions to fight the climate crisis while protecting our natural lands and delivering a multitude of co-benefits for both the environment and affected communities. She also leads the organization’s efforts in policies addressing the emergent mechanical carbon dioxide removal market. Prior to The Climate Center, Baani worked as a consultant with the Community Alliance with Family Farmers where she assisted small and mid-scale farmers with funding opportunities to remain operational during emergencies like drought, wildfire, and the pandemic.