Angela Barranco, Natural Resources Agency Undersecretary
Angela Barranco was appointed Undersecretary of the California Natural Resources Agency by Governor Gavin Newsom in May 2019. As Undersecretary, Barranco oversees an agency of 19,000 employees charged with protecting and managing California’s diverse resources. This includes stewarding the state’s forests and natural lands, rivers and waterways, coast and ocean, fish and wildlife, and energy development.
An experienced leader at the state, Federal, and local levels, Barranco has served as a non-profit executive, political strategist, and Federal Presidential appointee. Prior to her appointment as Undersecretary, Barranco was Chief Executive Officer at River LA, a non-profit focused with bringing together the Los Angeles region through the reimagining of the LA River as multi-benefit urban infrastructure. As a Presidential Appointee, Barranco led public engagement for the Obama White House on environment, conservation, climate, and energy issues. She also served as Deputy Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development working on Detroit revitalization, Promise Zones, and climate-smart post-disaster rebuilding. As a political strategist, Barranco managed and advised political campaigns across the country, including as National Western Regional Director for the Obama 2012 re-election campaign. Additionally, she has experience in communications and environmental policy work at the U.S. Congress, state, and municipal levels.
Barranco received a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Biology from Columbia College, Columbia University with a focus on conservation. She is bilingual and fluent in Spanish.
