Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Wade Crowfoot

5. Wade Crowfoot

As the Secretary of Natural Resources, Wade Crowfoot leads the Newsom administration’s charge on climate change, which is a top priority for the governor. In his role, Crowfoot oversees 25,000 state employees in 26 departments, including Water Resources, Cal Fire and Fish and Wildlife. But that is just good copy for his official bio. Crowfoot’s real oomph comes from being one of Newsom’s most trusted advisors on a lot of issues, and as such he is involved in just about every project his boss dives into. And if you know this governor, you know he dives into a lot of projects. And in the course of his actual job, Crowfoot’s commitment to the environment is as deep as his state political experience. He previously led the non-profit Water Foundation and served as the West Coast Regional Director for the Environmental Defense Fund. He previously served as Gov. Jerry Brown’s Deputy Cabinet Secretary and Senior Advisor before joining the Newsom administration.

Updated Aug. 26, 2025