Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Jared Blumenfeld

40. Jared Blumenfeld

California’s environmental regulator is Jared Blumenfield, head of the California Environmental Protection Agency, and a major force in state – and national – environmental policy. Blumenfield, a gubernatorial appointee, goes way back with Newsom and knows his way around the political battlefields, state and federal: He served as Newsom’s environmental chief during the latter’s stint as mayor of San Francisco, and before that, Blumenfield earlier served Mayor Willie Brown. Blumenfield also served as general manager of S.F.’s Parks and Recreation Department, and on the governing board of the Treasure Island Redevelopment Authority – an important job in The City. Blumenfield spent eight years as a Pacific Southwest regional enforcer for the U.S. EPA, with jurisdiction over several states – including California – a number of islands and 148 Native American tribal nations. He most recently captured attention for announcing the New River Improvement Project, a long-stalled cleanup effort of the polluted New River that flows from Mexico into California. Delays over the cleanup have dragged on for years, but Blumenfield’s announcement notes that new budget funding would be available, so, fingers crossed.

Updated Aug. 9, 2022.