Waverley Street Foundation Names Jared Blumenfeld as Inaugural President

Blumenfeld — California Secretary for Environmental Protection under Governor Gavin Newsom and a senior leader at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency during the Obama Administration — will head Waverley Street Foundation's multi-billion-dollar efforts to support climate solutions and community priorities.

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Waverley Street Foundation, a more than $3 billion climate and community organization, today named California's Environmental Protection Secretary Jared Blumenfeld as its inaugural president. Jared is a national climate leader with a track record of delivering results for frontline and underserved communities. At the Waverley Street Foundation, Jared will champion actions that support the groundbreaking work being done in communities across the globe to urgently reduce carbon pollution. 

"We have ten years to drastically cut climate pollution which is already causing extreme heat, mega-wildfires, destructive droughts, and sea-level rise. Our best solutions and climate heroes are in local communities that are struggling for survival. Waverley Street will place community voices at the center of our work" said Blumenfeld, who starts his new role in September. "Together with Lisa Jackson, Laurene Powell Jobs and the Waverley Board, we will supercharge efforts that result in an equitable and livable planet for all humankind."

He added: "I'm deeply grateful to Governor Newsom for the opportunity to serve the people of California, and proud of everything we accomplished at CalEPA. Governor Newsom has set the global standard for bold climate leadership. He has stood up against polluters and provided billions of dollars to help Californians tackle the climate emergency."   

Waverley Street Foundation invests at the intersection of climate solutions and community priorities, supporting local leaders and organizations at work in the trenches of the battle for a livable planet. The Foundation will advance climate efforts grounded in the day-to-day lives of people and communities, while also responding to the growing challenges of those living on the frontlines of climate change.

"Jared has spent his career engaging with the people on the ground, working in urban neighborhoods, in rural areas, in tribal communities and beyond to directly address the challenges that climate change brings," said Waverley Street Foundation Board Chair Lisa P. Jackson. "He knows progress and innovation are possible when we put the voices and work of local communities at the forefront of climate action, and we're thrilled that he's going to be guiding Waverley Street's mission going forward." 

Prior to his leadership at CalEPA, Blumenfeld served as Regional Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the Pacific Southwest, which covers Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, the Pacific Islands and 148 tribal nations. Jared hiked from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail, hosted an environmental podcast Podship Earth, has worked in China, India, Europe, Africa, and the Americas to protect more than 8 million acres of wildlife habitat. Blumenfeld served as Director of San Francisco's Department of Environment. During his tenure San Francisco was named "the most sustainable city in the nation." 

"Our planet, and all of us who inhabit it, face no greater threat than our climate crisis. The Waverley Street Foundation was formed to address this crisis with the kind of bold, innovative ideas that are urgently needed," said Waverley Street Foundation Vice Chair Laurene Powell Jobs. "In Jared, the Waverley Street Foundation will have a proven leader with the vision and experience that this complex global challenge demands. His leadership at the city, state, and regional levels will prove invaluable as we seek to translate local action into worldwide impact."

The voices, experiences, and innovations of neighborhoods and communities around the world have a central place in protecting people, nature, health, and our planet. Waverley Street Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, supports grantees working closely with farmers, students, investors, Indigenous peoples, advocates, and many others. By 2035, the Waverley Street Foundation has committed to invest the entirety of its endowment — more than $3 billion as of 2022 — to support organizations working on solutions at the intersection of climate change and community priorities. In the coming weeks, the Foundation will launch its website to provide more details on its mission, grantees, and the impact of their work.

SOURCE Waverley Street Foundation