Emily holds a degree in Environmental and Watershed Sciences from the University of California, Davis. As an environmental scientist, Emily has made a career out of supporting local governments across the state to achieve community goals of water efficiency and resource conservation. Her subject matter knowledge and experience give her a comprehensive and forward thinking approach to flood management.
She believes that flood management cannot begin and end at levees. We must also consider urban development, wetlands, and ground water recharge, not just in Sacramento, but in our whole watershed - from the Sierra to the Bay. Without a holistic view of flood management, our wetlands and agricultural lands are replaced by urban sprawl and we increase flood risk in our communities.
About Emily
Emily has been a community organizer in Sacramento since 2020, when she supported advocates against police brutality at the state capital with food, water, and medical supplies. Since then, she has been an active voice for change in our city in support of the unhoused, immigrants, labor rights, and the LGBTQ+ community.
In 2024, when national backlash threatened the gains of the queer community, Emily co-authored and championed a resolution to make Sacramento a sanctuary city for transgender people and gender affirming care. Through this experience, Emily found the power that community action can deliver when citizens work together and make their voices heard. As a Trustee of the Flood Control District, Emily seeks to make the work of the board more transparent and accessible to all constituents through dedicated and consistent outreach to our neighborhoods.
Emily has established her life in Sacramento: living, learning, and working as a resident of the area for nearly 10 years. She is an active member of her community and proud to call this great city home. Like so many Sacramentans, Emily enjoys long summer days at the American River with her wife, friends, and family. Hiking, paddling, identifying native plants, or even just lounging and enjoying the sounds of birds and boats, you can often find her there, in the great natural space that is the American River.
Emily believes that our natural spaces and communities are valuable, and deserve to be protected. As climate change increases the frequency and severity of storm events in our state, we must reckon with the fact that vulnerable populations will be hit first and worst by climate disasters.
Sacramento is one the most levee dependent cities in the United States. It is vital that our flood control district is vocal in standing up to a federal government that is denying the realities of climate disaster.
