Gov. Newsom announces appointments to California Natural Resources Agency

Gov. Gavin Newsom made two appointments to the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) on May 10, it was announced.

Angela Barranco, 39, was named undersecretary of the agency, which is tasked with managing, protecting and restoring the state’s cultural, historic and natural resources for current and future generations.

The undersecretary position is the second most powerful role within the California Natural Resources Agency; Barranco will serve under the agency’s secretary (Wade Crowfoot).

Barranco comes to the CNRA after serving as the chief executive officer of River LA, a position she assumed in 2018. She was previously senior vice president of Better World Group, deputy director of Climate Action Campaign, associate director of public engagement for climate and environment for the White House Council on Environmental Quality, deputy chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, national western director for Obama for America from 2011 to 2012 and campaign manager for Carnahan in Congress.

Also appointed to CNRA was Thomas Gibson; the 51-year-old will serve the agency as deputy secretary and special counsel for water.

Gibson previously served as general counsel at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife; he was also a partner at Best, Best, & Krieger and worked as an associate at Hyman, Phelps & McNamara and Kronick, Moskovitz, Tiedemann & Girard.

Barranco’s annual salary will be $190,008, while Gibson will earn $185,004 per year. Neither appointment requires State Senate confirmation.