California Strategic Growth Council
Newsletter
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The California Strategic Growth Council (SGC) is a cabinet-level body tasked with coordinating and working collaboratively with public agencies, communities, and stakeholders to achieve sustainability, equity, economic prosperity, and quality of life for all Californians. |
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Celebrating Chief Deputy Director Jessica Buendia's
Service and Commitment to California's Communities
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Jessica "Jessie" Buendia, Chief Deputy Director and former Acting Executive Director at the California Strategic Growth Council (SGC), will be transitioning to a new role as the National Director of Green for All (G4A), an initiative of Dream Corps. G4A works at the intersection of the environmental, economic, and racial justice movements to advance solutions to poverty and pollution.
During her time as Acting Executive Director, Jessie oversaw SGC's $1 billion annual budget and led the agency through the budget season, securing $420 million for the Transformative Climate Communities Program, $20 million for the Regional Climate Collaboratives Program, and $100 million for Community Resiliency Centers.
Jessie launched two new programs, the Community Assistance for Climate Equity Program and the Health and Equity Program that expanded SGC’s reach and impact in communities across California and propelled SGC as a leader on equity at the state level.
Jessie spearheaded the passage of the nation's first state-level, multi-agency Racial Equity vision statement, action plan, and resolution and served as the State's host for the Capitol Collaborative on Race and Equity and the Interagency Racial Equity Working Group.
“Jessie’s contribution will be felt for years to come - her organizational and budget leadership helped transform SGC and the impact our agency can have statewide," said Lynn von Koch-Liebert. "We are excited to see what she does at G4A.”
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The Governor's Office of Planning and Research Welcomes New Director Samuel Assefa |
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Please join SGC in welcoming Samuel "Sam" Assefa as the new Director of the Governor's Office of Planning and Research. With over 30 years of experience, Director Assefa will lead OPR's critical planning, policy, and program-based work to address climate, equity, and housing across California.
Prior to being appointed OPR Director by Governor Gavin Newsom, Assefa was Director of the City of Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development. He was Senior Urban Designer for the Department of Community Planning and Sustainability for City of Boulder from 2010 to 2016, Director of Land Use and Planning Policy for the Department of Planning and Development and Deputy Chief of Staff for Economic and Physical Development for the City of Chicago Mayor’s Office from 2004 to 2010, and Senior Urban Designer for the SmithGroup JJR from 2002 to 2004. Assefa was Director of Special Projects for the City and County of San Francisco Department of Planning and Development from 1999 to 2002 and Senior Urban Designer for SMWM Architecture and Planning from 1993 to 1999. Assefa earned a Master of City Planning degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Read Governor Newsom's appointment of Assefa and stay tuned for forthcoming conversations with OPR Director Sam Assefa.
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Health in All Policies Partnership Hosts
Convening on Racial Equity
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SGC Joins National CORE to Celebrate the Groundbreaking of Transit-Oriented Affordable Housing Development in East Los Angeles |
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Prior to construction, the team at National CORE worked with Supervisor Solis’ office and other community organizations to engage hundreds of local residents to define the vision for the neighborhood. Community feedback led National CORE to double the size of the underground parking, adjust the building design, and enhance green space.
“Congratulations to National CORE and the many partners and community members who have collaborated to bring this 78-unit affordable housing community to life,” said Lynn von Koch-Liebert, Executive Director of SGC. “The State of California recognizes and appreciates public-private partnerships like this that transform formerly vacant land into affordable, equitable, and sustainable housing.”
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Governor's Office of Planning and Research and California Strategic Growth Council Host Climate Budget Webinar |
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During the webinar, leaders and staff experts from the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) and the SGC discussed new opportunities and programs funded as part of the historic $15 billion climate budget signed by Governor Gavin Newsom.
For those unable to attend or for those interested in revisiting the topics discussed during the webinar, please find the recording online here.
In the next few weeks, our team will be sending out a factsheet that includes more specific information regarding program implementation and notify stakeholders once OPR and SGC’s websites have been updated to reflect key program implementation details.
In the meantime, we encourage you to reach out with any questions you may have and invite your continued participation as our team moves forward with translating last week’s historic climate budget into actionable, equitable programs.
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AHSC to Make Significant Changes to Round 7 Guidelines |
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As the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program (AHSC) team finalizes awards for the current round, SGC is beginning to plan for a significant update to its program guidelines. Members of the public and other stakeholders will be invited to provide feedback on the program and scoring processes, starting in early 2022.
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SGC Welcomes New Health and Equity
Program Manager and Analyst
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The HEP program represents cross-sector collaboration across the Newsom Administration and the Legislature to advance understanding and policy on the social determinants of health and racial equity.
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SGC Receives $20 Million for
Regional Climate Collaboratives Program
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SGC received $20 million to implement the Regional Climate Collaboratives Grant Program (RCC), which will assist under-resourced communities to create new collaboratives or support existing multi-sector partnerships to drive climate action.
RCC aims to increase the ability of under-resourced communities to compete for grants and implement projects through strengthening local coordination, leadership, skills, and expertise to advance long-term climate strategies.
The guidelines development process will launch later this month and will include a series of workshops throughout Fall 2021 and early 2022. Workshop dates are still being determined and will be publicized widely once confirmed.
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California Department of Transportation: Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program |
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California Releases Draft Natural and Working
Lands Climate Smart Strategy
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The draft Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy responds directly to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Executive Order N-82-20 on nature-based solutions, which identified our natural and working lands as a critical yet currently underutilized sector in the fight against climate change.
These lands cover 90 percent of California’s 105 million acres and can sequester and store carbon emissions, limit future carbon emissions into the atmosphere, and build resilience to climate risks. Climate-smart management of our natural and working lands also delivers on other critical priorities for California, such as improving public health and safety, securing our food and water supplies, and increasing equity.
The draft Strategy was informed by months of public engagement, including online questionnaires, regional workshops, and advisory panels. The Strategy:
- Defines California’s eight natural and working landscapes.
- Describes how these lands can deliver on our climate change goals.
- Highlights priority nature-based climate solutions to address the climate crisis.
- Explores opportunities for regional climate-smart land management.
- Identifies options to track nature-based climate action and measure progress.
- Outlines nearly 200 opportunities to scale climate-smart land management across regions and sectors in California.
For more information on the Executive Order and the drafter Strategy, visit the state’s website devoted to accelerating nature-based solutions.
CNRA and partners are soliciting public comment and feedback to inform the final Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy. The document is available for public review and comment from October 11 to November 9, 2021.
California Natural Resources Agency
715 P Street, 20th Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
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Governor’s Office of Planning and Research: SIAD Project Coordinator
The Staff Intergovernmental Program Analyst will support project coordination in development of the Sierra Army Depot Resilience Review Program (SIAD RRP). The goal of the SIAD RRP is to protect and preserve military readiness and defense capabilities while supporting continued community economic development in the face of localized threats to critical infrastructure that impact installation resilience.
Governor’s Office of Planning and Research: Accounting Officer
The Accounting Officer will be involved with the Financial Information System for California (FI$Cal). The Accounting Officer performs professional accounting duties of average difficulty and will work at a professional level to maintain, analyze, audit, review and process accounting documents in FI$Cal. This position requires extensive use and knowledge of automated accounting systems and fiscal accounting procedures and understand laws, rule and regulations governing state government accounting functions.
Governor’s Office of Planning and Research: Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF) Program Analyst
The CERF Senior Intergovernmental Program Analyst will provide strategic direction of program development and day-to-day management of key operations of the CERF program as directed by legislation. The program will support regions-up, inclusive economic planning to support economic recovery and carbon-neutrality, and subsequent implementation grants to enact high road economic planning.
Governor’s Office of Planning and Research: Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF) Senior Program Advisor
The CERF Senior Program Advisor will provide strategic direction of program development and day-to-day management of key operations of the CERF program as directed by legislation. The CERF Senior Program Advisor must possess strong expertise of economic development, workforce development, regional dynamics in California, industry development, and climate policy.
Assembly Speaker’s Office: Policy Consultants
The Assembly Speaker’s Office seeks to hire two policy consultants to cover the Assembly Committees on Accountability and Administrative Review, Elections, Public Safety, and Utilities and Energy. Applicants should have extensive legislative experience and issue area expertise in one or more of the aforementioned topics. Applicants with a JD are preferred.
California Coalition for Rural Housing (CCRH): Tribal Technical Assistance Programs Manager
The CCRH Tribal Technical Assistance Programs Manager will be responsible for carrying out CCRH’s activities to support CCRH’s mission and programming by providing affordable housing and community development-related technical assistance and capacity-building with a focus on American Indian Tribal Communities and Tribal Designated Housing Entities. Based in Sacramento, this position supports statewide technical assistance and capacity-building, research, community engagement, as well as informing policy development.
Learn more and apply here.
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The California Strategic Growth Council (SGC) coordinates and works collaboratively with public agencies, communities, and stakeholders to achieve sustainability, equity, economic prosperity, and quality of life for all Californians. |
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Contact Us
1400 Tenth Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 322-2318
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