Meet the Mayor's first 'Climate Champion,' Anne Stausboll

People around the globe rallied during Global Climate Week, Sept. 23-29, for more urgent action on climate change. Here in Sacramento, an eighth-grader named Supriya Patel organized a Climate Strike at the state Capitol that drew 1,000 students and adults, many of them calling on government officials to declare a climate emergency.

But change isn’t made in one week; it’s made by people who work on this issue day in and day out. Mayor Darrell Steinberg is recognizing the dedication and commitment of those leaders with a new series, Climate Champions, here on Engagesac.org. In this space, you’ll see their portraits, hear about what motivates them to contribute and read their stories.

Our first Climate Champion is Anne Stausboll, who chairs the Mayors’ Commission on Climate Change created by Mayor Steinberg and West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon.

Anne has spent countless hours in service to the commission and the community to reach the goal of carbon zero by 2045. She will continue this work through spring 2020 when the final recommendations are forwarded to the Cities of Sacramento and West Sacramento for incorporation into their General Plans and city policies.

“Climate change will impact everyone and everything, and the urgency is increasing rapidly,” Anne says. “We all have a responsibility to accelerate our efforts, with a priority on protecting the most vulnerable.”

Anne’s storied career includes serving as CEO of the $300-billion California Public Employees’ Retirement System, the largest public pension fund in the country. During her time as CEO, Anne also served as board chair for Ceres, a non-profit coalition of investors, environmental groups and companies advocating for sustainable business practices. She also was one of the drafters of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment and served on its original governing board.

Anne previously served as CalPERS’ chief operating investment officer and as chief deputy treasurer to the California State Treasurer. Prior to that she practiced law for 15 years in both the private and public sectors. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from Oberlin College and her Juris Doctor (Order of the Coif) from the University of California, Davis, School of Law.