Clesi Bennett leads the production and coordination of research and technical work underpinning the Agency’s climate policies and strategic projects, including California’s Nature-Based Solutions Climate Targets, Climate Smart Lands Strategy, Fifth Climate Change Assessment, and Climate Adaptation Strategy. Clesi has been with the Resources Agency and its departments since 2017 working on issues related to climate change, equity, environmental justice, and outdoor access. Clesi previously worked on coastal resilience, sustainable agriculture, and energy issues in the non-profit and academic sectors. She grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana and has a bachelor’s from Sewanee: The University of the South and master’s degree in environmental policy and management from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies.