Krystal Acierto, Deputy Secretary for Public Policy 

Krystal Acierto was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom in July 2023 to serve as Deputy Secretary for Public Policy at the California Environmental Protection Agency.

Prior to her appointment, she served for seven years as a Staff and Principal Program Budget Analyst at the California Department of Finance where she led fiscal and policy efforts for extreme heat, nature-based solutions, zero-emission vehicles, agriculture, flood and drought, and coastal and climate resilience. Earlier in her career, she was an Environmental Scientist at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife where she worked on statewide fisheries restoration and water operations.

Krystal earned a Master of Public Policy and Administration degree from California State University, Sacramento, and Bachelors of Science degrees in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Plant Sciences from the University of California, Santa Cruz.