Creating a Climate Resilience District

Sen. Bill Dodd is the author of SB 852. He represents California’s 3rd Senate District in the heart of the scenic North San Francisco Bay Area. The fifth-generation Californian grew up on his family’s small Napa farm and was a successful business owner before being elected to the Napa County Board of Supervisors, the state Assembly and the state Senate, where he is now serving his second term.

Sen. Dodd’s district includes all of Napa and Solano counties and portions of Contra Costa, Sacramento, Sonoma and Yolo counties. He is chair of the Senate Governmental Organization Committee and is a member of the Transportation Committee, the Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee and the Insurance Committee. He is co-chair of the Senate Select Committee on California’s Wine Industry and the Legislative Delta Caucus.

Sen. Dodd’s work has spanned many topics – from improving public education and the environment to data privacy and protecting seniors. During his tenure, he has established himself as the most prolific lawmaker in the Legislature, authoring 99 bills that have been signed into law. As a senator representing wildfire-torn Napa and Sonoma counties, he has been a leader on wildfire safety and prevention legislation, authoring numerous bills to protect Californians from future infernos and accompanying utility rate hikes.

Ricardo Lara

Ricardo Lara has been a relentless advocate for his fellow Californians throughout his career in public service. By focusing on those in need and those who have historically experienced systemic and racial biases, Lara is making a lasting impact that serves all.

Since taking office in January 2019, he has acted to protect California consumers and small businesses, fight climate change, and expand access to health care for all – while preserving a competitive insurance market. Following California’s devastating wildfires, Commissioner Lara protected more than 2.4 million policyholders from homeowners’ insurance non- renewal in 2020, and more than 1 million in 2019. He has taken action to protect the availability and reliability of insurance, sponsoring legislation to expand benefits for wildfire survivors and help them access those benefits faster.

As California’s Insurance Commissioner, Ricardo Lara is continuing his work to level the playing field by leading the state’s largest consumer protection agency. His focus is on protecting California consumers, fighting climate change, and expanding access to health care for all. He has given consumers a seat at the table — having led more than 100 town halls and forums throughout California since taking office — making the most of their input to change policies and practices to better protect people across the state. From getting billions in auto insurance premiums refunds for drivers, to protecting coverage for wildfire survivors, to tackling the root causes of climate change-intensified natural disasters, Ricardo Lara is committed to using all the tools he has available to making things better for all Californians. Commissioner Lara previously served in both houses of the California State Legislature – representing constituents in the Southeast cities of Los Angeles County for eight years – giving him greater insight into how stronger laws can better protect consumers.

Suzanne Smith

Suzanne Smith joined the Sonoma County Transportation Authority (SCTA) in October 1997 as the Executive Director. The SCTA is the countywide transportation agency responsible for coordinating regional, state and federal funding and administering Measure M, the local ¼ cent transportation sales tax.

In 2010 the SCTA took on a new role as the Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority (RCPA) and Suzanne serves as the Executive Director of that entity as well. The focus of the RCPA is to coordinate local activities, secure grants and strategically plan local efforts to reduce GHG emissions from all sectors.

SCTA is responsible for monitoring Caltrans projects within the County; developing long range transportation plans; managing a quarter cent sales tax measure; staffing various advisory committees including the Countywide Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee and the Transit/Paratransit Coordinating Committee; and maintaining a county-wide land use database and traffic model.

Suzanne is past Chair of the California Self Help Counties Coalition, an organization of 19 counties with transportation sales tax measures. She has also served as the Chair of the San Francisco Bay Area Partnership and the Bay Area Congestion Management Agencies Association.

Mike Peterson

Michael Peterson is currently the inaugural Deputy Commissioner of the Climate and Sustainability Branch for Commissioner Ricardo Lara at the California Department of Insurance. In this role, Peterson is leading multiple initiatives to reduce climate risk and strengthen resilience, including work on the California Climate Insurance Working Group, which focuses on resiliency through closing protection gaps and employing nature-based solutions. Peterson also leads a partnership with the United Nations Principles for Sustainable Insurance that developed the California Sustainable Insurance Roadmap, released in 2022 and the first sustainable insurance strategy of it’s kind by an insurance regulator. This is the first time the United Nations has partnered with a US state to create a sustainable insurance strategy and action plan. Prior to his current position, Peterson was a policy consultant in the California State Senate, focusing on climate change, natural resources, air quality, and energy policy. Peterson has a background researching biology and physiology, earning a PhD in Environmental Science, Policy and Management from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Masters degree at Western Washington University.

Roger Dickinson