YPE Sacramento

Dr. Sarah Brady is a Senior Program Associate for CCST, managing the underground natural gas storage and the biomethane reports requested by the Legislature.  Sarah identifies and manages the team of scientists, refines the project scope, manages the budget, and guides the communication of the report results.   Prior to joining CCST, Sarah served as Legislative Director in Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla’s office where she was hired after her placement as a CCST Science and Technology Policy Fellow in 2014 for Assemblywoman Bonilla. Sarah initiated policy work to retain women in STEM careers by preventing pregnancy discrimination in graduate programs, to increase the use of biomethane, reduce the cost of college textbooks, and improve access to computer science education. Prior to the Fellowship, Sarah earned Bachelor’s degrees in Chemistry and French from North Central College and a Doctorate in Chemistry at the University of Oregon researching the degradation of plastics. Sarah was also a GK-12 Fellow and an NSF-IGERT Fellow where she worked at the Hong Kong Baptist University. In her free time, Sarah likes to watch the Green Bay Packers, brew beer, camp, and is the Co-Chair for the CCST Science Fellows Alumni Group.

Matt Klopfenstein is the Legislative and Legal Advisor at California Advisors, LLC. As a registered lobbyist, he assists the GQHC team on issues regarding energy, transportation, high-tech, local government and the environment. He actively tracks legislation and regulatory proceedings and advocates on behalf of GQHC’s clients. Before joining GQHC, Mr. Klopfenstein worked as a law clerk representing local government agencies. He obtained a J.D. degree and the Capitol Certificate in Public Law & Policy from the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law, where he graduated Order of the Coif with great distinction. He received a B.A. degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara.

Fritz Foo is a Legislative and Policy Analyst at the California Energy Commission, the state’s primary energy policy and planning agency. As part of the Commission’s Office of Governmental Affairs, he provides recommendations to the Governor’s Office on legislative bills regarding energy research and development, power plant siting, nuclear energy, and energy equity. Additionally, Fritz facilitates agency communication with a wide array of stakeholders, including members of the legislature, advocacy groups, and business representatives. Before working on energy and climate change policy, Fritz conducted research in a molecular biology laboratory analyzing glucocorticoids and the genetic regulation of the insulin pathway. His passion for communication and the life sciences, both cellular and environmental biology, eventually led to his transition to public service. Fritz is currently a member of the Asian Pacific Islander Capitol Association and the Energy Commission’s Sustainability Leadership Team. He holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Molecular Environmental Biology from the University of California, Berkeley. In his free time, Fritz enjoys hiking, cooking and eating delicious foods, and dancing to live music.