SACRAMENTO, 20 January 2011 – Jerry Meral was sworn in yesterday as the Deputy Secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency in charge of the Bay Delta Conservation Planning program. This is a repeat performance from Jerry Brown’s first administration, where Jerry Meral served as Deputy Director of the Department of Water Resources in the 1980’s.
Dr. Meral is one of the state’s outstanding experts on water and conservation issues. Dr. Meral retired as the Executive Director of the Planning and Conservation League in 2003. He was instrumental in the writing of nearly every resource conservation bond passed in the last twenty-five years, and is a respected advocate for environmental causes. Until this appointment, he also served on the Boards of Directors of The Sierra Fund, the Tuolumne Trust and Restore Hetch Hetchy.
This is the second Governor appointment that is drawn from the board of the Sierra Nevada-based community foundation, The Sierra Fund. Just like newly appointed Resources Secretary John Laird, Dr. Meral submitted his resignation to The Sierra Fund’s Board of Directors as soon as his appointment was announced.
“Jerry Meral is one of the most visionary, hard working and practical environmentalists in California,” notes Elizabeth “Izzy” Martin, CEO of The Sierra Fund. “His knowledge of the complex legal, scientific, cultural and economic issues that shape the Bay Delta will be crucial to helping the state struggle with long term sustainability issues that must be solved to secure a safe water supply over the long term for all Californians. We will miss his expertise on our Board, but wish him well in this challenging new appointment.”
