Department of Land and Natural Resources

Aimee Barnes has nearly 20 years’ experience in climate, energy and sustainability, spanning the state, federal and international levels, and the public, private, and non-profit sectors. She is the founder and CEO of the consulting practice Hua Nani Partners, and advises Elemental Excelerator’s Policy Lab and the California-China Climate Institute. Aimee served previously as Senior Advisor to California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr., Deputy Secretary for Border and Intergovernmental Relations at the California Environmental Protection Agency, and was a partner at Allotrope Partners. Earlier in her career she worked on climate issues internationally, in the UK and United Arab Emirates, at the carbon markets firm EcoSecurities, and at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

Aimee was the 2018 recipient of the Government Leadership Award for the US Department of Energy (DOE) C3E Women’s Initiative. She also co-founded Bright Spot Network, which supports parents facing cancer while raising young children, and serves on the boards of the Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society and Independent Diplomat.

Aimee has an MPA in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), and a BA from Dartmouth College in Environmental Studies.