Environmental Leadership Chronicles

Every power line, substation, and battery project in California has to clear environmental review before it gets built. Christina Terzich has spent her career making that process work. In this episode of the Environmental Leadership Chronicles, Christina shares what she learned in more than 24 years at San Diego Gas & Electric permitting major electric and gas infrastructure, and how that experience shapes her work as a Vice President with WSP. She now helps clients plan energy projects from battery storage and microgrids to wildfire risk planning under CEQA. We talk about: What looks different from the utility side versus the consulting side How wildfire risk is changing where and how infrastructure gets built Her role as a founding member of Cal Poly’s Wildland-Urban Interface FIRE Institute advisory council, bringing three of California’s largest utilities together to fund wildfire resilience research Balancing clean energy growth with community safety Advice for environmental professionals at every stage of their careers The Environmental Leadership Chronicles is produced for the California Association of Environmental Professionals (AEP).

California voters will decide Proposition 45, the Building an Affordable California Act, on November 3, 2026. Prop 45 would establish a new environmental review, permitting, and judicial review process for projects it defines as “essential.” Eligible project applicants could elect to use this new process, and once invoked, its requirements and timelines would apply to the reviewing agencies. Among other changes, the measure would establish more binding timelines for environmental review, permitting, and court challenges; limit public-comment periods; narrow tribal consultation requirements; allow an applicant to develop a single project alternative for review; and limit the scope of judicial review and remedies in CEQA cases. This episode is the recording of AEP’s webinar Understanding Proposition 45: Perspectives, Implications, and Practical Effects, moderated by Jessa Spainhower. Matt Klopfenstein of Summit Advocacy opens with an overview of what the measure does. Brent Efron of the Environmental Policy Innovation Center then presents the case for Yes on 45, and Matthew McKerley of Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger presents the case for No. Next, a roundtable of CEQA practitioners discusses what Prop 45 could mean in practice. The panel includes Rich Walter of ICF, Theresa Carroll of AES, and AEP President Mindy Fogg of the City of Carpinteria. They cover shot clocks and agency capacity, how the opt-in provision works, data centers, tribal consultation, and how the measure interacts with recent CEQA housing reforms. The episode ends with audience Q&A. Speaker presentations and more resources on Prop 45 are available at https://www.califaep.org/prop_45.php Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speakers’ own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the California Association of Environmental Professionals.

Recorded in person at the 2026 AEP State Conference in San Diego, this episode features longtime AEP leader and former Environmental Leadership Chronicles co-host Laurel Glass Lees. She moves to the guest seat to share how her career went from sampling storm drains to leading environmental permitting for long-duration energy storage. As Senior Director of Development Permitting, North America, at Hydrostor, Laurel permits advanced compressed air energy storage (A-CAES) projects, which store energy by compressing air into purpose-built underground caverns. Laurel discusses what it takes to permit large-scale energy infrastructure in California: working closely and transparently with host communities, how the California Energy Commission's process differs from traditional CEQA review, and how mitigation requirements and land scarcity affect the cost of clean energy. She also reflects on how a fascination with economics and the environment shaped her path, and why a CEQA background is an asset in a development role.

In this episode, we are joined by Sid Voorakkara, Port of San Diego Board Commissioner and Vice Chair of the Port's Environmental Advisory Committee. Sid shares his experience in advocacy and public service, the power of networks and perseverance, and local outreach efforts that connect students and communities to San Diego Bay. We explore Port of San Diego priorities including the Maritime Clean Air Strategy, the Blue Economy incubator, Pond 20 wetlands restoration and mitigation bank, and workforce development to create high-wage regional jobs. Sid highlights concrete project examples and cross-jurisdictional collaboration with city, state, and federal partners. For environmental professionals, Sid offers practical takeaways on presenting data and stories, engaging with agencies on decision-making, and advancing equitable, resilient solutions for San Diego Bay's future.

What part does CEQA really play in why we can't have nice things? Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson makes the case that systemic barriers, not lack of resources or will, prevent progress on ambitious projects. Environmental regulations, including CEQA and NEPA, are part of that conversation. In this live panel recording from the 2026 AEP Conference, we are joined by environmental professionals with experience across government, lobbying, development, and consulting to ask what the Abundance Agenda actually means for California's environmental review process. The conversation covers how much of project delay is really attributable to CEQA or whether California's reforms are meaningful progress or a way of avoiding harder structural questions. Other topics include what BACA (Building an Affordable California Act) could change, and which parts of CEQA, like the fair argument standard, deserve a closer look. This session was recorded live with audience participation that includes real-time reactions, honest disagreement, and perspectives from across the profession.

In this episode, we are joined by Armando Quintero – Director of California State Parks.  Armando spent more than two decades with the National Park Service, serving as a park ranger at Sequoia, Point Reyes, and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. He later led the Sierra Nevada Research Institute at UC Merced, served on the California Water Commission, including as its chair, and was elected to the Marin Municipal Water District Board.  In 2020, Governor Newsom appointed him director of California State Parks, one of the largest state park systems in the nation, with over 280 parks spanning 1.6 million acres.  Armando truly has a passionate and purpose-driven approach to his work, and how he views his responsibility as a leader. He joins us to talk about environmental leadership, equity and access in the outdoors, and what it takes to protect California's most treasured landscapes. 

California's state parks belong to all of us, and protecting them, funding them, and making sure everyone feels welcome in them takes intentional leadership. In this episode we're speaking with Kindley Walsh Lawlor, the inaugural President and CEO of Parks California, the nonprofit partner to California State Parks. Since joining in 2018, Kindley has built an organization focused on designing innovative partnerships, scaling sustainable solutions, and fostering inclusive experiences for underserved communities and younger generations. Before Parks California, Kindley spent over 25 years in sustainability, social justice, and equity leadership — including leading human rights and ESG efforts at Gap Inc. She also serves on the board of the Western National Parks Association. 

In this episode, we have a panel of environmental policy and planning experts joining to discuss the CEQA fair argument standard.  Corinne Lytle Bonine has over 18 years of environmental permitting experience and serves as the Director of Environmental Permitting  for the Western Region and Wind nationwide at AES. She also serves as the Administrative Vice President for AEP's State Board of Directors.  Kristin Blackson has extensive knowledge as an environmental planner - with 25 years of experience, she is a CEQA practitioner, educator, and active participant in California's environmental policy conversations. Kristin is also the Director-At-Large on AEP's State Board of Directors  And Matt Klopfenstein is Co-Founder and Partner at Summit Advocacy, a lobbyist specializing in CEQA, energy, and environmental policy who works extensively with the California legislature.  Together, they'll share their perspectives on the fair argument standard including what it means, how it's applied, and why it matters for environmental professionals across California.  

Florentina Craciun is an urban planner with over 16 years of experience in environmental compliance. As a Senior Planner at LSA , she guides agencies and private clients through CEQA for projects like housing and commercial developments, historic building adaptive reuse, and public infrastructure.  Florentina earned her Master's in Urban Planning from UCLA with an emphasis on environmental planning. Since then, she's worked to bridge graduate school ideals with real-world practice—making environmental planning more accessible through teaching CEQA courses, mentorship, and championing streamlined processes. And for over a decade, Florentina served on the APA Northern Section Board, with roles from Membership Director to Awards Co-Director.  Florentina has done this while pursuing her vision of transforming environmental planning from a "can't do" barrier into a "can-do" tool for building more just communities. 

Senator Catherine Blakespear represents California's 38th Senate District, covering northern San Diego County and southern Orange County. Senator Blakespear is a lawyer and former journalist with local government experience and elected the State Senate 2022. She currently chairs the Senate Environmental Quality Committee— a committee that covers legislation related to environmental quality, air quality, water quality, climate change, and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).  Before entering state politics, Senator Blakespear served eight years in Encinitas city government, including six years as mayor. As a fourth-generation San Diegan, she's witnessed California's environmental challenges evolve firsthand—from local coastal access issues to regional air quality concerns to the transboundary environmental crisis at the Tijuana River.  In just three years in the Senate, she's authored 24 bills signed into law, tackling issues from plastic bag bans to gun violence prevention to solar energy tax protections.   Senator Blakespear has navigated the complex intersections of housing, transportation, climate action, and environmental protection—learning how policy decisions play out at different scales and how to balance competing priorities while advancing California's environmental leadership.  Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoy!