Our Sustainable LA: Equity, Action and the Road Ahead

Dr. Rita Kampalath joined the County of Los Angeles’s Chief Sustainability Office in June 2017 as a sustainability program director for the office. She supports development and implementation of the County’s first sustainability plan, in addition to providing policy support for other County sustainability-related initiatives. In May 2022, she was appointed acting chief sustainability officer and in August 2023 became the official chief sustainability officer. Prior to joining the County, Rita was the science and policy director of the nonprofit Heal the Bay where she oversaw advocacy and research projects related to water quality and water resources, and guided the development of Heal the Bay’s positions on a wide range of policy issues. Before joining Heal the Bay, Rita worked for Geosyntec Consultants on a range of water quality projects, primarily focusing on stormwater. Rita received a B.S. in chemical engineering from Columbia University, and an M.S. in chemical engineering and a Ph.D. in civil/environmental engineering from UCLA.