Leslie Baroody

Leslie holds a B.A. in Economics (1981) from the University of California, Davis. In her early career she worked as an environmental-engineering consultant and utility analyst. Later in her career, after raising two sons (also UCD graduates) and working part-time, she joined the California Energy Commission (CEC) as an Energy Specialist in 2009 serving as the CEC liaison on the Governor’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Working Group and leading early initiatives to advance ZEV light-duty transportation electrification. In 2017 she transitioned to the California Air Resources Board where she continued as a ZEV liaison to the Governor’s Office, collaborated with other states and countries, and supported a new program to address sustainable transportation in low-income and disadvantaged communities.

What organization did you most recently work for, and what was your role?

For the past 7 years I worked as an Air Pollution Specialist with the California Air Resources Board. My primary role was to support California’s goal to accelerate transportation electrification by serving as CARB’s liaison with the Governor’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Action Plan Interagency group, participation in the Multi-State ZEV Program Implementation Task Force and the International ZEV Alliance. These collaborative efforts provide a roadmap and strategies to deploy zero emission refueling, increase ZEV affordability, educate consumers, transition government fleets to ZEVs, expand the ZEV workforce, support ZEV manufacturing, and prepare communities for ZEVs.

More recently, in the Local Planning Section of the Sustainable Transportation and Communities Division I supported the launch and implementation of the Sustainable Transportation Equity Project, developed and managed research contracts, and co-authored the Local Actions Appendix of CARB’s 2022 Scoping Plan to Achieve Climate Neutrality.

What was your largest accomplishment in your career?

During my 8-year tenure (2009-2017) at the California Energy Commission (CEC), as the Clean Transportation Program’s Electric Vehicle Program Manager, I represented the CEC on the Governor’s Office ZEV working group developing the state’s first ZEV Action Plan. I also led a team to develop California’s first electric vehicle fast-charging infrastructure network and regional ZEV readiness funding opportunities that laid the groundwork for future ZEV infrastructure deployment and an increasingly robust ZEV eco-system. Several states modeled their approaches to electric vehicle charging infrastructure deployment after California’s. I enjoyed the process of engaging industry, government, academia, and non-governmental organizations through workshops and meetings to solicit best practices and approaches to facilitating California’s ZEV transition.

How did UC Davis and/or ITS prepare you for any positions you held?

My UC Davis Economics degree has served me well across a wide range of positions–working as an economist in an environmental-engineering consulting firm, as a utility analyst, and more recently, in my state positions. It provided a solid foundation for problem solving, cost-benefit and data analysis, and understanding socioeconomic issues. Likewise, my environmental, urban planning, and energy economics courses gave me a depth of understanding about the implications of various policy approaches and implementation strategies.

ITS has been an invaluable resource throughout my state career. I have attended nearly all the STEP Symposiums over the years and have benefited from the expertise of ITS managers and staff in developing charging infrastructure and ZEV implementation strategies. ITS students have also conducted important research contributing to my understanding of issues related to my work. I have always looked forward to student poster sessions.