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Emily Wier is the Director of Environmental Initiatives at San Diego Foundation, where she leads the organization’s environmental grantmaking portfolio. Her work spans climate change, coastal resilience, outdoor access, and the water and air pollution affecting the Tijuana River Valley. Wier has worked on environmental issues in the San Diego community for more than a decade. She has a long track record of leading transformative initiatives and working collaboratively with community partners.
Before joining the Foundation, Wier served as Chief Policy and Strategy Officer for the Policy & Innovation Center, an affiliate of San Diego Foundation. In that role, she led efforts to bring federal and state resources to the region, launched pilot projects demonstrating innovative solutions to San Diego’s water pollution challenges, and developed public policy strategies to address infrastructure needs.
Wier previously served as Policy Director for the former San Diego County Supervisor for District 4. During her tenure, she led the County’s climate and environmental policy agenda, which included the Climate Action Plan, the Electric Vehicle Roadmap, reducing cancer-causing pollutants, innovative stormwater solutions, and expanded parks access for all residents.
Wier has also held government affairs roles with a climate tech company and was an environmental consultant. She interned in the White House Domestic Policy Council during the Obama Administration, focusing on climate and energy policy, and also for a member of Congress.
Wier was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board and previously served on the boards of the San Diego Leadership Alliance and the City of San Diego’s Sustainable Energy Advisory Board. She holds a Master of Environmental Management from Yale University and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Tufts University.