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A Passionate Advocate for Protecting the Environment and Fire Safety

EBMUD Director Andy Katz is a lifelong environmental advocate who has spent decades protecting our water quality, reinvesting in our aging infrastructure, and addressing fire safety through improved fire fuel breaks and vegetation management on East Bay watershed lands.

The East Bay Express named Andy “Best Politician with an Environmental Conscience” for his work to save several miles of the Mokelumne River from flooding by a new dam, and to reduce emissions from the East Bay’s biggest polluters like diesel trucks and refineries.

Previously the Chair of Sierra Club California

Andy has been honored on multiple occasions for his environmental leadership. One example is receiving the Sierra Club International Award for his work safeguarding the environmental integrity of proposals developed at the United Nations climate talks, including the adoption and implementation of the international Paris Climate Agreement.

Andy led efforts on the Alameda County Steering Committee to launch East Bay Clean Energy (now Ava), the agency delivering 100% renewable electricity for Berkeley residents. Andy currently serves as an elected Board Member at the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD), and authored EBMUD’s policy directing EBMUD to be carbon neutral by 2030.

Standing Up for Workers and Consumer Protection

A workers’ rights attorney, Andy goes to work each day to ensure that every worker is treated with dignity.  He has helped hundreds of clients overcome wage theft, health insurance denials, and workplace discrimination. He led the negotiations that resulted in the Berkeley City Council raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour in 2018 and extending paid sick leave protections to working families. This avoided costly dueling ballot measures that could have both failed. He wrote and secured passage of the Fair Workweek Ordinance, which helps working families at large employers predict their schedules so they can balance their job responsibilities while taking care of their families.  As an EBMUD Director, he took on big banks to stop water shut-offs during the foreclosure crisis, and worked to expand eligibility for low-income rate assistance.

Long Service Rooted in Berkeley

Andy recently completed two terms as Chair of the Berkeley Community Health Commission, where he worked closely with the Berkeley Health Officer and Mayor Arreguin on the city’s response to COVID-19. As a Health Commissioner, Andy is fighting to keep hospital services in Berkeley as Sutter maintains their plan to close Alta Bates Hospital.  

Andy began his public service career in 2001, when, at the age of 21, he was appointed to the Berkeley Zoning Adjustments Board, where he served through 2006. On the Board, Andy voted to approve thousands of new units of housing, which has helped to alleviate Berkeley’s housing crisis. Andy also voted for the approval of the Hills Fire Station, making District 6 residents safer in their homes.

Andy also served on the Housing Advisory Commission while organizing to establish the Rental Housing Safety Program in 2001. There, he addressed serious health and safety violations, including a series of house fires where residents had died due to the landlord’s failure to install smoke detectors, in addition to other unsanitary conditions found across the city.  

Andy holds a Bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley, a Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from UC Berkeley, and a law degree from Santa Clara University.

An Expert We Can Count On

Community leaders know to trust Andy, because he’s an expert in the field. A workers’ rights and environmental attorney, Andy is focused on fighting for workers impacted by discrimination on the job, wage theft, unsafe workplaces, and health insurance denials.

Andy previously worked for a decade as Government Affairs Director at a statewide lung health organization fighting for clean air and public health in California. There, he worked to clean up dirty diesel engines, and pass California’s landmark climate law.  He also sponsored successful legislation that banned e-cigarette sales to kids.