Regan F. Patterson, Ph.D.

Dr. Regan F. Patterson is an Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles. She was previously the Transportation Equity Research Fellow at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. Dr. Patterson worked with the Community Engagement Office at the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the Biomonitoring California program at the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. She worked with Communities for a Better Environment on their Just Transition climate justice initiative as well as Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice on their Bayview Hunters Point Environmental Justice Response Task Force. Dr. Patterson earned her Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley.

Emi Wang

Emi Wang is the Community Investments Officer at the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, where she oversees the reinvestment of penalty funds into the communities most impacted by air pollution. Her work centers on ensuring that resources are redirected in ways that advance environmental justice and deliver tangible community benefits. Previously, Emi served as Director for Capacity Building at The Greenlining Institute, where she advanced racial justice through community capacity building, equitable program design, and policy advocacy. At Greenlining, she co-developed a $10 million initiative to strengthen community-based organizations leading climate justice capital projects. Working closely with local partners, Emi also catalyzed a community-led process in South Stockton that successfully secured $35 million in green investments through California’s Transformative Climate Communities program.

Arsenio Mataka

Arsenio Mataka serves as Deputy Executive Officer of Equity & Community Programs at the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and is the primary internal and external contact for the Air District on environmental justice matters. He oversees the agency's community engagement, strategic incentives, technology implementation, and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

Arsenio holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Sacramento State University and a Juris Doctor from Humphreys College School of Law. He served as a Biden-Harris Administration appointee to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where he led the establishment of two new offices within the agency: the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity, and the Office of Environmental Justice. He last served as counselor to the secretary for climate change, environmental justice, civil rights, and equity at the agency.

His experience includes acting as senior advisor on environmental policy and law to California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and as a special advisor to California Governor Jerry Brown, where he played a role in crafting climate change legislation. Prior to this, he served as assistant secretary for environmental justice and tribal affairs at the California Environmental Protection Agency.