Rachael O’Brien

Rachael O'Brien was initially appointed Deputy Secretary for Legislative Affairs of the California Department of Food and Agriculture by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. in June 2018 and was subsequently reappointed to this position by Governor Gavin Newsom in June 2019. Rachael was previously appointed as Assistant Secretary at CDFA in December 2017. Prior to joining CDFA, Rachael served as Manager of Government Affairs at the Agricultural Council of California, representing approximately 15,000 farmers across the state, ranging from small, farmer-owned businesses to some of the world’s best-known brands. Rachael also served as a Legislative Advocate for Gonzalez, Quintana & Hunter, LLC, focusing on energy, water, climate and air quality policy. Rachael also worked as an Associate for EcoConsult, an environmental consulting firm, and held an internship position with then-Assemblymember Skinner’s Capitol office. Rachael is a graduate of California State University, Monterey Bay.