Governor Newsom Appoints Meghan Hertl New Director Of CDFW

After Charlton Bonham announced he’d be stepping down as director of California Department of Fish and Wildlife director in December to become the Nature Conservancy’s California director, Meghan Hertl has been named the new director at CDFW. Here’s the information from a press release sent out late last week from Governor Gavin Newsom:

Meghan Hertel, of Sacramento, has been appointed Director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Hertel has been the Deputy Secretary of Biodiversity and Habitat at the California Natural Resources Agency since 2024. She was the North American Director of the Land Life Company from 2022 to 2024. Hertel held several positions at Audubon California from 2010 to 2022, including Director of Land and Water Conservation, Interim State Co-Director, Director of Working Lands, Associate Director of Public Policy, and San Joaquin River Project Manager. She was a Conservation Program Administrator at the Resources Legacy Fund from 2007 to 2010. Hertel earned a Master of Arts degree in Environmental Science and Policy from Clark University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Florida. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $218,268. Hertel is a Democrat.

Here’s some social media reaction: