Emily Wier serves as San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center’s (PIC) Vice President, Chief Policy & Strategy Officer. She is responsible for identifying, developing and implementing cross-sector initiatives that help PIC secure new growth opportunities through policy, business development, research and partnerships that create positive regional impact. She also manages key staff, and works closely with government entities, agencies and partners to develop and manage a portfolio of collaborative projects across the San Diego region, while providing subject matter expertise on policy initiatives, grants, and collaborating with PIC’s research team.

Prior to joining PIC, Emily was the Policy Director for the former San Diego County Supervisor for the Fourth District. She spent over four years in policy roles for the Supervisor, including during an unprecedented two consecutive years as the Chair. Through her deep policy expertise, political savvy, and excellent staff management, she developed a comprehensive strategic policy agenda and helped guide a robust policy team that developed over 130 policy proposals, including over 40 transformative policies that Emily wrote. Her work on the Framework for the Future of San Diego County was a groundbreaking initiative that fundamentally reshaped the way the County tackles racial justice, climate change, conditions for working families, and government transparency.

Previously, Emily served in the Obama White House Domestic Policy Council as a graduate fellow. She coordinated much of the federal electric vehicle policy that launched in summer 2016, which included working across federal agencies, and with industry and nonprofit leaders. She convened stakeholder meetings to achieve buy-in on the federal announcement, including on the development of the "Guiding Principles to Promote Electric Vehicles and Charging Infrastructure." This significant lift represented the beginning of industry-wide collaboration that would grow over subsequent years. 

From there, Emily managed government relations for Greenlots, an electric vehicle startup, and she lobbied legislators and government agencies across more than 15 states and secured over $250 million in support of electric vehicles.

Emily is active and engaged in the San Diego community. She has held board roles with the San Diego Leadership Alliance, the City of San Diego’s Sustainable Energy Advisory Board, helped grow an environmental advocacy nonprofit, and currently serves as a delegate for the 78th Assembly District to the California Democratic Party’s State Central Committee. She holds a Master of Environmental Management degree from Yale University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Tufts University.