Charlene Wang

Charlene Wang has dedicated her career to advocating for disadvantaged communities by reforming government systems in areas such as homelessness, transportation, education, healthcare, and environmental justice. Her personal experiences with family violence and poverty have fueled her commitment to creating opportunities for others. Charlene earned her Environmental Engineering degree with honors from Columbia University and a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. She currently resides in Oakland’s Eastlake/San Antonio district and works at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, focusing on environmental justice and civil rights for Native American tribes. Previously, she was appointed by the Biden-Harris administration to the U.S. Department of Transportation, where she launched a $4 billion national program to reconnect communities divided by highways, including projects in Oakland. Charlene is also a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community and actively volunteers as an English teacher for immigrant women.