For over 33 years, Dan has been a leading force in designing and winning groundbreaking environmental policies and legislative campaigns. He has crafted successful strategies, built coalitions, persuaded policymakers, raised millions of dollars, developed effective messaging, and recruited, trained, and managed hundreds of staff members.

Dan co-founded the OffshoreWindNow coalition with Eddie Ahn and Jeff Hunerlach. This coalition led the campaign for AB 525 (Chiu), collaborated with the CEC to set ambitious goals, and was crucial in passing AB 1373 (Garcia) for Central Procurement.

Dan was the lead lobbyist and strategist for SB 100 (de Leon), which passed in 2018. He led the two-year campaign to ensure California generates 100% of its electricity from carbon-free sources by 2045. Dan also played a key role in the campaigns for 20% clean energy (2002), 33% clean energy (2008), and 50% clean energy (2015).

Dan helped design and pass SB 1, the Million Solar Roofs campaign. He collaborated with the Schwarzenegger Administration to both win and implement the law. Dan and Governor Schwarzenegger celebrated the Millionth Solar Roof in November 2019.

Dan envisioned and co-led Charge Ahead California, which passed the legislation to bring environmental justice, equity, and environmental groups to place one million light, medium, and heavy-duty electric vehicles (EV) on California’s roads by 2023 and ensure that all Californians, especially lower-income households most impacted by air pollution, benefit from zero tailpipe emissions.

Dan devised the strategy to ban single-use plastic bags, achieving success in numerous towns and eventually statewide. He not only supported the passage of SB 270 (Padilla) but also won two ballot measures in 2016 (Yes on 67, No on 65) that thwarted industry efforts to roll back the law.

Dan helped organize the California Energy Commission’s mandate requiring new homes to be built with solar panels (2019).

Dan led campaigns to ban dangerous phthalates in children’s toys and bisphenol A in canned food. He was instrumental in passing ‘Green Chemistry,’ a comprehensive toxics policy, and organized the Healthy Schools program to track pesticide use in schools.

Dan conceived and implemented Oceans Day in 2002, which has grown into an annual educational event and the largest single-day Capitol event focused on ocean conservation, attracting over 250 participants each year.