Hope Marks Zabronsky

Hope Zabronsky is the Associate Director for Climate Smart Agriculture and Resilience under the California Institute for Water Resources. She provides statewide leadership for UC ANR’s Climate Smart Agriculture Program, advancing the adoption of practices that improve agricultural resilience to climate change while reducing environmental impacts. She supervises a statewide team of 10 staff working across California and oversees program strategy, grants, partnerships, outreach, education, and technical assistance efforts. Working closely with farmers, researchers, community organizations, and state and federal agencies, she supports capacity-building and coordinates programs that support climate smart agriculture adoption across California’s diverse agricultural communities.

Prior to joining UC ANR, Hope served as the Director of Program at Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center in San Diego, where she managed the Center’s educational and research programs focused on sustainable agriculture, environmental stewardship, community-based leadership, and career-technical education. Previously, she managed statewide climate resilience projects at Strategic Energy Innovations, supported agricultural and climate adaptation research in Southern Africa at the International Food Policy Research Institute, and studied climate smart agriculture practices in California and Malawi as part of the Research Group on Agricultural Equity and Inclusion at the University of California, Davis.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in environmental studies, sustainability, and political science from the University of Vermont and master of science in international agricultural development from the University of California, Davis.