As Senior Program Associate of the California Program, Claudie Kiti Bustamante plays a leading role in promoting New America’s public policy events in California and raising the organization’s profile with the media in California. She also assists New America Fellows located in California with research and provides management support to the Sacramento office.

Ms. Bustamante is a former consultant to California State Senator Deborah Ortiz (D-Sacramento), former director of a statewide energy education and outreach program to school districts and community-based nonprofit organizations, and a former Assistant Secretary with the California State and Consumer Services Agency and the Labor and Workforce Development Agency respectively. Previously, Ms. Bustamante was a Los Angeles Unified school teacher and served as an affiliate at both the National Health Foundation and the Southern California Association for Philanthropy. She received a bachelor's degree in International Studies from Whittier College, and is fluent in three languages.