Bill Sadler

Executive Director @Civicspark Fellowship Program

Los Angeles, CA, US

Since September 2022, I have served as the director of the CivicSpark fellowship program, an award-winning and evidence-based AmeriCorps program that places up to 200 fellows each year with government agencies and community organizations across the United States who need help addressing community planning and development issues. In July 2024, CivicSpark moved from CivicWell to the Public Health Institute and I was promoted to the executive director role. I oversee a staff of 10+ people, 100+ fellows & more than $10 million in revenue from local, state, federal and private sources.CivicSpark was launched in 2014 in California, as a partnership between the Governor Brown administration, Office of Planning & Research and Local Government Commission as a way to assist local government agencies with meeting the goals of newly-passed environmental legislation. Over the past decade, nearly CivicSpark fellows have provided more than 1 million hours of service to 300+ local public agencies through 900+ projects across California, Colorado and Washington state. In this time, CivicSpark reached over community members while supporting a wide range of actions, including: completing 130+ greenhouse gas inventories and climate and vulnerability assessments; developing 50+ climate and energy action plans; holding 400+ community events; and supporting volunteer hours. In 2022, an external evaluator conducted an impact evaluation finding that organizations who participate in CivicSpark are 5 to 15 times more likely to achieve their project goals than organizations who don’t have a Fellow. CivicSpark alumni can now be found at hundreds of government agencies, nonprofits, boards and commissions and elected and appointed positions across California. In late 2025, the program will expand nationally to multiple new states across the West, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.

University of Minnesota Law School

Doctor of Law (JD), Land Use & Environmental Law

University of Colorado Denver

Master of Urban & Regional Planning (M.U.R.P.), Urban Planning

Boston College

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Economics, Communication