Phil Isenberg

In five decades of public service Phil Isenberg has served as mayor of Sacramento, a member of the Assembly, a lobbyist, chairs of the Marine Life Protection Blue Ribbon Task Force, the Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force, and, until 2016, the Delta Stewardship Council. He earned a reputation as an independent and courageous thinker and a skilled negotiator. Taking on the future of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is one of California’s greatest challenges. In a two-part oral history with Chris Austin, editor of Maven’s Notebook, Isenberg details the myths and complexities of California water politics. The interview was conducted March 14, 2019, in Sacramento.