Erica began her environmental career early on with an interest in science in elementary school. Later as she became aware of the earth’s dire environmental crisis, she began to encourage friends in school to recycle and decided that she would study the environment in college. While attending Duke she was able to gain an invaluable environmental education, study a semester abroad in Madagascar and gain hands on environmental experience via interning. During the summer of 1996, she interned at Waste Management’s Bradley Landfill where she worked on reporting Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) for air emission reports and conducted ground water sampling. In the summer of 1997 she interned at Hughes Aircraft’s Opto-Mechanical Division, where she used an Infra-Red scanner to produce emission spectra while analyzing chemical components to determine levels of adhesiveness.
Erica graduated with her Bachelors of Arts in Environmental Science and Policy and a Minor in Chemistry from Duke University in May of 1998. Happily, soon after graduation, in December 1998, she began working on her environmental career with the City of Los Angeles at the Environmental Affairs Department where she wrote articles and researched topics for the Greening Guide and provided information for the Environmental Information Center. Erica became an Environmental Specialist with the City of Los Angeles in June 1999 and in 2008 an Environmental Supervisor. Throughout her career, Erica has had the opportunity to work for various city departments (including the Department of Water and Power) on many environmental issues including water quality, water conservation, water supply, energy, cultural resources, policy, planning (California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)/National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)), air quality, storm water and hazardous substance management.
Erica pursued her Master’s Degree while working full time and participating in the city’s tuition re-imbursement program. In 2005, she received her Master’s Degree in Environmental and Occupational Health with honors from California State University - Northridge and became a Registered Environmental Health Specialist with the state of California. Erica has been a regular speaker and presenter for students of all ages advocating careers in science and the environment.
Erica’s previous area of focus was Sustainability at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Erica began working at LAX, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA)/the City of Los Angeles Department of Airports in 1999. Her early work at LAWA primarily focused on regulatory compliance for hazardous materials, waste, noise pollution and stormwater management. More recently, from 2013 to 2018, Erica worked on sustainability (recycling, solar power, green energy, electric vehicle charging, green building, sustainable purchases, water conservation and energy conservation) and wildlife issues at the LAX. As part of LAX’s sustainability initiatives, she was responsible for green building initiatives and environmentally preferred products at LAX.
• See Los Angeles World Airports (http://www.lawa.org/) and (http://www.laxsustainability.org/)
• Erica was featured in National Geographic Online “Rare Butterflies Flying High at Los Angeles Airport” April 21, 2016 (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/160421-butterflies-endangered-species-animals#:~:text=Last%20summer%2C%20an%20estimated%2025%2C000,numbered%20as%20high%20as%20143%2C000.)
• Erica was also featured in LEED in Motion: Transportation Online Magazine (https://readymag.com/usgbc/transportation/futureleed/)
• Erica’s Duke University School of the Environment Bio (https://nicholas.duke.edu/people/alumni/blyther)

In March 2018 Erica was promoted to an Environmental Affairs Officer with the City of Los Angeles working for the Office of Petroleum and Natural Gas Administration and Safety in the Board of Public Works (http://dpw.lacity.org/office-petroleum-and-natural-gas-administration-and-safety).
In November 2019 when her manager left to run the State’s Office of Oil and Gas (CalGEM), Erica was chosen as the Acting Petroleum Administrator and in May 2021 after a nationwide search, Erica was chosen as the Petroleum Administrator. She is the first woman and the first woman of color to hold this position.
• Acting Petroleum Administrator Erica Blyther appointed to permanently run Office of Petroleum Natural Gas Administration and Safety May 24,2021 (https://mailchi.mp/921c878a48f7/press-release-acting-petroleum-administrator-erica-blyther-appointed-to-permanently-run-office-of-petroleum-natural-gas-administration-and-safety?e=4796703136)
• New leader appointed to guide oil and gas policy for L.A. June 2021 (https://beverlypress.com/2021/06/new-leader-appointed-to-guide-oil-and-gas-policy-for-l-a/)
• New administrator balances needs of residents, oil industry June 18, 2021 (https://wavepublication.com/new-administrator-balances-needs-of-residents-oil-industry/)
• Erica Blyther moves from Acting to full Administrator of Petroleum office July 1, 2021 (https://aliveemployeesclub.com/erica-blyther-moves-from-acting-to-full-administrator-of-petroleum-office/)
• LA City View Channel 35’s LA Currents/ LA This Week Interviewed Erica about how her Petroleum department is working to create a greener Los Angeles for everyone. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jsy0TBYs3pg)


As Petroleum Administrator Erica is responsible for overseeing the Office of Petroleum and Natural Gas Administration and Safety. An important aspect of Erica’s work is community engagement and policy analysis. She is engaged in technical environmental affairs related to oil fields, pipelines, and refineries, such as California Environmental Quality Act compliance, public health, noise, climate change, air and water quality, hazardous substance and solid waste management, wastewater and storm water management, pollution prevention, site assessment and remediation, methods, controls, and technologies to mitigate pollution and other environmental impacts. Erica also reviews proposed environmental regulation, legislation, and policies, as well as coordinates with numerous regulatory agencies to ensure that the City and its operations are complying with applicable environmental laws and regulations. Erica also assists the Petroleum Administration section by managing oil and gas issues, liabilities related to thousands of improperly abandoned oil wells across the City, and numerous oil spills, methane and volatile organic compound emissions from oil drill sites in South LA, West LA, and in Wilmington.
Erica also regularly interacts with neighborhood councils, business groups, non-profits, faith based organizations, and educational institutions on oil and gas concerns and conducts public outreach to local community and regulatory agencies, including representing the City on the Inglewood Oilfield Community Standards District, the AB617 Community Standards Districts of South LA, Wilmington Carson West Long Beach, numerous other steering committees and coordinates with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on oil, gas and related air quality matters.