Episode Twenty-Five: Kim Rutledge

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Kim Rutledge was appointed Deputy Director of the Office of Legislation and Communications at the California Department of Rehabilitation by California Governor Gavin Newsom in April 2022. In this role, Rutledge oversees all external affairs for the nation’s largest vocational rehabilitation and independent living programs, which advance employment and independence for people with disabilities. Previously, Rutledge held multiple positions at the California Department of Social Services, including policy director of the nation’s largest program that provides in-home care to older adults and people with disabilities.

Before entering state government, she was Assistant Legislative Director at the United Domestic Workers of America/AFSCME Local 3930, which represents nearly 200,000 in-home caregivers throughout California. She was the Sweeney Graduate Intern on Disability Policy at the National Academy of Social Insurance in Washington, D.C., and a Graduate Policy Intern at the Disability Community Resource Center in Los Angeles.

Earlier in her career, Rutledge worked as a newspaper reporter and editor at several publications, including the Sacramento Bee and the Oakland Tribune.

She earned a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a Master of Social Welfare degree from the University of California-Los Angeles. Rutledge was born with a significant physical disability and has been a wheelchair user since she was a toddler. This lived experience informs her work as a nationally recognized leader in the disability community.

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