Just as Bren students receive support and guidance from faculty, staff, and professional mentors, so, too does the school itself benefit from reliable counsel and strong leadership from a variety of sources.

Bren leadership begins with Acting Dean John Melack, a distinguished scientist who played a seminal role in the creation of the Bren School and has an interational reputation for his work in biogeochemistry, aquatic ecology, and remote sensing. From Dr. Melack, it extends to several groups comprising men and women holding prominent positions in the corporate, government, nonprofit, and consultancy sectors.

The Bren School Advisory Board, which includes UCSB Chancellor Henry Yang and University of California representatives as well as representatives from corporations and nonprofit organizations, provides high-level direction to ensure that the school and its programs are the best in the world in terms of providing a comprehensive, balanced, cutting-edge approach to Environmental Science & Management.

The Dean's Council was created to support, promote, and guide the Bren School in achieving its objectives while also serving as the primary conduit between the school and the local community. The Council also sponsors the Breakfast Club, which meets quarterly at the University Club in Santa Barbara.

The most recently formed of the leadership groups is the Eco-Entrepreneurship Advisory Council, whose members provide perspective and wisdom to students pursuing the Eco-Entrepreneurship focus within the master's curriculum.