Flegal did a lot of work on climate early in her career; she helped pass California's first climate policy. She has previously worked at Latino Issues Forum, directing the organization's environmental health and justice work. She has worked as a consultant for organizations in the United States and abroad, including CARE International and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. Chione has served on the Board of Directors at several other state and national organizations, including Housing CA, TransForm, the California EDGE Coalition, and Emerald Cities. She has been a climate justice working group member for the California Natural Resources Agency and the AB 32 Environmental Justice Advisory Committee for the Air Resources Board.

In 2008, she was hired as the Managing Director of Policy Link, a national research and action institute dedicated to advancing economic and social equity. The organization focuses on policies affecting low-income communities and communities of color.

Through her role at Policy Link, she had the privilege of working with the California Housing Partnership and many and many partners from around California to step back and ask the question, 'What's our vision?' and where they have landed is that they wanted to put forward a plan that would expand the supply of affordable housing, really to meet those needs that others have spoken about, that would end homelessness. That would protect renters, and that would address some of the deep racial and economic inequities that are felt in the housing space in communities across California.

Flagel has over 20 years of leadership experience in the housing justice, anti-poverty, climate justice, and equity movements. She is deeply committed to building and growing coalitions and leading successful policy campaigns to improve outcomes for marginalized communities and secure a future where all Californians can thrive. Most recently, as a Managing Director at PolicyLink, she led a portfolio of initiatives focused on water, climate, housing, transportation, and equitable fiscal policy in California and beyond.

In October 2022, she joined Housing California as the Executive Director. Her leadership guides the organization and engages the diverse network of committed partners to deliver on Housing California's bold vision of building a California with homes, health, and prosperity for all."

One of the biggest challenges she sees to ensuring more equitable outcomes as California advances climate resilience in infrastructure is the country's pattern of exploitation and disinvestment in communities of color, like redlining and highway construction, and "eminent domain" that benefited wealthier suburbs while running right through communities of color.