Mark Baldassare

President and CEO

Public Policy Institute of California

Mark Baldassare is president and CEO of the Public Policy Institute of California, where he also holds the Arjay and Frances Fearing Miller Chair in Public Policy and directs the PPIC Statewide Survey-a large-scale public opinion project designed to develop an in-depth profile of the social, economic, and political forces at work in California elections and in shaping the state’s public policies.

Dale E. Bonner

Secretary of the Business, Transportation & Housing Agency

State of California

As Secretary, he oversees 13 departments and several economic development programs and commissions consisting of more than 44,000 employees and a budget of $20 billion, a budget larger than that of almost half the states in the nation. The Agency's portfolio is one of the largest and most diverse in the State of California.

Tom Campbell

U.S. Representative

Former Silicon Valley

Tom served as a United States Congressman for five terms representing districts in the Silicon Valley. He was also a California State Senator, and the Director of Finance for the State of California. In Congress, Tom served on the Judiciary Committee, the Joint Economic Committee, the Banking and Housing Committee and the International Relations Committee.

John Chiang

Controller

State of California

Controller John Chiang was elected in November 2006 to serve as California’s Chief Fiscal Officer. He has long championed financial literacy, and he is using his position to empower working families. Through seminars and free tax preparation assistance, Chiang educates low- and middle-income Californians about taking advantage of tax credits and refunds they have earned.

Keith Curry

Mayor Pro Tem

City of Newport Beach

Professionally, Mr. Curry is a managing director of Public Financial Management (PFM) and for more than 20 years has been a national recognized financial advisor to state and local governments. From 2004-2006 he served as the President of the National Association of Independent Public Finance Advisors.

Denise Moreno Ducheny

Senator

State of California - District 40

Denise Moreno Ducheny was elected to the California State Senate on November 5, 2002, to represent the 40th District and re-elected in 2006. She represents a district which incorporates portions of San Diego and Riverside Counties and all of Imperial County. Senator Ducheny chairs the Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review as well as the Joint Legislative Budget Committee.

Jim Ferguson

Councilmember

City of Palm Desert

In 1997 Jim was elected to the Palm Desert City Council. Previously, he served as a member and then Chairman of the Palm Desert Planning Commission. Jim was selected by his colleagues to serve as Mayor of the City of Palm Desert in 2001 and 2006. In 2002 and 2005, Jim served as Chairman of the Cove Communities Services Commission representing the Cities of Palm Desert, Indian Wells and Rancho Mirage.

Joel Fox

President

Small Business Action Committee

Joel Fox operates Joel Fox Consulting, a public affairs/political consulting firm. He also currently serves as president of the Small Business Action Committee, founded in 2003 to battle for small business on important political issues. Prior to starting his own firm in January 1999, Fox worked for the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association for 19 years, serving as the association’s president from 1986 to 1998.

Michael C. Genest

Director of Finance

California Department of Finance

Mr. Genest first joined the Department as Chief Deputy Director in November 2003. He left the Department in February 2005 to serve as Undersecretary of the Health and Human Services Agency and returned to Finance in September 2005 as Acting Director.

Bruce Graham

Partner

Goodwin Procter

Bruce Graham, a partner in Goodwin Procter’s Business Law Department and a member of the Real Estate, REITs & Real Estate Capital Markets Group, specializes in the financing and refinancing of a wide variety of public and private projects, including all forms of public infrastructure, utilities, multi-family housing projects, and more.

David Johnson

Managing Director and Head of Western Region

Wells Fargo Securities

David has been a public finance investment banker in California for over 20 years, serving state, local and not-for-profit clients. Prior to joining Wells Fargo, David worked at Bank of America for 18 years and served as manager for that firm’s west coast public finance practice.

Thomas E. Lanctot

Principal and Group Head

William Blair & Company

Thomas E. Lanctot is a principal of William Blair & Company, where he leads the investment banking team that serves the public and nonprofit sectors and advises public, nonprofit and private sector clients on P3 infrastructure concession transactions. Mr. Lanctot also helps manage William Blair & Company’s relationships with several large public employee pension funds.

Kathy Laroque

Deputy County Counsel

City of Sonoma

Kathy moved to California in 1986 and joined the Sonoma County Counsel’s office in 1987. One of her primary assignments is advising the Sonoma County Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector. She has been an active participant in property tax and assessment litigation such as County of Sonoma v. Commission on State Mandates.

Claude A. "Bud" Lewis

Mayor

City of Carlsbad

Mayor Lewis has a long history of public service including the successful completion and opening of new Library and renovation of Cole Library; construction of Carlsbad Senior Center; redeveloped downtown Village of Carlsbad; attracted high-technology, non-polluting industry to Carlsbad; merged Carlsbad Municipal Water District with City to provide more efficient service; and much more.

Bill Lockyer

Treasurer

State of California

As State Treasurer, Lockyer is committed to using the tools of the Office to help provide residents what they need to create a stronger California – more jobs, superior education, improved transportation, quality health care, more affordable housing and a cleaner environment.

Ron Loveridge

Mayor

City of Riverside

Ron Loveridge has served as Riverside's Mayor since 1994. Prior to his term as mayor, he was elected to the City Council and served from 1979 to 1994. He is currently the 1st Vice President for the National League of Cities.

Dan McAllister

Treasurer

County of San Diego

Dan McAllister was elected San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector by nearly 60% in November 2002. In June 2006, he was re-elected to a second term by 100% of the vote. As San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector, he has shaped his office into a strong regional fiscal resource and taken a number of steps to make his office a catalyst for innovation, transparency and best practices.

John Muller

Mayor

City of Half Moon Bay

Mike Roos

Former California State Assemblyman and

Senior Vice President

Stone & Youngberg LLC

A political strategist and legislative leader in California for over 14 years, he served as a member of the California State Assembly from 1977 to 1991. In his second legislative term, he was chosen by his caucus as Majority Floor Leader. He served in that position for six years until he was elected by the 80-member body as Speaker Pro Tempore of the State Assembly.

Jean Ross

Executive Director

California Budget Project

Jean Ross joined the California Budget Project (CBP) as its first executive director in 1995. Her prior professional experience includes serving as Principal Consultant to the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee; Senior Consultant to the Assembly Human Services Committee; and Assistant Research Director of the Service Employees International Union in Washington, DC.

Jerry Sanders

Mayor

City of San Diego

Jerry Sanders was chosen by voters to continue as the 34th Mayor of San Diego during the June 2008 primary election. Mayor Sanders enters his second term dedicated to continuing efforts to restore financial stability and accountability to the City. He will also be working to reform the City's pension system, overcome a backlog of deferred maintenance needs and to restore the City's ability to access the public finance marketplace.