A new advisory group, the CalCEO Council, has been established by the California Foundation for Commerce & Education to provide public policy proposals aimed at strengthening California’s economy. The Foundation is a nonprofit research organization affiliated with the California Chamber of Commerce, which works to promote economic growth and represents employers statewide as a nonprofit advocacy organization. The Chamber also provides resources and support for businesses and has influenced legislation through various initiatives, according to its official website.
The inaugural meeting of the CalCEO Council took place in San Francisco. The council includes chief executives from a broad range of industries across California, such as energy, technology, retail, healthcare, and entertainment. Among its members are Patti Poppe (PG&E Corporation), Richard Dickson (Gap, Inc.), Evan Spiegel (Snap Inc.), Jed York (San Francisco 49ers), Jennifer Barrera (California Chamber of Commerce), Greg Adams (Kaiser Foundation Health Plan), Maryam Brown (SoCalGas), Michelle Gass (Levi Strauss & Co.), Jason Grizadas (Deloitte US), Horacio Gutierrez (The Walt Disney Company), Jennifer Haley (Kern Energy), Marty Kropelnicki (California Water Service Group), Francisco Leon (California Resources Corporation), Dan Letter (Prologis), Enrique Lores (HP Inc.), Ashley Magargee (Genentech), Pedro Pizarro (Edison International), Linda Rendle (Clorox Company), Mike Stuart (Blue Shield of California), Caroline Winn (Sempra/San Diego Gas & Electric) and Eric Yuan (Zoom Video Communications).
The council aims to connect private sector leaders with government officials to address issues such as affordability, infrastructure improvement, and community development throughout California. It will convene quarterly and has developed a proprietary dashboard to monitor key data reflecting the state’s business climate.
Four executives—Poppe, Dickson, Spiegel, and York—will serve on the council’s executive committee.
“Businesses and CEOs are a force for good in California,” said PG&E Corporation CEO Patti Poppe. “CalCEO is an opportunity to share best practices, stand together and power California’s prosperity.”
“California’s unmatched creative and entrepreneurial spirit has long driven progress, strengthened communities, and economic growth,” said Gap, Inc. CEO Richard Dickson. “I look forward to working alongside fellow leaders through CalCEO to support competitiveness, foster innovation, and broaden opportunity statewide.”
“As a born-and-raised Californian, I am grateful to work with leaders across the state to tackle our most pressing problems and help deliver the California dream we all aspire to,” said Snap Inc. CEO Evan Spiegel.
“As business leaders, we are deeply committed to strengthening the state’s communities and economy,” said San Francisco 49ers CEO Jed York. “This is a constructive step toward supporting California’s economic future.”
Luis Quiñonez, president of the California Foundation for Commerce & Education stated: “Our shared success depends on leaders who are willing to step up. The Council is focused on delivering practical solutions that improve affordability for all Californians.”
Future meetings will be held in different regions around the state with presentations from national and regional policy experts.
Jennifer Barrera serves as president and chief executive officer of the California Chamber of Commerce, which maintains its headquarters in Sacramento.
