Join us for a joint MBA school dinner organised by the alumni Clubs of Boston College, Chicago, UCLA, Berkeley and Stanford. This time we will share a dinner with two of the top authorities in the Government of California: John Perez, Speaker of the Assembly and Michael Peevy, President of the California Public Utilities Comission.
Speaker Profiles
John Pérez (Speaker)
Speaker of the Assembly
Pérez was elected in 2008 to represent the 46th Assembly District, comprising the cities of Maywood, Vernon, Huntington Park as well as the communities of Boyle Heights, Downtown Los Angeles, unincorporated East Los Angeles and parts of South Los Angeles. In January 2010, he was elected Speaker of the California Assembly and was sworn in as the 68th Speaker on March 1, 2010.
Growing up in the working class communities of El Sereno and Highland Park, John’s parents taught him the value of hard work and community service. After attending the University of California at Berkeley, he became active in the labor movement, where he spent over 15 years working to create jobs, expand healthcare and protect workers’ rights. Prior to his election to the State Assembly, John served as political director for the United Food & Commercial Workers Local 324, and previously served in a similar position for the California Labor Federation.
John’s commitment to the labor movement was matched by an equal commitment to civic involvement. He has served on the board of directors of the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency, where he led the effort to mandate a local hire agreement requiring 30% of all major construction jobs to be dedicated to local residents and those in need, providing those individuals with valuable experience and training in skilled professions.
John serves as an elected member of the Democratic National Committee. He has previously served as a board member for the California League of Conservation Voters and the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation. He was appointed by former Speaker Bob Hertzberg to serve on a blue ribbon panel on Initiative Reform as well as the Voting Modernization Board.
As the first openly gay person of color to be elected to state office in California, John has been a longtime advocate on behalf of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Community. He has been especially active in the fight against HIV/AIDS. He has been a leader with AIDS Project Los Angeles, the Latino Coalition against AIDS, and the California Center for Regional Leadership. In recognition of his work, he was appointed by both President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush to serve on the Presidents Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS.
John’s lifetime of fighting for better wages, healthcare and benefits for working families reflects the values with which he was raised, giving him a deep understanding of the daily struggles that so many working families endure just to survive. As Speaker, he is using that experience to focus on solving California’s budget crisis, promote policies that create high-paying, quality jobs in California and implementing real reforms to state government
Michael Peevy (Speaker)
President, The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)
Michael R. Peevey was appointed President of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) by Governor Gray Davis on December 31, 2002, having been originally appointed to the CPUC by Governor Davis in March 2002. In December 2008 Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger reappointed Mr. Peevey to the CPUC for another six-year term.
As President of the CPUC, Mr. Peevey is committed to protecting the public interest by promoting consumer needs, while challenging utilities to embrace new technologies and provide safe, high-quality services.
Mr. Peevey is committed to maximizing energy efficiency and demand response opportunities and ensuring that California's environment is protected. He is also a strong supporter of renewable energy and renewable procurement requirements for utilities, and is a leader in implementing California's Solar and Greenhouse Gas Initiatives. He also serves as Chairman of the California Emerging Technology Fund.
Mr. Peevey has made it a priority to work closely with sister agencies, such as the California Department of Water Resources, the Independent System Operator, the California Energy Commission, and the Air Resources Board-- agencies in which the CPUC has overlapping or complementary responsibilities, to assure that California has adequate energy resources and transmission facilities to support its growing population and improving economy.
From 1995 until 2000, Mr. Peevey was President of NewEnergy Inc. Prior to that, Mr. Peevey was President of Edison International and Southern California Edison Company, and a senior executive there beginning in 1984. Mr. Peevey has served on the boards of numerous corporations and non-profit organizations.
Mr. Peevey has received many awards recognizing his leadership in developing energy policy and promoting recognition of California's diverse population, including a "Distinguished Citizen Award" from the Commonwealth Club of California for achievements in green and sustainable energy in 2007; the Pat Brown Legacy Award in 2003; named "Man of the Year" by the Power Association of Northern California; recognized with the Climate Action Champion Award by the California Climate Action Registry in 2004; and leadership recognition from American Council for Energy Efficiency (2005), the Utility Minority Access Program (2006), and the California Solar Energy Industries Association (2006).
Mr. Peevey holds Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees in economics from the University of California, Berkeley. He is married to Carol J. Liu, who served three terms representing the 44th Assembly District (La Canada Flintridge) in the California legislature and in November 2008 was elected to the California Senate to represent the 21st Senate District. They have three children.