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IGS National Advisory Council

DAN PELLISSIER ('82)

Dan Pellissier has had a distinguished 25 year career in public service that started with a Capitol Hill internship through the Cal-in-the-Capitol program at UC Berkeley.

Most recently, Dan served as Deputy Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Environment, where he advised Governor Schwarzenegger and oversaw California's Natural Resources and Environmental Protection agencies. Prior to the Schwarzenegger Administration, Dan served for six years as Chief of Staff for Assemblyman Keith Richman where he spearheaded fiscal and political reform efforts and helped foster bipartisan cooperation through the Bipartisan Group. As energy policy advisor for Assembly Republican Leader Scott Baugh, Dan coordinated the Republican's response to the California energy crisis in 2000-01.

During his three decades in California's political arena, Dan has held senior positions on four statewide initiative campaigns (Indian gaming, infrastructure development, energy policy and pension reform) and numerous legislative campaigns. Currently, he is serving as President of California Pension Reform, a citizen's group that is preparing a pension reform initiative for the November 2012 statewide ballot.

Dan grew up in Whittier, California and graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Development Studies from the Institute for International Studies. He lives in Sacramento with his wife Laura Walker ('84) and has one grown daughter Johanna. They are longtime Bear Backers and attend most Cal home football games.

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