For nearly 20 years, Elli Abdoli has counseled clients nationwide on engaging effectively in the political process to achieve business and policy objectives. She draws on deep experience navigating government processes at every level—including strategic use of the initiative and referendum process—to help clients overcome legislative and regulatory barriers.
Ms. Abdoli advises Fortune 500 companies, major trade associations, PACs, and nonprofit organizations on lobbying, campaign finance, and ethics compliance at the federal, state, and local...
Director, CA Office of Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA)
National Advisory Council: 2024
Elmy Bermejo has been a senior government official with more than 25 years of experience at the executive level and has established a successful record of collaboration with public and private stakeholders on a range of issues including workforce development, disaster relief, and small business support. She is a strategic thinker with excellent relationship management skills, committed to public service and is a tireless advocate for women’s rights. On November 2021 President Biden appointed Elmy to serve as the Regional Administrator at SBA for...
Senior Vice President and State Director of Government Relations and Public Policy for California, Wells Fargo Bank
National Advisory Council: 2012
Peter Brightbill ('87), Senior Vice President and State Director of Government Relations and Public Policy for California, started working with Wells Fargo in 1998; he is based in San Francisco. In this role, he is responsible for managing the organization’s state legislative and political agendas in California.
Additional responsibilities include providing counsel to the company’s senior executive management in public policy, legislative, community and political activities.
Prior to joining Wells Fargo, Peter served in various...
Kelly Calkin is a leader in a new generation of game-changing political strategists who are redefining how to win in high-stakes candidate, ballot measure and legislative campaigns.
Bringing state-of-the-audience perspectives and a fully integrated management approach, Kelly focuses on helping clients see around corners with difference-making game plans, stay ahead of curves with high-touch service, and win the most competitive campaigns with high-velocity creative and optimally-efficient media.
Ms. Madeleine (Mady) Deininger earned her BA in Liberal Studies from Stockton State College and her MA in Liberal Studies from Dartmouth College, with a concentration in Comparative Literature and History. During and after her tenure as a graduate student, she worked as a freelance photographer, writer and editor.
Mady began her career in the fine wine business in 1985 and is currently Founder and President of Kismet Wines, Inc. in Sonoma, CA, where she developed national marketing and sales programs for California and...
Pamela Duffy is a Partner Emerita of Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP. While now retired from the active practice, she was one of the first women name partners at a major San Francisco law firm. There her practice focused on public policy issues and commercial real estate, with a particular emphasis on large public-private partnerships. Her interest in and strategic advice on public policy issues continues—and is informed by her past counsel in a broad array of public-policy infused major projects such as the LA Clippers arena, San Francisco 49ers...
For more than 35 years, Peter Hart has been one of the leading analysts of public opinion in the United States. Since 1971, he has directed Peter D. Hart Research Associates, which has conducted more than 6000 public opinion surveys that have included interviews among more than five million individuals. Hart Research also has undertaken more than 5000 focus group sessions. Mr. Hart currently serves as Chairman of Hart Research and as Senior Counselor to the McGinn Group.
Mr. Hart built his reputation on his successful work in politics, working...
Tom MacBride is Of Counsel at Downey Brand LLP after 35 years as a partner at Goodin, MacBride, Squeri & Day LLP in San Francisco. He continues to specialize in proceedings before the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). He served as President of the Conference of California Public Utility Counsel (CCPUC) in 1997-98, a position he also held in 1982-83. Mr. MacBride participated in a number of successful legislative initiatives to reform CPUC procedures, including the drafting and advocacy leading to the enactment of the Calderon-Peace-...
Michael Matthews is the President of Michael Matthews Consulting, which has provided an array of grassroots organizing capabilities, keen political strategic advice, and results-oriented project management to clients including high-tech companies, unions, and nonprofit organizations. Matthews was previously Public Policy Director at Meta. Matthews has more than 30 years of campaign, political and grassroots organizing experience. He served as Political Director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) for the 2002 election cycle and...
Vice President; Global Head of Compliance, Epic Games
National Advisory Council: 2024
Kori Kelley Meehan (‘01) is Vice President, Global Head of Compliance at Epic Games. Prior to working at Epic, Kori worked at Google for nearly 12 years where she led a team responsible for compliance assurance across Privacy, Security, Consumer Protection, Content, and Competition. She was the founding Director of Google’s Privacy Compliance team, and she previously served as Senior Privacy Counsel at Google. Kori is a 2019 Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Fellow.
Prior to working in-house, Kori worked as a litigation associate at...
