For Immediate Release
Contact: John Myers
john.myers@calchamber.com | press@calchamber.com
New CalCEO Council Focuses on Boosting California’s Economy
(Jan. 23, 2026) Sacramento, CA – The California Foundation for Commerce & Education today announced the creation of the CalCEO Council, a new advisory group comprised of experienced business leaders using data-driven insights and real-world experience to offer achievable public policy proposals that will strengthen the state’s economy.
The Foundation, a nonprofit research organization affiliated with the California Chamber of Commerce, convened its first meeting of the Council Wednesday in San Francisco. At its inception, the CalCEO Council represents a diverse cross-section of California’s business community:
Patti Poppe, CEO, PG&E Corporation
Richard Dickson, CEO, Gap, Inc.
Evan Spiegel, Co-Founder & CEO, Snap Inc.
Jed York, CEO, San Francisco 49ers
Jennifer Barrera, President & CEO, California Chamber of Commerce
Greg Adams, CEO, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. and Hospitals
Maryam Brown, CEO, Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas)
Michelle Gass, President & CEO, Levi Strauss & Co.
Jason Grizadas, CEO, Deloitte US
Horacio Gutierrez, Senior Executive Vice President, The Walt Disney Company
Jennifer Haley, President & CEO, Kern Energy
Marty Kropelnicki, President & CEO, California Water Service Group
Francisco Leon, President & CEO, California Resources Corporation
Dan Letter, CEO, Prologis
Enrique Lores, President & CEO, HP, Inc.
Ashley Magargee, CEO, Genentech
Pedro Pizarro, President & CEO, Edison International
Linda Rendle, Chair & CEO, Clorox Company
Mike Stuart, President & CEO, Blue Shield of California
Caroline Winn, Chair, Executive Vice President, Sempra & CEO, San Diego Gas & Electric
Eric Yuan, Founder & CEO, Zoom Video Communications
The Council will serve as a bridge between the private sector and government in seeking ways to make California more affordable, to strengthen its infrastructure, and to help its communities thrive. It will meet four times a year and has commissioned a proprietary “dashboard” to track vital data that shows the overall strength of California’s business climate and economy.
Four chief executives – Poppe, Dickson, Spiegel, and York – will serve as members of the CalCEO Council 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.”
As chief executives, Council members have a front seat to how public policy choices affect supply chains, competitiveness, and our employees. The success of their companies depends on the health of California’s broader economy.
“Our shared success depends on leaders who are willing to step up,” said Luis Quiñonez, president of the California Foundation for Commerce & Education. “The Council is focused on delivering practical solutions that improve affordability for all Californians.”
Future Council meetings will be held in different regions of California, with presentations offered by a variety of national, state, and regional policy experts.
About CFCE
The California Foundation for Commerce and Education is a nonpartisan, nonprofit research organization — 501(c)(3) — affiliated with the California Chamber of Commerce. Through providing objective research, CFCE establishes foundational data and insight that empowers informed policy decisions and meaningful progress.
