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Tommy Ross

Tommy Ross is President/CEO of Pinnacle Strategic Group, Inc., a Sacramento based strategic communications firm that provides public affairs consulting services to corporate, political and government clients. He currently serves as a senior advisor to California Assembly Speaker Karen Bass.  He also serves as an advisor to the JC Watts Companies; including Oakcrest Capital and The CLS Group; and has served as a consultant with various political campaign committees including: Californians United; Californians for Good Jobs; Safe Streets and Outstanding Schools, and United for California. See www.pinnaclestrategy.net for more information. Ross also serves as Chairman of the Research and Policy Institute of California (RPIC), a non-profit public policy institute whose mission includes providing research and analysis focused on the African American community. It sponsors the annual African American Youth Leadership Program, the Algebra Institute and other community based programs. See www.calresearch.org for more information. Following a 22 year career, Ross recently retired from Southern California Edison, where he was Vice President, Public Affairs and led the company's political and legislative efforts in Sacramento. He provided strategic guidance at the most senior level and managed the corporation's lobbying and public affairs efforts in the state's capital, including leading its team of lobbyists, analysts and consultants. He was also appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger to the California Economic Strategy Panel, founded and led the California African American Political Action Committee and is a Lincoln Fellow with the Claremont Institute. He was a Senate Fellow in the California State Senate. In addition, Ross has extensive experience under both Democratic and Republican Administrations. He was appointed by Governor Wilson as Assistant Director of Recycling for the California State Department of Conservation, overseeing the State's beverage container recycling program. He served as a Senate Staff Consultant with the Committee on Public Utilities, Transit and Energy; and was Staff Consultant to the Senate Office of Research. During Governor Jerry Brown's tenure, he worked in the Governors Office of Planning and Research as Chairman of the Century Freeway Economic Development Task Force, and was Legislative Representative at the State Department of Corrections. Ross was a transition advisor to newly elected Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and was a Community Advisory Committee member for the 2000 Olympic Track and Field Finals held in Sacramento. He has written extensively on various political and social issues as a featured columnist in the Sacramento Observer newspaper. A native of Southern California, Ross is the seventh of nine children. Married to Barbara for over 20 years, they are the parents to Johnathan and Jacquelyn. A graduate of Compton High School, Ross received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Claremont Men's College. He enjoys international travels, biking, and reading.