WEDNESDAY
8:30 AM - 9:15 AM
Continental Breakfast
9:20 AM - 9:30 AM
Welcome Remarks
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
2026 LEGISLATIVE & POLICY OUTLOOK
Moderator: Jose Atilio Hernandez
Panelists: Rob Lapsley and Jennifer Barrera
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
CALIFORNIA’S ECONOMIC OUTLOOK FOR 2026
Moderator: Bob Gutierrez
Panelists: Carolyn Chu, Dr Christopher Thornberg, and Dr Sarah Bohn
11:30 AM - 11:40 AM
Closing Remarks
Moderator
Jose Atilio
Hernandez
IDEATE California
José Atilio Hernández has worked for the past twenty-four years developing and implementing policy solutions at the local,state, and federal levels Currently, Mr Hernández serves as the Founder and President of IDEATE California, a public relations and policy management firm, and is the founder of ideateLABS, a non-profit, and philanthropic clients as well as build diverse coalitions and networks Prior to IDEATE California, Mr Hernández served a Director for External Affairs and Community Relations for ConnectEd: The California Center for College and Career Mr Hernández assisted in developing ConnectEd’s state-wide and federal legislative agenda as well as educational practitioners
Mr Hernández worked for six years in the California State Senate as the Director of Policy and development for the 20 Senate District, serving as a memeber’s consultant to the Utilities and Energy Committee, the Principal Consultant to the Senate Select Committee on College and Unibersity Admissions and Outreach, a Consultant to the Joint Committee to Develop a Master Plan to End Poverty in California and Staffed the Education and Health Committees
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Mr Hernández is currently the Board Chair of ideateLABs and the Board Chair of Pacoima Beautiful He is a member on the California Neighborhood Through Empowerment Board He is the former Board Chair of the California Public Utilities Commission’s Low-income Oversight Board, the former Board Chair of the Salvadoran American Leadership Educational Forum, and the former Board Chairman of Brighline Defense Project
Mr. Hernández has provided support to the California Assembly Select Committee on the Status of Boys and Men of Color since 2012 and was recognized as an Equity Fellow by the Education Trust West in 2018
Mr Hernández began his public engagement, and community-realtions work at Latino Issues Forum, a statewide public policy and advocacy organizaition in San Francisco He received his BA in Sociology from the University of California at Berkeley
CalChamber
Jennifer Barrera is president and chief executive officer of the CalChamber Barrera took over the leadership position in October 2021, after serving as the executive vice president of policy for four years As executive vice president, Barrera oversaw the development and implementation of policy and strategy for four years. Prior to that, she led CalChamber advocacy on labor and employment and taxation from September 2010 through the end of 2017
From May 2003 until joining the CalChamber staff, Barrera worked at a statewide law firm that specializes in labor/employment defense, now Carothers, DiSante & Freudenberger, LLP She represented employers in both state and federal court on a variety of issues, including wage and hour disputes, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, and wrongful termination
She also advised both small and large businesses on compliance issues, presented seminars on various employment-related topics, and regularly authored articles in human resources publications
Barrera earned a BA in English from California State University, Bakersfield, and a JD with high honors from California Western School of Law
California Business Roundtable
Rob Lapsley was named President of the California Business Roundtable in 2011. As President, Rob leads an organization comprised of senior executive leadership of major California employers representing all sectors of California’s economy and with a combined workforce of more than a million employees
The Business Roundtable’s mission is to strengthen California’s economy and grow jobs while ensuring an educated workforce prepared for the next generation of jobs Major policy priorities include efforts to address California’s housing crisis, rising energy costs and the regulatory environment’s impact on the ability of California businesses to compete both nationally and internationally.
In 2012, the California Business Roundtable successfully launched the nonpartisan California Center for Jobs and the Economy, which compiles federal and state economic and jobs data into state, county, region, congressional, senate and assembly district profiles The Center for Jobs’ mission is to provide state and local policy makers with the latest trends and analysis impacting jobs and cost of living by all economic sectors.
With new energy policies continuing to transform the California economy, Rob is also Chair of Californians for Affordable and Reliable Energy (CARE), a statewide coalition that has played a major role in some of the most high-profile debates regarding the implementation and extension of the state’s landmark greenhouse gas emissions law and other issues such as cap and trade, the renewable portfolio standard and implementation of electric vehicles
Beyond leading the Roundtable’s legislative and regulatory agenda, Rob has chaired/co-chaired campaigns for several high-profile statewide ballot initiatives, including opposing efforts to repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act (rent control), a $12 billion split roll property tax, Taxpayer Protection Act and others
Previously Rob was the vice president and state political director for CalChamber, serving as executive director of JobsPAC, a broad, employer-based, bipartisan committee that helped elect over twenty probusiness Republicans and Democrats in the Senate and Assembly. Rob also previously served as president of RCL Consultants, and vice president for Arnel Development, one of the largest private real estate companies in Southern California
As an appointee of President George W Bush, Rob served in the US State Department as special assistant to the US Ambassador to Spain during the Iraq war In addition to his diplomatic duties, Rob was responsible for working with private sector firms and the U.S. Department of Commerce in the SpanishAmerican and European Union business sectors on trade and investment strategies
He also served as a long-time Chief of Staff to former Secretary of State Bill Jones, serving as Undersecretary of State from 1995 to 2001 and managed both of Jones’s successful campaigns for that constitutional office Rob also served as a senior executive appointee to Cal-EPA in the administration of Governor Pete Wilson and held top senior staff positions in the California Legislature for over six years
Rob is a graduate fellow of the Coro Foundation and is a veteran of the US Air Force He holds a BS in biology and political science from Illinois State University
Bob Gutierrez stands at the forefront of a new wave of political strategists, shaking up the conventional approach in both Sacramento and Washington as the founder and principal of BG Strategies With a twodecade career in politics, Bob has honed a unique style in guiding clients towards success in pro-business policymaking, both in California and nationally He is adept at introducing diverse, often overlooked audience insights, allowing his clients to stay proactive and tailored in their approach to emerging issues
Bob Gutierrez
Dr. Sarah Bohn Economic Policy Center
Recognized for his innovative strategies and impactful campaigns, Bob has accumulated a record of notable achievements for various candidates, communities, and industries navigating complex political terrains Before establishing BG Strategies, he served as the Government Affairs Director at PAQ Inc, a family-owned entity operating grocery outlets like Food 4 Less, Rancho San Miguel markets in California, and Times Supermarkets in Hawaii During his tenure, Bob skillfully addressed intricate industry matters including land use, recycling, plastic bag usage, theft thresholds, and loss prevention, while ensuring robust representation for the grocery sector in policies related to the WIC program and SNAP within the federal Farm Bill. His political expertise extends to roles such as a senior district representative for a U.S. House of Representatives member and campaign consultant for a California Lieutenant Governor candidate
In recent years, Bob's focus has shifted to aiding various organizations and community groups in mobilizing and advocating their causes to legislators in Sacramento and Washington DC In 2019, he was unanimously voted Chairman of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce (CHCC) in a statewide election, and previously held positions as CHCC vice-chair and president of the San Joaquin County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Today, he continues to serve as the CHCC Chair Emeritus. Bob also contributes as the acting interim CEO of the San Joaquin Partnership, a joint public-private initiative promoting economic development in the region, adding to his extensive portfolio of client work
Sarah Bohn is vice president and director of the Economic Policy Center and senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California, where she holds the John and Louise Bryson chair in policy research As the founding director of the Economic Policy Center, she leads research and engagement to inform California policymaking to support greater opportunity and upward mobility for workers, families, and businesses statewide A labor economist, her research focuses on the job market, workforce skills, and the role of education and government programs in upward mobility Her other areas of expertise include immigration policy, poverty measurement, income inequality, and career technical education Her work has been published in major academic journals, including the American Economic Review, Demography, American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, and The Review of Economics and Statistics. Previously she served as vice president of research at PPIC She holds a PhD in economics from the University of Maryland, College Park
Dr Christopher Thornberg has been called many things throughout his career, but his favorite thing to be called is correct
Notably, he predicted the collapse of the sub-prime real estate bubble in 2006 and the Great Recession that followed During the Covid-19 pandemic he was one of the few economists on record to correctly push back against the forecasting community’s panicked predictions of a depression In the past two years, he has again stood against the grain, and stood out, for accurately forecasting that there would be no recession
Dr Thornberg left a teaching position at UCLA’s Business School in 2006 to found Beacon Economics, and under his leadership, the fi rm has become one of the nation’s most respected economic research organizations He consults globally for private industry, cities, counties, and public agencies A dynamic public speaker, he challenges audiences to question popular narratives – and to ask the right economic questions
Legislative Analyst’s Office
Carolyn Chu is Chief Deputy at the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO), the California Legislature’s nonpartisan fiscal and policy advisor In this role, she guides the development of analysis and recommendations on a range of key issues, including the state economy, the budget condition, and health and human services programs, among others