Senator Holly Mitchell, Chair, Assemblymember Phil Ting, Vice-Chair, and the members of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) today announced that Gabriel Petek has been selected to be the next Legislative Analyst for the California Legislature.
Petek, who currently serves as a Managing Director and the San Francisco Office Head, as well as the Primary Credit Analyst for California, for S & P Global Ratings, will assume the job February 4, 2018. He succeeds Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor, who assumed the post in 2008 and retired at the end of 2018. Petek will be only the sixth person to lead the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) since the office was established in 1941.
The selection of Petek concludes a bipartisan, bicameral, nationwide search conducted by a Subcommittee on the Selection of the Legislative Analyst, which came to a close with official action by the full Joint Legislative Budget Committee. The JLBC’s selection of Petek on January 16 was approved on a unanimous 14-0 vote.
“One of my key priorities throughout this bipartisan process was to identify a new Legislative Analyst who will help the legislature achieve its policy and oversight goals by providing thoughtful analysis and support. Gabriel Petek brings strong credentials and experience to the job. I look forward to engaging him in the budget process, so we can make the smartest fiscal decisions for California,” said Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco).
Senator Mitchell said “We were fortunate to have many strong candidates who applied to be the Legislative Analyst. Ultimately, we chose Gabriel Petek because we believe that he has both a deep understanding of the state’s budget and fiscal situation, and the ability to assist us in making economic and policy decisions that will best serve the people of California.”
Senator Nielsen said “We are delighted to have Gabriel Petek on board as on our new Legislative Analyst. As a part of his private sector experience, he worked with California to find solutions during some of the state’s most difficult fiscal times. So he’s very familiar with our fiscal plight and will undoubtedly be an asset to the state in his new capacity.”
“It was a privilege to serve on the JLBC Subcommittee to select our new Legislative Analyst,” said Assemblyman Obernolte. “Although we had many strong candidates, I was especially impressed with Gabriel’s extensive experience and independent nature. Given the importance of the research that the LAO does for the Legislature, it is critical to have someone with a strong economic background directing the office. I’m confident that Gabriel will be an extremely valuable leader in this role.”
# # # # #