Davenport Institute Director, Peterson, Appointed to Leadership Councils of Major California Public Policy Organizations

Pete Peterson (MPP '07), executive director of the Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic Leadership at the Pepperdine School of Public Policy, has been appointed to the Statewide Leadership Council of the Public Policy Institute of California as well as the Leadership Council of California Forward.

The Public Policy Institute of California is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank dedicated to informing and improving public policy in California through independent, objective, nonpartisan research. It focuses on improving policy resources, planning for the future, and understanding the drivers of change in order to frame policy debates and shape a better future for California.

California Forward is also a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that has a vision for governance reforms to break partisan gridlock, fortify fiscal management, and rebuild the relationship between the state and local governments.

Peterson is a nationally-recognized trainer, speaker, and advisor on topics relating to increasing civic participation in government decision-making processes and exploring how technology is changing the citizen/government relationship. For the better part of a decade, Peterson has travelled throughout California with public officials to improve public processes on issues ranging from budgets to water policy.

"I'm honored to be asked by both the leading policy research institute and political/economic reform organizations to serve on their respective Leadership Councils," stated Peterson. "I look forward to working with both of these groups. They are terrific platforms from which to promote informed policy-making and public engagement throughout California."

Peterson received a BA in history from George Washington University and an MPP from Pepperdine University's School of Public Policy. He was also a public affairs fellow at The Hoover Institution in 2006. He serves on the advisory committees to the Institute for Local Government's Public Engagement Program, the California Civic Innovation Project, and the University Network for Collaborative Governance. In 2007, Peterson became the first executive director of the bi-partisan organization, Common Sense California, joined with the Davenport Institute in 2010 at the Pepperdine School of Public Policy to become the Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic Leadership. He is the co-creator the seminar, "Public Engagement: The Vital Leadership Skill in Difficult Times," which has been attended by over 500 public officials around the country. He has advised dozens of public engagement processes around California, and also teaches a masters' class at Pepperdine University titled "Leadership through Public Engagement." Peterson was a 2014 candidate for California Secretary of State.