Joe Rodota is the founder and CEO of Forward Observer, a public affairs research and strategy firm with offices in Washington, DC and Sacramento, CA.

His political resume includes more than 40 statewide ballot
initiatives, most recently No on Proposition 23 and Yes on Proposition
14. He served as director of policy and research for Arnold
Schwarzenegger's historic 2003 recall campaign, heading up what
Newsweek magazine called "Schwarzenegger University." He was a top
consultant to California Governor Pete Wilson's 1990 and 1994
gubernatorial campaigns, and served as a researcher and strategist in
1984, 1998 and 1992 presidential election cycles for the Republican
National Committee. Rodota was also a key campaign advisor to Kevin
Johnson's successful 2008 campaign to topple the incumbent mayor of
Sacramento.

In government, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Cabinet
Secretary to Pete Wilson, as Deputy Director of Public Affairs in the
Reagan White House, and as a Schwarzenegger appointee to the Little
Hoover Commission.

Joe is a graduate of Stanford University and served on the board of
directors of Stanford Alumni in Government. He's also a member of the
board of trustees of the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, California.

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