Leadership Council
The Leadership Council for the UCI Center for the Study of Democracy is a group of political and business leaders of Orange County who are deeply concerned about the vitality of democracy in the United States and the expansion of democracy around the world. The Council embodies the model of citizen participation as the strength of the democratic political process. Council members work with the Center for the Study of Democracy to support education and research aimed at improving the democratic process. As liaisons between the community and the Center, Council members: contribute their own political interest and expertise to the teaching and research missions of the Center; help to increase community awareness of the Center and its activities, and identify areas where Center activities can contribute to the understanding of democracy; assist the philanthropic activities of the Center in the support of education and research on democracy. We believe the democratic process is one of America's most precious resources, and the Community Council is helping to build the leading university-based center devoted explicitly to the study of democracy at home and abroad.
Hon. Marian Bergeson, Co-Chair of the Leadership Council, Former State Senator and Orange County Supervisor
Hon. William G. Steiner,Co-Chair of the Leadership Council, National Program Director, Childhelp USA
Jack W. Peltason,
Emeritus Founding Chair of the Leadership Council,
President Emeritus, University of California,
Chancellor Emeritus, University of California, Irvine
Jo Ellen Allen, Regional Director, Public Affairs, Southern California Edison
Linda Cohen, Professor of Economics, University of California Irvine
Nicholas Franklin, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs, PacifiCare
James A. Geocaris, Attorney at Law
Walter B. Gerken, Chairman & CEO (retired) Pacific Life Insurance Co
Bernard Grofman, Professor of Political Science, University of California Irvine
Lisa Hughes, Attorney, Hughes and Sullivan
Gary Hunt, California Strategies, LLC
Christine Diemer Iger, Christine Iger & Associates
J. Fernando Niebla, President, International Technology Partners
William F. Podlich, Managing Director, Pacific Investment Management Company
Tom Powell, Attorney at Law
Curt Pringle, President, Curt Pringle & Associates, Mayor, City of Anaheim
Safi Qureshey, President, Skyline Realty Ventures, LLC
Michael D. Ray, President, Sanderson J Ray Corporation
Thomas B. Rogers, Senior Vice President and Manager, City National Bank
Donald Saltarelli, Owner, Century 21 Saltarelli Realty
Bernard E. Schneider, Jr., Attorney at Law
Gary J. Singer, Managing Partner, O'Melveny and Meyers, LLP
Stergios Skaperdas, Professor of Economics, University of California Irvine
Larry Thomas, Senior Vice President, The Irvine Company
Thomas Tucker, Chairman, Jenstar Capital
Martin Wattenberg, Professor of Political Science, University of California Irvine
Hon. Harriett M. Wieder, President, Linkage Consulting
Brett J. Williamson, Partner, O'Melveny and Meyers, LLP