My Decision Not to Run for a Fourth Term
For twelve years, it has been my honor and privilege to serve my community as a trustee at Sierra College. After 90,000 people voted for change in 2004, we balanced the budget, built prudent reserves, opened an early college high school and expanded access to college across all ages.
In 2011, I cofounded a company that today helps millions of people align billions of dollars in investment portfolios with their personal Risk Number. As the company’s CEO, my responsibilities to our 100+ employees (and 70+ Auburn-based employees) have grown substantially as we’ve expanded to serve thousands of investment advisors across the country.
My growing commitments to my family and the company led me to decide that it was time to pass the baton of leadership to someone new for my seat. I made a final decision shortly after filing opened not to run for re-election, and I urged local business leader Bob Sinclair to run in my place. I will help with his campaign in any way I can, and I believe he will be an excellent trustee for Sierra College.
While I believe there may be another season of public service in my future, I never aspired to be a career politician. I came here for this time, this place, this work. And I have loved it. I leave public office with the same belief in the power of education to expand opportunity and prosperity for all that I had when I was first elected twelve years ago.
It’s with a grateful heart that I say thank you to the people who voted for me in the last three elections; to the people who didn’t vote for me but I had the chance to serve anyway; to my board colleagues and our amazing staff at Sierra; to the best community college president in California, Willy Duncan; and to my wife and three kids for their constant support.
Thank you for twelve wonderful years.