Jay Hansen is President and CEO of the California Foundation on the Environment and the Economy (CFEE), a non-profit policy institute working with California state legislators, state and regulatory agencies, and our Board to build consensus on our state's pressing issues in energy, water, housing, transportation, telecommunications and technology, and recycling and the circular economy.

Prior to CFEE, Hansen worked at the California Medical Association as their Chief Strategy Officer. He also served as the CEO of their Foundation, Physicians for a Healthy California which he led through a major rebranding effort resulting in significant growth and establishing the leadership of California's physicians in promoting our state's health. 

Jay has a long record in the world of politics and public policy. He served ten years as the Legislative and Political Director for the California State Building and Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO representing 350,000 construction workers before the State Legislature. Prior, he spent eight years as Special Assistant to the Speaker for four different California Assembly Speakers including Willie Brown and Bob Hertzberg.

As a native Californian, Jay is dedicated to promoting and advancing the interests of our residents and state. He attended Occidental College for his Bachelors in Psychology and the University of Southern California (USC) for his Masters in Public Administration. Jay served on the Occidental College Board of Governors for many years and currently serves on the USC Sacramento Center Advisory Board.

His public service includes many appointments and elections to boards and commissions. He is the Senate appointee to the California Tahoe Conservancy and received an unanimous vote by the State Senate. Jay recently completed six years as an elected member of the Sacramento School Board where he served as President among other positions. He served eight years as Governor Jerry Brown’s appointee to the California Health Facilities Financing Authority (CHFFA) having been unanimously confirmed twice by the California State Senate. In his years of service, Jay has been as an appointee of the State Controller, the Assembly Speaker, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Secretary of State to a variety of Commissions and Boards.  

An avid swimmer and traveler, Jay also enjoys his many friends and family. And as a master griller and wine connoisseur, his dinner invitations are always well received. Jay and his husband Jesse split their time between California's capital - Sacramento - and California's cultural capital - San Francisco.