Sam Blakeslee
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Sam Blakeslee | |
|---|---|
| Member of the California State Senate from the 15th district | |
| In office August 23, 2010 – December 3, 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Abel Maldonado |
| Succeeded by | Jim Beall (redistricted) |
| Minority Leader of the California Assembly | |
| In office June 1, 2009 – February 1, 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Michael Villines |
| Succeeded by | Martin Garrick |
| Member of the California State Assembly from the 33rd district | |
| In office December 6, 2004 – August 23, 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Abel Maldonado |
| Succeeded by | Katcho Achadjian |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Samuel Blakeslee June 25, 1955 |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | None |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | University of California, Berkeley University of California, Santa Barbara |
| Profession | Financial Planner Research Scientist, Exxon |
| Website | Cal Poly IATPP Site |
Samuel Blakeslee (born June 25, 1955) is a former Republican California State Senator representing California's 15th State Senate district which included the counties of Santa Clara, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara.[1] He previously served as a California State Assemblyman from California's 33rd State Assembly district, and a former State Assembly Republican Leader. He was elected to the California State Assembly in 2004 to represent the 33rd Assembly District,[2] He was re-elected in 2006[3] and 2008,[4] and elected to the California State Senate in 2010.[5] Blakeslee retired from the Senate in December 2012.[6] He is the founding Director of the Institute for Advanced Technology & Public Policy at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.[7]
Blakeslee grew up on the Central Coast. He graduated from San Luis Obispo High School and then began a career in construction. Years later, he returned to school and attended Cuesta College, where his father, Earle Blakeslee, taught music when the college opened in 1965.[8] He later earned both bachelor's and master's degrees in geophysics from University of California, Berkeley.[9] In 1989, Blakeslee earned a Ph.D. from University of California, Santa Barbara[9][10] for his research in seismic scattering, micro-earthquake studies, and fault-zone attenuation. He is published in numerous scientific journals.[11]
Early career
Blakeslee worked as a research geophysicist at Exxon's research lab in Texas in the Long Range Research Division. He received a patent for inventing an innovative technique that used medical cat-scan technology to create detailed images of geologic formations between wellbores. He later on moved into management and served as a strategic planner for the upstream research function at the lab.[12]
Political career
Senator and Assemblyman
Blakeslee was elected to the California State Assembly in 2004 and later to the State Senate. Elected by his fellow legislators, Blakeslee served a term as Assembly Minority Leader. In this role, he was a member of the "Big 5" with responsibility for negotiating the state budget and major policy initiatives. He also served and held leadership positions on a variety of legislative committees focusing on agriculture, energy, banking, environmental quality, education, and other fields. He successfully authored dozens of bills to evolve and reform policy related to energy, the environment, health care, job creation, lobbying reform, public and worker safety, veterans' affairs, and other areas of concern.
E3: Task Force on Energy, Environment and the Economy
While serving in Sacramento, Blakeslee founded and chaired the Task Force on Energy, the Environment, and the Economy known as 'E3'. The group developed strategies to bridge the divide between the environment and the economy by applying emerging technologies. Since its creation in 2008, E3 members have worked closely with industry leaders and the environmental community to craft legislative proposals across party lines and voted in support of key legislation that promoted cleantech, helped prevent oil spills, established incentives for reduced mobile source emissions, and promoted green chemistry. The average E3 member scored 15 points higher on the California League of Conservation Voters (CLCV) scorecard than their non-E3 counterpart in the Assembly Republican caucus, and 18 points higher than their prior year's score.
Committee Membership
- Vice Chair, Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee
- Vice Chair, Assembly Rules Committee
- Member, Assembly Insurance Committee
- Member, Assembly Government Organization Committee
- Member, Assembly Budget Committee
- Member, Assembly Agriculture Committee
- Member, Assembly Public Employee Retirement and Social Security
- Chair, Senate Select Committee on Reform, Recovery and Realignment
- Vice Chair, Senate Banking Committee
- Member, Senate Judiciary Committee
- Member, Senate Environmental Quality Committee
- Member, Senate Education Committee
- Member, Senate Select Committee on Seismic Safety
- Member, Joint Select Committee on State Hospital Safety.
