Leo T. McCarthy

Leo McCarthy retired permanently from elective office in 1994 after 12 years as Lieutenant Governor of California. His primary responsibility was to help businesses start and grow through his role as chair of the California Commission for Economic Development. One major area of focus for McCarthy was and remains international trade and investment, particularly involving Pacific Rim markets.

McCarthy served on the World Trade Commission, the University of California Board of Regents and the California State University Board of Trustees

For six years as Assembly Speaker during the late 1970s, McCarthy was one of the primary formulators of state policy in education, health, infrastructure, environment, and other significant areas.

Leo McCarthy was born in Auckland, New Zealand, and immigrated with his parents to California when he was three years old. Leo McCarthy married Jacqueline Burke on December 17, 1955. They have four grown children: Sharon, a fifth grade teacher; Conna, an attorney; Adam, an import-export businessman; and Niall, an attorney.

McCarthy is admitted to the practice of law in the federal and state courts of California.

In January of 1995, McCarthy became the President of The Daniel Group, a partnership engaged in international trade and other business enterprises.

In 1994, McCarthy joined the Board of Linear Technology Corporation, an analog integrated circuit manufacturer headquartered in Silicon Valley. Linear did about $420 million in worldwide sales in 1997, half in the United States, a quarter each in Europe and Asia.

He also serves on the Boards of two mutual funds: the Parnassus Fund, a ten year old socially responsible fund with a $400 million investment portfolio in domestic stocks and bonds and Forward Funds, Inc., a new mutual fund investing in domestic and foreign equities and bonds.

In addition, McCarthy serves as the Vice Chair of the Board of Open Data Systems, a privately held company which designs software to facilitate the accurate recording and faster processing of building permits and related development documents by local governments.

McCarthy was appointed by the United States Senate Democratic Leadership to the nine member National Gambling Impact Study Commission. The Commission is directed by Congress and the President to undertake a two year study of the economic benefits and/or detriment of all forms of legal gambling in the United States and then to submit a report in June 1999 for consideration by the Congress and the President.