Commission Members
Fiona Ma, CPA
Background: Ms. Fiona Ma was elected California State Treasurer in November 2018. She previously served as Chair and Vice Chair of the California State Board of Equalization from 2015 to 2019, representing more than nine million taxpayers. There, she led historic reforms to increase efficiency and transparency at the agency. As a state legislator, she was the first and only Asian-American woman ever elected California Assembly Speaker pro Tempore, the second-highest ranking office in the Assembly. During her time as a legislator, she passed landmark legislation to ban toxic chemicals in children’s toys, protect small business-owners and expand opportunities for homeowners. She previously served as a San Francisco Supervisor.
Gavin Newsom
Background: Gavin Newsom is the former Lieutenant Governor of California and the former Mayor of San Francisco, California.
Newsom is widely recognized for his willingness to lead – repeatedly developing, advocating, and implementing innovative and groundbreaking solutions to some of our most challenging issues. On a wide range of topics including same-sex marriage, gun safety, marijuana, the death penalty, universal health care, access to preschool, technology, criminal justice reform, and the minimum wage, Newsom stuck his neck out and did the right thing, which often led to sweeping changes when his policies were ultimately accepted, embraced, and replicated across the state and nation.
Newsom’s top priorities for his administration are tackling our state’s affordability crisis, creating inclusive economic growth and opportunity for every child, and standing up for California values — from civil rights, to immigration, environmental protection, access to quality schools at all levels, and justice.
Governor Newsom is married to Jennifer Siebel Newsom. They have four children: Montana, Hunter, Brooklynn, and Dutch.
Malia M. Cohen
State Controller Malia M. Cohen was elected in November 2022, following her service on the California State Board of Equalization (BOE), the nation’s only elected tax commission responsible for administering California’s $100 billion property tax system. She was elected to the BOE in November 2018 and was Chair in 2019 and 2022. As Controller, she continues to serve the Board as its fifth voting member.
As chief fiscal officer of the world’s fifth-largest economy, Controller Cohen’s primary responsibility is to account for and protect the state’s financial resources. Controller Cohen also independently audits government agencies that spend state funds, safeguards many types of property until claimed by the rightful owners, and administers the payroll system for state government employees and California State University employees. She serves on 70 boards and commissions with authority ranging from affordable housing to crime victim compensation to land management. Controller Cohen chairs the Franchise Tax Board and serves on the boards of the nation's two largest public pension funds, the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) Boards, which have a combined portfolio of $750 billion. The Controller is one of eight statewide constitutional officials who are elected every four years in California.
As the BOE Board Member for District 2, she represented 10 million constituents living in all or parts of 23 counties extending from Del Norte County in the north to Santa Barbara County in the south. As Chair of the BOE, she led the effort to modernize California’s property tax system, provide guidance to the 58 county assessors on remote assessment appeals board hearings, and utilize property tax abatements to stimulate affordable housing. Controller Cohen also ensured that the views of all who came before the Board were considered carefully, with respect, civility, and courtesy.
Prior to being elected to the BOE, Controller Cohen served as President of the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco. As a Supervisor, she served as Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee and the Audit and Oversight Committee. During this time, she also served as President of the San Francisco Employees’ Retirement System (SFERS), which at the time was a $23 billion pension fund.
Controller Cohen has championed policies and programs that protect public health, foster economic development, promote new affordable housing, and create good jobs through protecting and expanding San Francisco’s manufacturing base. She has dedicated her career to public service, focusing on making public dollars work for all Californians.
Controller Cohen was born and raised in San Francisco and attended public schools. She received her bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Fisk University and a master’s degree in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University. She and her husband reside in San Francisco along with their daughter.
David Alvarez
Assemblymember David Alvarez was elected to the California State Assembly in June of 2022 to represent the 80th Assembly District in San Diego County.
Assemblymember Alvarez is a small business owner and has served for fifteen years in government, including eight years as a San Diego City Councilmember. A proud advocate of the underserved in San Diego, his previous successes included building parks, libraries and fire stations in neighborhoods that did not have them.
Assemblymember Alvarez is Chair of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee and serves on the following legislative committees: Aging and Long-Term Care, Business and Professions, Military and Veterans Affairs, Rules, Joint Legislative Audit Subcommittee on the Selection of the State Auditor, and the Select Committee on California-Mexico Bi-National Affairs. Assemblymember Alvarez is also a member of the CSG West Border Legislative Conference and the Colorado River Forum.
During his brief time in office, Assemblymember Alvarez has supported historic investments in both K-12 and higher education, increasing childcare funding, economic relief for working families and investments in housing and critical infrastructure improvements. He was able to secure $25 million in state funding for a new state of the art Cinematic Arts Library in east Chula Vista which will include expansion of San Diego State University’s Film School, bring four year and graduate degrees to South County, and planning for a future university in Chula Vista.
David was born and raised in Barrio Logan. David and his wife Xochitl, a lifelong educator also from the area, are raising their daughter and son in the community they grew up in. He most recently volunteered on the boards of Kim Center for Gender Equity, Camarada, the San Diego Coffee Training Institute, Circulate San Diego and his children’s school PTA.
Timothy Grayson
After serving in the Assembly for eight years, Timothy Grayson was elected to the State Senate in November 2024 and represents the 9th District, which encompasses portions of Contra Costa and Alameda counties. As a Legislator, Grayson has focused on addressing California’s housing and affordability crises, increasing our budget reserves and access to higher education, and supporting victims of crimes, amongst other priorities. Grayson serves as Chair of the Senate Banking and Financial Institutions Committee. A longtime Easy Bay resident, Tim lives in Concord where he raised his two kids and his wife of more than 35 years, Tammy.
Laura Richardson
Senator Laura Richardson, elected to the California Senate in November 2024, represents the South Bay communities of the 35th Senate District. Born in Los Angeles, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from UCLA and an MBA from USC. She is a dedicated public servant with a background as a Long Beach City Councilmember, California State Assembly Member, and three-term U.S. Congress Member, setting a record of distinction in having served all three levels of government within a 12-month span. Her policies have focused on healthcare access, community safety, and educational and career opportunities. Prior to elected office, she spent 14 years at the Xerox Corporation. She currently resides in San Pedro and enjoys singing in her local choir.
Sandie Arnott
Sandie Arnott is the first woman and first Latina elected to the position of Treasurer Tax Collector of San Mateo County. She was first elected in November 2010 and re-elected in June 2014, 2018 and 2022.
Since her election, Ms. Arnott's priorities have been focused on improving payment processes, making them more convenient, efficient, and green. She was awarded the County STARS Award for Customer Service for implementing a Chat Line on the department website and for installing a mobile mailbox to better assist the elderly and disabled. She is very active in legislation affecting taxpayers and authored AB2738 signed into law by the Governor on 9/22/16. This new law dis-allows school districts and community college districts from claiming bond proceeds as surplus funds thereby protecting taxpayer dollars. She also authored AB1025 signed into law in October 2023 allowing external legal counsel when required by Treasurer-Tax Collectors. Ms. Arnott was instrumental in seeking the Governor’s Executive Order N-61-20 in 2020 authorizing penalty waivers for those impacted by the pandemic. Among her many certifications, she earned the Government Finance Master Certificate through Wayne State University and the High-Performance Leadership Master Certificate through the NACo Professional Development Academy. Additionally, Pension Fund Investment certifications through The Wharton School, USC & UCLA.
Ms. Arnott currently serves as a member of the San Mateo County Treasury Oversight Committee; She is the Ex-Officio Trustee and Secretary of the San Mateo County Employees Retirement Association (SamCERA); Past President of the California Association of County Treasurers & Tax Collectors (CACTTC – 2017-18). She was selected by State Treasurer Fiona Ma & the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) to serve on the California Debt Investment Advisory Commission (CDIAC) and under State Controller Malia Cohen serves on the State Committee on County Tax Collecting Procedures. Ms. Arnott also serves as President of the National Association of County Collectors, Treasurers and Finance Officers (NACCTFO – 2024-25) and is also the California Liaison. She was named Treasurer-Tax Collector of the Year 2019-20 by the California Association of County Treasurers & Tax Collectors and served as President of Women in County Government in 1997 98.
Nikolai Sklaroff
Nikolai J. Sklaroff joined the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) as its Capital Finance Director in May 2022. As Capital Finance Director, he is responsible for developing, implementing and administering the SFPUC Capital Financing activities across the agency. He leads a team of professionals supporting the agency's capital project funding activities including financing transactions, banking agreements, commercial paper program activities, credit rating activities and debt administration, among others. The role serves in a key leadership function at the SFPUC. The Capital Finance Director manages the day-to-day operations of the SFPUC’s $6+ billion outstanding debt portfolio and the daily operations of the SFPUC’s $1.5 billion Commercial Paper Program across three enterprises, Water, Wastewater and Power.
Nikolai has spent more than three decades in the public finance industry and most recently served as the Deputy Director of Finance responsible for the Debt & Treasury Management division in the City of San José. In that role he oversaw teams managing the City’s $4.6 billion debt portfolio across all enterprises, managing the City’s $2.4 billion investment portfolio and managing the City’s banking operations. Nikolai has also spent 22 years as a senior public finance investment banker in San Francisco with Citigroup Global Markets, J. P. Morgan Securities - where he was national Head of Cultural Institutions investment banking - and Wells Fargo Securities. Prior to becoming an investment banker in 1997, Nikolai was a senior Moody’s Investors Service rating agency analyst and member of Moody's rating committee. Nikolai began his career as a financial advisor with Public Financial Management, Inc. in his hometown of Philadelphia, where he received his degrees from the Wharton School and the College of Arts and Sciences of the University of Pennsylvania, prior to moving to England (to live in a castle) to pursue his graduate degree. He pursued further graduate studies at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs prior to moving to San Francisco.
A frequent speaker at industry conferences and author on public finance topics, Nikolai has also served on multiple boards of directors and advisory committees. Nikolai is currently serving on the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Debt Committee. As a former California Debt and Investment Advisory Commission (CDIAC) Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) member, Nikolai continues to enjoy assisting CDIAC with policy publications and seminars.
