About Us

Teresa served as president and chief executive officer of CalTax from 2007 until retiring in 2018, and was the first woman to lead a major broad-based statewide business association in California. She steered the organization through historic state budget crises and major reforms, including establishing independent redistricting (Proposition 11 of 2008), a transparency measure requiring legislation to be in print at least 72 hours before a vote is held (Proposition 54 of 2016), and taxpayer protections that define the difference between taxes and fees (Proposition 26 of 2010). Prior to leading CalTax, Teresa worked as a certified public accountant and in the early 1990s opened the first high-tech policy office in Sacramento (for the American Electronics Association, where she served as vice president and legislative advocate). Teresa taught a fledgling tech industry how to engage in Sacramento, develop policy platforms, and create meaningful relationships in the Capitol. In addition to winning many battles for taxpayers’ rights, Teresa broke glass ceilings, and her expertise and tenacity made the California business community much stronger and more inclusive.