REGULATORY AFFAIRS
BuildIT is a leading voice on the local, regional, state and national levels as it relates to regulatory affairs that impact LGBT/Allied firms in the areas of Architecture, Engineering, Construction-services, Real Estate Development and Related Industries. We value our relationships with our colleagues throughout the A&E/Construction Industries as well as with our brothers and sisters who represent minority, women, veteran and differently abled business communities.
BuildIT is honored to have retained the services of nationally recognized regulatory affairs consultant Jesus Arredondo and Advantage Government Consulting. Mr. Arredondo works in coordination with Board of Directors, Founders and Project Management staff in communicating directly with elected officials throughout the Golden State, the California Public Utilities Commission, Utility companies, and related stakeholders.
JESÚS ARREDONDO
Jesús Arredondo is the Principal and Founder of Advantage Government Consulting LLC and has over 20 years of experience in public, government and regulatory affairs, including concentrated experience in energy and agriculture policy issues.
Prior to launching Advantage Consulting, Arredondo worked as a senior advisor for two major public relations firms in the United States and Mexico. Arredondo also served as a policy advisor to two major transmission projects in the West, principal advisor on an education effort in California concerning natural gas and on a national education campaign concerning the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s push for standard market design.
Prior to launching Advantage Consulting, Arredondo served five years as Director of Regulatory and Government Affairs for a fortune 100 independent power producer and two years at the California Power Exchange, where he served as Director of Corporate Communications.
Since launching Advantage Consulting, Jesús has been providing guidance to clients by overseeing regulatory case filings and related activities including coordinating the activities of outside legal counsel, communications and lobbying efforts for private companies and non-profit coalitions. Specific work has also included providing support for due diligence reviews on generation acquisition and disposition, ensuring regulatory compliance and providing representation for clients before federal, state and local governments in the Western United States and Latin America on a wide range of issues related to energy and agriculture.
Arredondo’s past experience in government as Deputy Secretary for Marketing and Communications at the California Trade and Commerce Agency, Deputy Chief of Protocol for the State of California, Deputy Press Secretary to former California Governor Pete Wilson and as a bilingual spokesman for the Arnold Schwarzenegger for California Governor Campaign. Jesus has cultivated and enjoys significant relationship with Western state’s and national media.
FRANK LINDH
Frank Lindh is one of California’s leading lawyers, specializing in energy and public utilities. He served for six years as General Counsel of the prestigious California Public Utilities Commission. Frank began his legal career in Washington, D.C., where he had the distinction of being the first person in the history of the Department of Justice to serve as Law Clerk to the Solicitor General of the United States.
As a Government lawyer, Frank represented the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in many of the United States Circuit Courts of Appeals around the nation. He worked for 15 years as an in-house lawyer at Pacific Gas and Electric Company in San Francisco. Frank served as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of one of the major interstate natural gas pipelines serving California and other western states. Frank was a leader in California’s pursuit of claims against price-gouging energy companies arising out the Energy Crisis of 2000-2001, helping to win back over $5 billion in refunds for California consumers. He is an adjunct law professor at the University of San Francisco, and has authored several scholarly articles for legal journals.
Frank and his husband, Brian Johnson, live in San Rafael, in Marin County. They have a large, blended family, including three grandsons.
VICTOR M. MARQUEZ
Victor M. Marquez is a partner in the San Francisco office. His practice focuses on real estate transactions, land use and zoning laws, real estate, business and general commercial litigation, state and local government relations, and community outreach specialization in the context of land development and redevelopment for both private companies and nonprofit organizations and programs.
Victor is also able to assist the firm's clients on public policy matters at the local, state and federal government levels, as well as in regions of Latin America given his extensive network across the country and abroad, which has been built over the past 30 years by holding national leadership roles in professional Bar Associations, as well as having served in leadership roles on the Advisory Board for the Institute for Mexicans in the Exterior, a program of Mexico's Secretary of the Exterior.
In addition, Victor is a seasoned litigator in real estate, business and general commercial matters. His litigation experience spans into real estate, business and environmental, including Superfund sites and EPA compliance matters, trusts and estates, senior law and employment matters, including labor commissioners' hearings and/or defending EEOC complaints.
Victor has extensive experience working before administrative, legislative and executive bodies in California, including before commissions, special power authorities, planning departments, city councils and county boards of supervisors, as well as in the state capitol of California. He is a registered lobbyist and an expert in community outreach aimed at gaining governmental and community support for his clients' real estate and development projects for both private and nonprofit entities. He has expertise in assisting investor groups with acquisition and site control for master developments, as well as vertical and infill development of commercial, residential and mixed-use properties. Victor works with local, national and international clients to serve their real estate needs.
Victor's scope of work with real estate clients includes site identification and acquisition, due diligence, oversight of environmental phase studies, map studies, analyzing zoning and land use laws, and assisting through the planning entitlement process, which may include CEQA environmental reports, negative declarations and/ or zoning variances.
Victor also has deep understanding and advocacy skills to bring together community stakeholder interests with those of local government entities to obtain support for real estate development projects and prevent appeal challenges. Through developing economic community benefit packages to mitigate the impacts of development, he has successfully assisted real estate development projects obtain community and government support leading to land use entitlements.
MATT ROSS
Matt Ross is a senior advisor at Advantage Consulting and brings extensive background in communications strategy, media relations, political campaigns, crisis management and coalition building. Matt has worked with large consumer clients, government entities, trade associations, and candidates, providing strategic counsel and media relations.
Ross specializes in targeted messaging and non-traditional alliances to create support for specific issues. Whether it is the PUC, the Air Resources Board or other agencies, Matt closely aligns his clients with labor and environmental groups in order to garner favor with regulatory agencies. Past clients include the California Biomass Energy Alliance, Children and Families Commission of Orange County, DTE Energy, Greenleaf Power, Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians and Tule River Tribe.
Prior to joining Advantage Consulting, Matt was Vice President for a large international public relations firm where he was in charge of some of the largest public affairs clients including Walmart, Rumsey Band of Wintun Indians, Orange County Toll Road Project and several projects with Chevron Corporation. In that capacity Matt served as the day-to-day manager and developed unique approaches to change the public’s perception by partnering with nontraditional alliances such as certain trade unions and environmental groups.
Matt served the California State Legislature as communications and public affairs director for the Senate Caucus for four leaders. In that capacity, he managed the Caucus’ overall communications plan, messaging, websites, television and radio studios. Matt was also in contact on a daily basis with reporters focusing on business, government and political issues. In addition, Matt assisted in legislation regarding elections reform and redistricting and served as the lead staff for the Joint Legislative Audit Committee’s review of the improper use of voter outreach funds.
Matt is a regular contributor to Capitol Weekly’s Expert Expound column. His opinion editorials and letters to the editor on behalf of others have appeared in the Bakersfield Californian, Capitol Weekly, Contra Costa Times, Fresno Bee, Los Angeles Daily News, Los Angeles Times, Oakland Tribune, Orange County Register, Riverside Press-Enterprise, Sacramento Bee, San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, San Diego Union-Tribune, and USA Today.
Prior to joining the Legislature, Matt served as the successful campaign manager for Proposition 21, the Juvenile Crime Preventions and Gang Initiative of 2000. Matt also worked in the Attorney General’s Office as Chief Deputy Press Secretary, covering a variety of state issues from the consumer law to environmental protection. He previously worked in Governor Deukmejian’s Administration and served on Governor Schwarzenegger’s transition team.
Ross earned undergraduate degrees from the University of California at Santa Barbara and a graduate degree from the University of Southern California.