Taking a Peek Into the Decorated Life of Kevin Gordon

At the age of 12, when he attended a rally in Sacramento for Vice-President Hubert Humphrey, who was running for president at the time, Kevin Gordon developed an interest in political engagement. Later in high school, he established a ritual of repeated weekly trips to the State Capitol.

He developed friendships with legislators, governors, and other constitutional officers, including some of the most illustrious figures in California politics. Leo T. McCarthy, Jesse Unruh, Jerry Brown, and Ronald Reagan were among them. Beginning with his involvement as a student and continuing through a successful career as a renowned veteran of education lobbying, Kevin has spent more than 40 years becoming a frequent fixture of the State Capitol landscape.

During his high school and early college years, Kevin continued to be involved in the State Capitol while holding some leadership positions in the student government. At San Juan High School, American River College in Sacramento, the Los Rios Community College District, and San Juan High School, he served as student body president. He also chaired the student council for the Associated Students of the University of California at Davis.

Gordon joined the National Marketing Division of the IBM Corporation after receiving his individual from the University of California, Davis, which he created, wrote and authorized by the College of Letters and Sciences.

Gordon began a lifelong commitment to public school policy and financial concerns when he was named the Assistant Executive Director of the California School Boards Association (CSBA) after working as Representative Matsui’s staffer.

Gordon rose to prominence at CSBA for his knowledge of school finance and Proposition 98, California’s state constitution’s guarantee of financing for K–14 education. Along with his work on school finance while at CSBA, he was also actively involved in several successful initiatives to pass state school bonds for the renovation and construction of educational facilities, a vocal opponent of two dubious ballot initiatives promoting school vouchers, and a supporter of the adoption and implementation of class size reduction.

Gordon joined the California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO) as the organization’s executive director after serving for many years as the CSBA’s chief lobbyist. On financial and administrative issues that impacted every facet of educational operations, CASBO represented the opinions of California’s public school agencies. While at CASBO, he developed a reputation for his persistent push to increase per-pupil spending for K–12 public schools and his open criticism of lawmakers who took part in initiatives to manipulate and weaken statutory and constitutional guarantees for school finance.

Gordon co-founded Capitol Advisory Group, LLC in 2012, and he currently holds the position of president of the business, representing school districts and county offices of education throughout California. According to the company’s website, the Capitol Consultants Group is a group of specialists in California politics, educational finance and policy, legislative strategy, and public affairs. Over the course of their respective careers, Gordon and his well-known co-founders have assisted customers, educational institutions, trade groups, business interests, and non-profit organizations in attaining significant accomplishments in California.

With more than ten lobbyists still employed, Capitol Advisors had become the lobbying firm in California with the most extensive number of advocacy clients in less than ten years. The California School Boards Association, the Association of California School Administrators, the Small School Districts Association, and the California County Superintendents Educational Services Assoc. are among the most influential statewide associations for K–12 public schools. In addition to representing public school agencies, the firm also plays a significant role in these organizations’ governmental affairs and political efforts.