Jim Cunneen is a Partner with California Strategies, LLC. Cunneen oversees the firm’s Silicon Valley office, the region where he grew up and that he later represented in the Legislature. California Strategies is a leading public affairs, advocacy and communications firm with offices in Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego and Rancho Cucamonga. Cunneen served as an executive for two Fortune 100 Companies in Silicon Valley. At Cisco, he oversaw public policy, communication and political outreach for the 50 U.S. states. Cunneen worked at Applied Materials, Inc. in the early 1990’s managing executive and employee communications, philanthropy and government affairs functions.

Cunneen served as a California State Assemblyman from 1994-2000 creating a distinguished record on high technology and quality of life issues. He won approval of legislation to expand the state research and development tax credit, curb shareholder lawsuits, crack down on commercial theft of high tech products, and protect trade secrets. In 1995, Cunneen co-created and later chaired the newly established Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Information Technology and Transportation. He authored the law to integrate government programs for families with severely emotionally disturbed children. He received numerous leadership awards from the American Electronics Association, a wide-range of education and environmental groups, and Citizen of the Year awards from both the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts.

Cunneen and his wife, Jennifer, have two grade school children and live in San Jose’s Almaden Valley. He has served on dozens of local nonprofit and community boards, including the American Leadership Forum, Good Samaritan Hospital, and the Advisory Board of KB Home. He is an Eagle Scout. Cunneen is a graduate of UCLA.