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Stan Van Vleck is the founder of Cal Connected, LLC and a 30-year veteran of solving problems with government, especially those in the State of California. He has held important policy positions with the California Legislature, California Governor, and a U.S. Senator representing California. Van Vleck has been recognized by clients and business organizations for his tenacity and ability to solve complex problems and, most importantly, to deliver effective solutions.
Van Vleck stands out as a lobbyist because of his unique skill sets. First, he has top legal training and is also a partner in Downey Brand, LLP - the largest law firm in Northern California and one of the best in the State. His legal training, as well as his expertise in drafting and debating laws in the Legislature has given him the ability to understand and solve complex problems. He extends that knowledge of state laws and regulations to their application with many state agencies. Furthermore, if Stan has not dealt with a certain issue before, he can reach to the expertise and experience of 120-plus attorneys at Downey Brand that represent many top business in the U.S. Chances are good that they have successfully dealt with the issue before. In addition to solving legislative and regulatory problems for clients, Van Vleck is an expert at creating opportunities for them within government.
What really sets Van Vleck apart from most lobbyists and attorneys is his intimate knowledge and understanding of business, because he is also a business owner. While financially supporting his own undergraduate and law school educations, Van Vleck also worked full time and began to acquire real estate. He has grown his interests and is now one of the largest landowners in Northern California. One of the major assets to the growth in Van Vleck's business was his ability to understand and persuade government on decisions that helped to expand and increase potential profits for his business. He uses those skill sets on a daily basis to continue to expand his business interests in the area of energy, water, the environment, food and transportation. Many of these are the same skill sets he uses with clients on clients behalf as well.
Van Vleck has also received important awards for his efforts, including being recognized by Siemens USA as their "Top Lobbyist" in the U.S. His fellow business leaders in the regional Chamber of Commerce named him the "Volunteer Of The Year" for work that he has done for the Northern California region.
Van Vleck earned his B.S. from Cal Poly, SLO where he earned the award of "Outstanding Graduate" from the College of Agriculture. Van Vleck earned his J.D. from University of Pacific's McGeorge School of Law. Van Vleck is a graduate of the Agricultural Leadership Fellowship, where he engaged with top U.S leaders as well as those in foreign countries such as China, Uzbekistan, and Iran. He is also a graduate of the American Leadership Forum.
Stan and his wife Nicole are passionate about raising their children and running their multigenerational family businesses.