SAN FRANCISCO, CA— Upon news of California Treasurer John Chiang entering the race for Governor of California in 2018, today, California Board of Equalization Chair Fiona Ma announced that she will run for California Treasurer in 2018.
In entering the race for California Treasurer, California Board of Equalization Chair, Fiona Ma, released the following statement:
“I have a lot of respect for our State Treasurer, John Chiang, who has led an extraordinary career of public service.
“California is at a critical crossroads. With our economy continuing to rebound, it’s vital that our state maintains its sound fiscal stewardship in order to keep a balanced budget while simultaneously providing fundamental services such as education, healthcare, public safety and investments that spur economic development and job creation. The way we accomplish this is by electing proven leaders who are devoted to sound fiscal policy as well as openness in government, particularly when it comes to managing taxpayer money.
“As Chair of California’s Board of Equalization and throughout my career, I’ve worked tirelessly to uphold the highest level of integrity in government. That’s why one of my first actions as Chair was to increase accessibility, accountability, and transparency over the Board and the taxpayer money it oversees.
“While we’ve accomplished much on the Board of Equalization, I believe I can do more to make California’s finances more inclusive, open and transparent on behalf of taxpayers as the state’s next Treasurer. I look forward to a spirited campaign focused on the issues that matter most to Californians and how we can move the state forward.”
Fiona Ma is a Certified Public Accountant and is the Chair of the California State Board of Equalization. She was elected to the State Board of Equalization in 2014, and represents 9.5 million constituents. From 2006-2012, Ma served as a California State Assemblywoman, and was the first Asian American woman to serve as Speaker Pro Tempore of the California State Assembly. Ma previously served one term as a San Francisco Supervisor. During her career as an accountant, Ma worked for Ernst & Young, before leaving to start her own accounting practice. She is married to Jason Hodge, a full-time firefighter and an Oxnard Harbor Commissioner.
Ma received her B.S. from the Rochester Institute of Technology (NY), her M.S. in Taxation from Golden Gate University (SF), and an MBA from Pepperdine University. She has been licensed in California as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) since 1992. She is a Member of CalCPA and CalCPA’s Public Policy Task Force.
For more information, please visit www.fionamafortreasurer.com
