Nunez names English new board member

Jeannine English, former executive director of California Little Hoover Commission, was named a public member of the State Bar Board of Governors last month. The appointment, which runs through September 2007, was made by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez.

English, 51, replaces Dorothy Tucker, a Los Angeles psychologist who was first named to the board in 1990 and served a total of 12 years. Tucker was appointed twice by then-Speaker Willie Brown and again by then-Senate President Pro Tem Bill Lockyer. Her term expired in 1998 and she was reappointed to the board in 2002 by then-Speaker Herb Wesson.

With a background in public policy issues, English said she wanted to join the bar board because “it is really involved in a lot of broad sweeping policy issues that would be of interest to me,” particularly education and diversity issues.

“Jeannine English’s depth of experience in management will go far in providing guidance to the State Bar Board of Governors,” Nunez said in announcing the appointment. “She will be an enormous asset to the board.”

English retired in December from Lehman English Kelly and O’Keefe, a Sacramento lobbying firm she co-founded. Among its clients are the California Small Business Association and the AARP. She now runs a small consulting firm and serves on the AARP National Policy Council.

At the Little Hoover Commission, where she worked 13 years, English directed the research and publication of more than 50 reports resulting in the enactment of hundreds of legislative measures aimed at improving the operations and efficiency of state government. Prior to her position there, she was assistant executive director of the California Transpor-tation Commission and was a financial auditor with the state departments of finance and health services. She also has served as a member of the board of directors of KVIE Inc. Public Television and as vice president of Jewish Family Services of Sacramento.

She is married to Howard Dickstein, a prominent Sacramento attorney who represents Indian tribes. The couple has four sons, ranging in age from 13 to 28.

English has a bachelor’s degree in business administration/accounting and a master’s degree in business administration and management.

Board elections for lawyer members are currently under way (see page 12).

The bar’s new president will be elected June 17 and take office in October. Vying to succeed current President James Heiting of Riverside are Paul Hokokian of Fresno, Demetrius Shelton of Oakland and Sheldon Sloan of Los Angeles.