Candidate for
Treasurer; State of California

Mehul M. Thakker is an Investment Advisor in Oakland, CA with a focus on Socially Responsible Investment and Community Development. He is passionate about securing Economic Justice for low income and minority groups in the U.S., and strives to educate on how to use the power of investment to create positive social change locally and globally.

His priorities as California State Treasurer would include reforming the State's Investment Policy to create more opportunities for businesses in California, and shifting greater State investment into Community Development, Affordable Housing, Community Banks, and Microloan Funds to help people living in poverty. He will also focus on implementing Renewable Energy Revenue projects to fund public schools and better teacher pay. In addition, he believes these reforms can help clean up California's environment, create high-paying jobs, fix the State's fiscal crisis, fight corporate corruption, and advance the broader cause of social justice.

Mehul has served as Treasurer of NetIP-SFBA (Network of Indian Professionals) and is active in the movement for shareholder rights and corporate social responsibility. He is also a member of the CA League of Conservation Voters, The Sierra Club, and The Gujarati Cultural Association of the SF Bay Area.

He has years of broad work experience in the areas of environmental protection, high technology, internet software, and financial services.

A second generation, South Asian American, Mehul was born and raised in Odessa, Texas and holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Texas at Dallas. His parents Mahendra and Vasant Thakker immigrated to the U.S. from India in 1969. Mehul has one sister, Shilpa Chaparala, and a brother,Amar Chaparala.