Rob Lapsley is president of the California Business Roundtable, a nonpartisan organization comprised of senior executives from major companies that employ more than half a million Californians. Previously, Lapsley served as vice president and state political director of CalChamber, president of RCL Consultants and vice president of Arnel Development, one of the largest private real estate companies in Southern California. Lapsley worked in the U.S. State Department as special assistant to the U.S. ambassador to Spain during the Iraq war. He also was chief of staff to former Secretary of State Bill Jones and served as undersecretary of state from 1995 to 2001. Lapsley is a graduate fellow of the Coro Foundation and a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. He holds a B.S. in biology and political science from Illinois State University.