Mike Roos is Founder and Chief Consultant of Mike Roos and Company, a public affairs management company founded in 1999. Mike Roos and Company specializes in government relations, corporate issues management, media relations and ballot measure campaigns.
Previously, Mike Roos served as President and CEO of LEARN, a coalition of civic leaders and representatives of Los Angeles’ diverse education, ethnic, business, labor, academic, religious and social advocacy constituencies organized in 1991, to implement systemic reform and restructuring within the Los Angeles Unified School District.
A political strategist and legislative leader in California for over 14 years, he served as a member of the California State Assembly from 1977 to 1991. In his second legislative term, he was chosen by his caucus as Majority Floor Leader. He served in that position for six years until he was elected by the 80-member body as Speaker Pro Tempore of the State Assembly.
Some of Mr. Roos’ major legislative achievements include the Roberti-Roos Weapons Control Act of 1989 – landmark legislation banning assault weapons, and the Mello Roos Community Facilities Act of 1982, which provided local government with an innovative, alternate method of financing basic and much needed public facilities.
He also authored legislation prohibiting sex discrimination in California educational institutions and was instrumental in enacting a model curriculum for K-12 students to explore the issues of human rights, genocide and the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.
Roos was instrumental in ballot measures such as Prop 10 (early childhood development programs) and Prop 46 (housing and shelters for low-income senior citizens, homeless families and battered women), among others.
Prior to his election to the State Assembly, he was Chief Deputy to Los Angeles City Councilmember, Marvin Braude, and served as Executive Director of the Coro Foundation, a leadership training program for future leaders in government and public affairs.
In 1976, Mr. Roos served as a member of the State Finance Committee for the Carter presidential campaign. President Carter named Mike Roos to the position of State Director of his 1980 presidential campaign in California.
Born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1945, Mr. Roos attended Christian Brothers High School and Tulane University in New Orleans, where he earned a grant-in-aid for baseball. In 2005, he was inducted into the Tulane Athletic Hall of Fame. After receiving a political science degree in 1967, he moved west to accept a National Institute of Child Health Fellowship at the University of Southern California, and graduated in 1970 with a master’s degree in public administration.
Mr. Roos resides in Los Angeles and has four daughters, Shelby, Melissa, Caroline and Catherine.