Department of Finance
915 L Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
 

Thomas L. Sheehy, Chief Deputy Director, Policy

Thomas L. Sheehy was appointed Chief Deputy Director for Policy of the California Department of Finance by Governor Schwarzenegger on October 1st, 2008. Sheehy serves on behalf of Director Michael C. Genest as his representative on more than 80 boards, commissions, and authorities to advance the Schwarzenegger Administration’s policies, goals, and objectives.

He has two decades of experience in public policy issues and management. He served as the Deputy Director of Finance from 2006 till 2008 representing the Administration before the Legislature testifying on hundreds of bills. Prior to that, he was the western Regional Vice President for TIAA-CREF state government affairs from 2004 to 2006 where he led the successful effort to improve teacher's retirement investment options in California.  Over 200,000 TIAA-CREF participants benefited from the change in California law directed by Mr. Sheehy.

He served at the Department of Finance from 1989 to 1993 as a staff analyst followed by two years as Chief of the Budget Development Branch at the Department of Transportation which included a $2 billion support budget and $3 billion capital outlay program.  He then served for 10 years in the California Legislature first as a Principal Consultant to the Assembly Appropriations and Budget Committees from 1995 to 1999, and then the Senate Republican Fiscal Office where he worked with Mike Genest from 1999 to 2003. In December of 2003 he was appointed by Senate Minority Leader, James L. Brulte to be his Legislative Policy Director where he served until Brulte’s departure from the Senate in November 2004. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in 1982 from the University of California at Davis with Honors, and his Master of Administration (MBA) in 1989 from the Graduate School of Management at U.C. Davis. He is married to Brena L. Sheehy and has twin sons Christopher and Nicholas who are nine years old.