PartnerSteve Cruz
Steve Cruz is a partner at Cruz Strategies and brings with him over 20 years of legislative and political experience having worked on behalf of a multitude of interests, both public and private, before the California State Legislature and various state agencies. His clients have included Fortune 500 companies, national retailers, home builders, local governments, renewable energy firms, professional trade associations, and non-profits.
Mr. Cruz possesses a broad range of policy experience and is well respected in the Capitol for his advocacy work on behalf of real estate development interests, in the areas of infrastructure, housing, construction, finance, water, environmental resources, and land use. He currently represents one of the largest public water agencies in California and possesses deep understanding of California water law and politics. For nearly a decade, Mr. Cruz has advocated for the homebuilding industry and previously served as an in-house lobbyist for the California Building Industry Association. In this capacity, he successfully represents California homebuilders on array of land use and housing policy. Mr. Cruz also owned and operated a real estate development company where he acquired and sold a significant number of properties, and he successfully managed development projects through the entitlements and construction process. Through these endeavors, Mr. Cruz has developed a keen understanding for how business interacts with government and public policy. Additionally, he continues to represent homebuilders and other industries at the local level across Northern California.
Before his lobbying career, Mr. Cruz worked in the administration of Mayor Willie L. Brown Jr., where he served as the Chief State Legislative Advocate for the City and County of San Francisco. He advanced an ambitious legislative and regulatory agenda and utilized his vast knowledge of policymaking and state budget process to secure state funding for vital programs and services.
Mr. Cruz began his career in the California State Legislature with the Honorable Hilda L. Solis, a former State Senator and U.S. Labor Secretary. In this role, he advised the Senator on critical public policy matters in the areas of labor and employment, education and public safety.