California Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) Update on Governor’s 2026 Budget Proposal and Beacon Economic's Fiscal Outlook

Gabe Patek Related Seminars and Products

Legislative Analyst

California Legislative Analyst’s Office

Gabriel Petek was appointed to the position of the Legislative Analyst in February 2019, as the sixth person to serve in that capacity since the office was founded in 1941.  As the Legislative Analyst, Gabriel serves as the nonpartisan fiscal advisor to both houses of the California Legislature and oversees the preparation of fiscal and policy analyses of the State’s budget and programs.  His office is also responsible for preparing impartial analyses of all initiatives and constitutional measures qualifying for the State’s ballot.  Before joining the office, Gabriel worked for two decades at S&P Global Ratings.  Gabriel held several positions at S&P before he was ultimately named the Managing Director and Sector Leader in the U.S. States Group of the U.S. Public Finance Division in San Francisco.  Gabriel was S&P’s primary analyst for the states of California and Illinois. 

Gabriel graduated with a Master in Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, during which time he interned at the City of Boston’s Office of Management and Budget.  In addition, he earned his B.A., magna cum laude, in political science from Loyola Marymount University, with a portion of his undergraduate coursework completed through his participation in the Hansard Scholars Programme at the London School of Economics and Political Science.  Gabriel holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and has served as an advisor to the Government Finance Officer’s Association’s Committee on Governmental Budgeting and Fiscal Policy.  He currently serves on the Statewide Leadership Council of the Public Policy Institute of California.  Gabriel is married to Andrea de la Fuente and has two children, Eden and William.  He enjoys running and listening to his daughter play violin, and has coached his son’s little league teams over the years.

Christopher Thornberg Related Seminars and Products

Founding Partner

Beacon Economics LLC

Christopher Thornberg founded Beacon Economics LLC in 2006 and under his leadership the firm has become one of the most respected research organizations in California serving public and private sector clients across the United States. From 2015-2023, Chris was also Director of the UC Riverside School of Business Center for Economic Forecasting and Development and an Adjunct Professor at the School. An expert in economic and revenue forecasting, regional economics, economic policy, and labor and real estate markets, Chris has consulted for private industry, cities, counties, and public agencies in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, Seattle, San Diego, the Inland Empire, Las Vegas, Washington State, Orange County, Sacramento, Arizona, and other geographies across the nation. He has also worked on Wall Street, advising hedge fund manager Paulson & Co. about macroeconomic issues.

Recent notable projects include policy analyses for the International Franchise Association; housing and rent control studies for the California Apartment Association; research supporting the strategic allocation of American Rescue Plan Act funds for the County of San Joaquin; an analysis and forecast of the socioeconomic factors that affect traffic growth and demand along a major interstate in Southern California; research on affordable housing in Los Angeles for a major law firm; quarterly regional economic outlooks for the East Bay Economic Development Alliance; a recession recovery plan for the City and County of San Francisco; an annual economic assessment of LA’s city council districts for the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce; an economic and revenue forecast for the City of San Luis Obispo; an analysis of the local technology industry for the Santa Cruz County Workforce Development Board; and an economic impact study for the 2024 Los Angeles Olympic Games Committee. Chris became nationally known for forecasting the subprime mortgage market crash that began in 2007 and was one of the few economists on record to predict the global economic recession that followed. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he stood in opposition to the panic over a Depression that never happened, and he consistently urges his audiences to beware of narratives that diverge from the reality of data.

As a public speaker, Chris is well known for his ability to capture and hold audiences. He has presented to hundreds of leading business, government, and nonprofit organizations across the globe including Chevron, The New Yorker, Colliers International, Western Alliance Bank, the California Chamber of Commerce, City National Bank, the National Confectioner’s Association, the Washington State Association of Counties, the California Society of Municipal Finance Officers, the California State Association of Counties, State Farm Insurance, the City of Los Angeles, the California and Nevada Credit Union League, the Mechanical Contractors Association of America, and the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, among many others. He has testified before the U.S. Congress House Committee on Financial Services on municipal debt issues, before the California State Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation regarding rule changes related to Proposition 13, and before the Los Angeles City Council about proposed changes to local minimum wage laws.

Chris is a contributor to consensus economic forecasts published by the Wall Street Journal, Reuters, the National Association of Business Economists, and the Seidman Research Institute at Arizona State University. He also serves as a Board Member of the BizFed Institute, one of Southern California’s most prominent think tanks focused on business and industry issues. In 2024, he joined the Board of Directors of the Statewide California Coalition (dba New California Coalition) and the Advisory Board of the California Chamber of Commerce. He served on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce from 2012-2023. He is also an Executive Member of the Central City Association (Los Angeles) and a member of the California Association for Local Economic Development. Prior to launching Beacon Economics, Chris was a senior economist with UCLA’s Anderson Forecast. He previously taught in the MBA program at UCLA’s Anderson School, in the Rady School of Business at UC San Diego, and at Thammasat University in Bangkok, Thailand. He has also held a faculty position in the economics department at Clemson University.

Bryan Castro Related Seminars and Products

Senior Research Associate

Beacon Economics LLC

Bryan S. Castro is a Senior Research Associate at Beacon Economics, where he works across multiple practice areas with a focus on public policy, labor economics, and economic, fiscal, and social impact analysis. He is a former professor of economics, having taught macroeconomics, microeconomics, international trade, and economic development at California State University, Los Angeles. Bryan has extensive experience working with confidential Employment Development Department (EDD) data and has produced economic analyses and revenue forecasts for major California cities, counties, industry groups, and higher-education institutions. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California, Irvine.

Tim Kirby Related Seminars and Products

City of Sunnyvale

Tim Kirby is the Director of Finance for the City of Sunnyvale.  Tim has been with Sunnyvale for 24 years, working in both the Departments of Finance and Public Works in varying capacities.  Tim spent twelve of those years as the City’s Utility Billing Manager, overseeing the City’s utility financial planning and rate setting.  Promoted to Assistant Director in 2013 and appointed to Director of Finance in 2016, Tim manages the City’s finance department including its core functions of budget, accounting, purchasing, utility billing, revenue collection, and payroll.  Tim has a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Studies from San Jose State University.