Welcome David Nelson -

MMS Strategies' New Director of Political Affairs

MMS Strategies is delighted to announce that David Nelson has joined our team as the new Director of Political Affairs. With an impressive background in political and policy operations, David brings over 20 years of public service experience and a proven track record of success.

David's extensive career began in the State Assembly, and he most recently served as the Executive Director of the California Forward Action Fund, the 501c4 policy advocacy arm of California Forward. In this role, he oversaw efforts to improve the quality of life for all Californians by advocating for inclusive, sustainable growth and enhanced government at both state and local levels.

Prior to his role at California Forward, David held the position of Director of Public Policy at the California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce, where he achieved a significant legislative victory with the passage of Assembly Bill (AB) 2019 (Petrie-Norris). This bill codified the State's 25% small business procurement goal, initially established as an Executive Order during the Schwarzenegger Administration.

David's impactful work also includes serving as the Statewide Liaison for the California Small Business Development Centers and co-chairing the Small Businesses Owned by People of Color workgroup for the California Economic Summit in 2021.

Notably, David played a crucial role in delivering infrastructure reform for the State of California with California Forward. His collaborative efforts, alongside former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Governor Newsom’s office resulted in the first comprehensive infrastructure regulatory reform in the state in a generation. This initiative addressed CEQA and streamlined regulations to maximize investment dollars from the Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure and Jobs Act (IIJA).

In addition to his role as a statewide executive director of a 501c4, David has successfully managed and advised political and legislative campaigns. Among his achievements in 2020 was the strategic blocking of Proposition 15, the "split roll" property tax, which would have rolled back Prop 13 tax protections.

Please join us in welcoming David Nelson to the MMS Strategies team. We are confident that his wealth of experience and strategic leadership will contribute significantly to our continued success!