Jessie J. Knight, Jr

Chairman

Jessie J. Knight, Jr. is the Managing Director of Knight Angels, a family private equity fund dedicated to anonymous philanthropy and providing financial support to grassroots leaders implementing innovative, long-term solutions in their communities. He began his corporate career with Dole Foods, spending ten years in both domestic and international operations. After four years working in Honduras and Latin America, he became Marketing Director for North America, overseeing all retail grocery divisions for Dole’s canned pineapple and juice products. From 1985 to 1992, Mr. Knight served as Vice President of Marketing & Planning for the San Francisco Chronicle and San Francisco Examiner. In 1992, he became Executive Vice President of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, where he led the investor team responsible for purchasing the San Francisco Giants and developing their current stadium. From 1993 to 1999, he served under former California Governor Pete Wilson as Commissioner of the California Public Utilities Commission, overseeing statewide regulation for telecommunications, electricity, natural gas, water, railroads, and transportation. He later served as President & CEO of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce from 1999 to 2006. Mr. Knight retired in 2015 after a decade at Sempra Energy, where he held several senior roles including Executive Vice President of External Affairs, Chief Sustainability Officer, and Chairman of the company’s two largest subsidiaries, San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Gas Company. He also served as CEO of San Diego Gas & Electric from 2010 to 2014. In addition to his corporate leadership, he has held board positions with Alaska Air Group and Alaska Airlines (NYSE: AAG), Avista Corporation (NYSE: AVA), and the San Diego Padres Baseball Club from 2004 to 2012. Throughout his career, Mr. Knight has contributed to national policy and strategic initiatives, serving on the board of the Hudson Institute and on both the board and executive committee of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. After concluding his tenure with these organizations, he began supporting the Trump Administration on economic development and manufacturing projects. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board for the Timken Museum of Art in San Diego and is a member of the executive committee and board of trustees of St. Louis University. He remains actively involved in homeland security through InfraGard, the FBI Citizen’s Academy, and as a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Mr. Knight is a graduate of St. Louis University, a fellow of the University of Madrid, and holds an MBA from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He has received honorary doctorate degrees from California State University—San Diego State’s Fowler School of Business—and from St. Louis University in Madrid, Spain. In 2016, he was inducted into The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem by Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, an honor now overseen by His Majesty King Charles III.