Matt Fong
Matthew Kipling Fong was an American Republican politician who served as the 30th California State Treasurer. He was a government appointee, finance industry director, and consultant after retiring from the Air Force Reserve.Life and career
Born in Alameda, California, Fong was the adopted son of Democrat March Fong Eu, the 25th California Secretary of State. He graduated from Skyline High School earned a Bachelor of Science degree at the United States Air Force Academy, an MBA at Pepperdine University
, and a J.D. at the Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles.
He retired from his Air Force Reserve assignment at The Pentagon, serving as an adviser to the U.S. Secretary of the Air Force on budget and finance with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force Reserve.
In 1991, California Governor Pete Wilson appointed Fong to the State Board of Equalization, where he served as its Vice Chairman. He left the Board in 1994 when he was elected State Treasurer for a four-year term that began January 1995.
In the 1998 U.S. Senate election, he unsuccessfully challenged incumbent California Senator Barbara Boxer, despite support from Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
He was President of the Strategic Advisory Group providing counsel to CEOs and senior executives on strategy and business development. He was Special Counsel to the law firm of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton.
Fong held Series 7 and 63 securities licenses and was a principal of Belstar Group, a New York-based asset manager.
Fong was an independent director of TCW Group's complex of mutual funds. He also served on two technology start-up companies' boards of directors—one dealing with earthquake detection devices and the other involved with energy saving devices.
U.S. President George W. Bush appointed Fong chairman of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation Advisory Board. Fong also served as a Regent of Pepperdine University and a Trustee of Southwestern University School of Law.
He lived in Pasadena, California with his wife, Paula, with whom he had two children: Matthew II and Jade. Fong died of cancer in his Pasadena home on June 1, 2011. He was buried at the United States Air Force Academy Cemetery in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He is survived by his mother and his wife and children.
