Appointed Commission on State Mandates executive director in March 2012, Heather Halsey received a bachelor of science in English literature/American studies from UCLA in 1993 and a juris doctorate from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 1997.

Halsey was staff counsel/legislative analyst for the Governor's Office of Planning and Research from April 2000 to May 2002. She left government to become an associate at

the Santa Barbara-based law firm of Hatch & Parent and remained there for three years before returning to government as committee consultant for the state Assembly from 2005-2007.

Halsey left government again for a year to become senior project manager for EDAW, Inc., a company that offers environmental services, economic services, social and cultural services, and information technology consulting services to both the public and private sector. Its services include landscape architecture, planning and urban design, and public space planning.

In early 2008, Halsey became staff counsel for the California Department of Health Care Services for eight months before joining the Commission on State Mandates as senior staff counsel in December. She held that position until her selection by the commission as executive director in March 2012

Heather Halsey (LinkedIn)