Ben G. Clay

Ben G. Clay has retired as a principal with Carpi & Clay, a government relations firm with offices in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. He has more than 35 years experience working with public agencies, private-sector companies and organizations. He specialized in legislative and administrative advocacy at the State of California.

Prior to establishing The Clay Company and later Carpi & Clay, Ben provided legislative representation for the City of San Diego and County of San Diego. At the County, he served as the director of the Intergovernmental Affairs Office where he was responsible for supervising legislative advocacy activities in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. He also was vice president of a development company where he was responsible for managing development and government relations activities at the City and County of San Diego, Port of San Diego, California Coastal Commission and State Lands Commission. Ben has also served as a Captain in the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps.

Ben serves on the boards of the, San Diego Symphony Association, the California State Railroad Museum, the City of San Diego Qualcomm Stadium advisory board and the San Diego River Conservancy. He is a past president and current member of the Rotary Club of San Diego and a former past president of the San Diego Symphony and a former board member of the San Diego Natural History Museum. He is currently the Chair of the San Diego Rotary Club Centennial Celebration. He has taught graduate courses at National University, undergraduate courses at San Diego State University and at San Diego Community College.

A graduate of San Diego State University, Ben holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in public administration. He has remained active in the University and is a past board member of the University’s Alumni Association and College of Business Advisory Council. Ben and his wife, Nikki, co-chaired the University’s Centennial Celebration in 1997, and they were honored as SDSU’s “Alumni of the Year” in 1998.

Ben and Nikki reside in the Mission Hills area of San Diego.