Bret currently serves as President of the Yolo County Community Foundation Board of Directors and is Chair of the Investment Committee for the Sacramento Region Community Foundation.
Throughout his 45-year career, Bret has contributed significantly to business success at numerous organizations of varied size and purpose, among them a Fortune 50 firm, a leading investments consulting firm, a major research university, nationally recognized nonprofits, an innovative municipality and an arts organization.
As a Managing Director, Bret served as a member of the broader management team for 18 years at Cambridge Associates. He guided health care, higher education, and foundation clients as they implemented customized endowment strategies. Simultaneously, he also worked to integrate and strengthen the firm’s “back-office” units (both in the U.S. and internationally) necessary to support the company’s consulting practice. In this capacity, he managed 250 employees across five departments.
Previously, Bret pioneered the growth of a second line of business for Sallie Mae, developing and marketing new public finance products that were well-received by higher education and healthcare clients. That product line ultimately generated 25 percent of the firm’s annual revenue. For his efforts, he was recognized as Banker of the year in 1991. Upon graduation from business school, Bret served as an Associate in the Public Finance Department with the bulge-bracket firm, First Boston.
After moving back to Davis in 2014, Bret served for two years as Executive Director of Tuleyome, a nonprofit conservation organization based in Woodland most noted for working to establish and protect the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument.
For 23 years Bret served in various capacities on the Board of Trustees of the award-winning Studio Theatre, the third largest nonprofit theater in Washington, DC. In the mid-1970s, during the City of Davis’ early innovative efforts in land use and energy conservation policies, Bret served seven years on the Planning Commission, ultimately stepping down as Chairman to start his MBA program.
For over 30 years, Bret has served in many capacities across the UC Davis campus, including providing volunteer leadership for the Cal Aggie Alumni Association Board of Directors, UC Davis Foundation Board of Trustees, the Arboretum GATEways Advisory Council, the Humanities and Arts Advisory Council. He has served on the College of Letter and Science Dean’s Advisory Council since 2006 acting as Chair from 2010-2013. In 2011, Bret was recognized for his volunteer service to UC Davis, the Cal Aggie Alumni Association and the UC Davis Foundation with the Jerry Fielder Memorial Award – the most prestigious award the alumni association awards each year.