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Biography
As of March 18th, 2011, Jeff Gorell has been called back to active duty by the U.S. Navy for a one year deployment to Afghanistan. During this time he is taking a leave of absence from the California State Assembly.
Jeff Gorell was elected to the California State Assembly in 2010. He lives in Camarillo with his wife Laura, daughter Ashley and son Jack.
With experience as a successful small business owner, university adjunct professor, county criminal prosecutor, naval intelligence officer, war veteran, and former aide to the Governor, Jeff Gorell brings a broad spectrum of public and private sector experience to the State Capitol.
Most recently, Jeff has been part-owner of a regional public affairs firm and served as senior counsel in a Ventura-based law firm. He also taught public policy at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, CA.
A third generation navy man, Jeff is proud to be a veteran of the War on Terror and currently serves as a Lt. Commander in the United States Navy Reserve. Within days of Sept 11, 2001, Jeff was recalled to active duty to support Operation Enduring Freedom and served for one year forward deployed to the Arabian Gulf and Afghanistan. He was decorated for leadership and meritorious actions in a combat zone. Jeff is the grandson of a Navy Seabee who fought in the Pacific during World War II, and the son of a career naval officer and Vietnam veteran.
From 1999-2006, Jeff Gorell served as Ventura County Deputy District Attorney where he served as a trial prosecutor in the major narcotics and violent felony units. He prosecuted multiple "strike" career criminals, gang violence, and drug trafficking.
Jeff represented job creators in Sacramento when, from 1996 to 1999, he served as Director of Communications for the California Manufacturers and Technology Association. He advocated for job-growth legislation in the areas of taxes, regulations, workers compensation, tort reform, and trade law.
In the early 1990s, Jeff Gorell served on the personal staff of Governor Pete Wilson in the State Capitol. As a writer and deputy press secretary to the governor, Jeff helped the Administration develop its message for such important state policy changes as "Three Strikes," state welfare reform, manufacturers' investment tax credits, "Megan's Law," and class size reduction.
Jeff earned his bachelor's degree in History from U.C. Davis and his Juris Doctor from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. He also has earned a certificate in international law from the University of Salzburg, Austria, where he studied under Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy.
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