About
Mari Barke
Director of Coalitions
Mari Barke is the Director of Coalitions at California Policy Center, where she leads both the Parent Union and California Local Elected Officials (CLEO), a membership organization that supports school board members and other local elected officials. Mari also serves as the President of the Orange County Board of Education.
Mari is widely sought out by school board candidates, newly elected trustees, and veteran board members across California for guidance on navigating the policy and governance challenges of public education. A strong advocate for parents and parental rights, she is a consistent champion for high-quality public charter schools and expanded educational opportunity. Under her leadership, the Orange County Board of Education has approved dozens of charter schools and regularly authorizes interdistrict transfers, helping students access better educational options beyond their ZIP code.
Lance Christensen
Vice President of Government Affairs & Education
Lance Christensen brings two decades of public policy and political experience to the California Policy Center as CPC’s Vice President of Government Affairs & Education Policy. Christensen was a candidate for California Superintendent of Public Instruction on the November 2022 statewide ballot. He was also one of the principal architects of the recent school choice initiative proposal in California. His analysis and guidance on education policy are frequently sought by local school board members, journalists and policymakers across California.
Before his tenure at CPC, Christensen worked as a legislative consultant in the California State Senate and as a finance budget analyst at the Department of Finance. Christensen later served as chief of staff and senior policy advisor to former California State Sen. John Moorlach. He was also the inaugural director of Reason Foundation’s Pension Reform Project, setting the stage for major reforms in state and local retirement programs across the country.