BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chuck DeVore - California Assembly Member

Chuck DeVore

Assemblyman Chuck DeVore represents the 70th district in the State Assembly. The district includes the communities of Aliso Viejo, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Newport Beach and Tustin.

From 1991 until elected, Chuck worked for SM&A, a $75 million per year defense and aerospace engineering and management services firm employing more than 300 people. He was vice president with responsibility for research and for communications.

In 1983, Chuck became a citizen-soldier when he enlisted in the United States Army Reserve. He earned an ROTC scholarship that allowed him to attend Claremont McKenna College where he graduated with honors with a degree in Strategic Studies in 1985 and was commissioned an officer. He spent six months in the study abroad program at the American University in Cairo, Egypt and traveled to Israel and Lebanon.

Chuck now serves in the California Army National Guard. He holds the rank of Major. While serving in the Army he has gone to Korea three times, to Panama, supported Operation Desert Storm, and patrolled the streets of Los Angeles during the riots in 1992. His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster, the Army Achievement Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters, and several others. He is a graduate of the Command and General Staff College and the Combined Arms Staff Services School.

Chuck was a Reagan White House appointee in the Pentagon from 1986 to 1988. As a Special Assistant for Foreign Affairs, Chuck was constantly on Capitol Hill interfacing with both the House and the Senate Armed Services Committees and Foreign Affairs Committees. Chuck’s official duties carried him overseas to the Middle East, Central America, Asia, and Europe. He also coordinated policy with the White House, the State Department, the Department of Energy and the Department of Commerce. His initiative helped develop the Arrow Anti-Ballistic Missile program.

In 1988, Chuck served as Congressman Chris Cox’s Director of Public Liaison for his first campaign for public office. Through 1990, he served as the Congressman’s Senior Assistant.

From 1991-1996, Chuck served as a City Commissioner for the City of Irvine. He was Chairman of the Community Services Commission from 1994-1995 and Vice Chairman the year before.

Chuck is also the author of the internationally acclaimed novel, China Attacks. Written in 1999 and translated into Chinese in 2000, the book, banned in China, sells well in Taiwan where Chuck was invited to meet with Taiwanese defense and political officials in 2001.

His opinion pieces have appeared in the Orange County Register, Human Events, the Asian Wall Street Journal, the Taipei Times, the Jamestown Review, the U.S. Army’s Red Thrust Star, and many others.

In 2004, The Claremont Institute named Chuck a Lincoln Fellow.

Chuck moved to Orange County in 1980 and has lived in the 70th Assembly District since marrying his wife, Diane, in 1988. Chuck and Diane have two daughters, Jennie, born in 1991, and Amy, born in 1997.