Clothilde Hewlett

Clothilde Hewlett is well-versed in board governance and management, having served on twenty different boards. She is a Director on the Board of Beneficial State Bank and is also a member of the Board of Trustees of Soka University of America, which is dedicated to fostering global citizens. As former Commissioner of the California Department of Financial Protection & Innovation (DFPI) appointed in 2021, she oversaw the regulation and operations of state licensed banks, credit unions, franchises, securities, mortgage lenders, student loan servicers, money transmitters, investment advisers, payday lenders, securities brokers and dealers, in addition to emerging technologies such as crypto assets and fintech products. She has served California under three different governors. Pursuant to her 1999 gubernatorial appointment as Undersecretary of the State and Consumer Services Agency and Interim Director of the Department of General Services, she managed numerous state agencies with a wide range of oversight that included procurement, real estate, and consumer affairs. 

She was Executive Director and Chief Legal Officer of the Cal Alumni Association, overseeing an organization that served more than 550,000 alumni of the University of California, Berkeley. As a partner at K&L Gates and then Nossaman, LLP, she advised national and global corporations and sports teams, where she focused on government contracting, crisis management, appropriations, financial services, renewable energy, nanotechnology, and diversity initiatives. She created the Moral Character Unit for admission to practice law in California as Director of Moral Character Determinations, State Bar of California. As a pioneer in law enforcement, Assistant District Attorney and Peace Officer in the San Francisco District Attorney’s office, she prosecuted high-level crimes and conducted special investigations. 

She is a co-founder and served as the first President of Black Women Lawyers of Northern California. She is a recipient of numerous awards including the Trailblazer of the Year Award by Leadership California, the Black Women Lawyers of Northern California Lifetime Achievement Award, the SPUR Lifetime Achievement Award, and the California Law Review Alumni of the Year Award. She received a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley and a J.D. from the UC Berkeley School of Law. She is committed to raising the next generation of global leaders and to supporting underserved communities through consumer education and promoting generational wealth.