* Born in Richardson, TX, 1956, to Doris Nation, a retired high school librarian, and the late Joseph B. Nation, a university researcher.
* Married Novato native Linda Nicolay-Nation in 1983. Linda is the founding President of the Marin League of Conservation Voters and a past President of the Kentfield Schools Foundation.
* Thirteen-year old twin daughters, Kristen and Alexandra.
* Marin homeowners since 1984.
Education
* B.A, Economics, German, French, University of Colorado.
* Masters in Foreign Service, Georgetown University.
* Ph.D., Public Policy Analysis, RAND Graduate School.
* Post-doctoral fellowship, Stanford University.
Work Experience
* Managing Director, California Data & Analysis, a San Rafael-based economics and public policy consulting firm. Clients include RAND, where he continues to direct RAND California and RAND Texas, online sources of information for both states. Previous clients include the Bay Area Council, where he served as the editor of the Bay Area Economic Pulse, a quarterly publication on the local economy the California Healthcare Institute, where he conducted economic analysis on the state's biotechnology industry. 1992-Present.
* Recognized expert on the California and Bay Area economies. Frequent contributor to KCBS Radio, the Oakland Tribune, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Wall Street Journal, and the Los Angeles Times.
* Assistant and Adjunct Professor of Economics, University of San Francisco. Nation has taught microeconomics, macroeconomics, public policy, and public finance. He also taught international economics and foreign policy at the Monterey Institute for International Studies. 1992-1999.
* More than 30 publications, including The De-escalation of Nuclear Crises (St. Martin's Press), a study of how superpowers can step back from the brink of a nuclear crisis. 1991
* Assistant at Georgetown University to Madeleine Albright. 1984.
Political and Community Involvement
* Board of Directors, Marin Municipal Water District. Elected in 1992 by a more than two-to-one margin. Served two terms as Board President. The district serves 190,000 residents in Southern and Central Marin County with an annual budget of about $45 million. 1992-2000.
* Commissioner, California Department of Education Curriculum Development and Supplemental Materials Commission, where he was a member of the Foreign Language and Science committees. He also served on the University of California's Emerging Issues Forum, a group of leading policymakers focused on state policy issues. 1996-2000.
* Chairman, Marin Early Care and Education Strategy Alliance. Community-based effort to increase investment in early care and education. 1999-2000.