Pepperdine School of Public Policy Announces Policy and Business Leader Daniel Klein (MPP '12) as Distinguished Alumnus Award Recipient

The Pepperdine School of Public Policy (SPP) is proud to announce Daniel Klein (MPP ’12), chief executive officer of Jewish Silicon Valley (JSV), as this year’s Distinguished Alumnus. A financial expert and policy leader, Klein embodies SPP’s mission to develop principled leaders prepared to navigate the intersection of policy, faith, and public service. His career includes influential roles in national and international Jewish organizations, and his enduring commitment to community building, ethical leadership, and meaningful public impact makes him a compelling voice on leadership, service, and the role of values in public life.

"For almost two decades since graduating SPP, Daniel has exemplified the kind of creative cross-sector leaders we prepare here. From time spent on Capitol Hill as a policy advisor to his private-sector successes in finance and biomedical industries to his recent service as a nonprofit CEO, Daniel demonstrates that public policy can be shaped in a variety of ways," said  Pete Peterson (MPP '07), dean of the School of Public Policy. "In his current role as head of Jewish Silicon Valley, Daniel has also shown the virtue of courage in leading a vital civic organization through a period of significant challenges for the Jewish community. In what he's accomplished, and how he's done it, Daniel Klein is a true distinguished alumnus of our program."

JSV is a nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting, supporting, and advocating for the Jewish community across Silicon Valley and the region. Klein joined the organization in January 2023 as chief philanthropy officer and was selected as CEO later that year. Under his leadership, the organization has expanded its impact and visibility. 

Klein has been a visible and vocal advocate on the issues that matter most to the communities he serves. He has testified in Sacramento, and in September 2025, he authored an op-ed in the San Jose Mercury News challenging opposition to Assembly Bill 715. This landmark piece of legislation, which he helped draft, strengthens protections against antisemitism and hate in California’s public schools. Writing both as a communal leader and as a parent with children in those schools, Klein made a forceful public case for the bill. AB 715 went on to pass both chambers of the California legislature and was signed into law by the governor in October  2025. Throughout this period and beyond, Klein has been recognized for his leadership during one of the most challenging chapters in recent Jewish communal life, helping guide his community through crises with compassion, clarity, and resolve. His expertise in policy and communal leadership was recently recognized by the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, where he was chosen to serve on its Community Advisory Council, helping guide the foundation’s strategic direction and civic engagement across Silicon Valley.

Previously, Klein spent more than six years in the biomedical industry before pivoting to mission-driven work in the Jewish and pro-Israel communities—a calling he has pursued for more than a decade. He served six years with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and nearly five years as executive director of Israel Bonds for the Pacific Northwest. During his tenure at Israel Bonds, Klein helped craft and champion a successful, landmark policy effort to authorize the state to participate in the purchase of Israel Bonds to access higher yields for California taxpayers and pension holders.

"It is a profound honor to be recognized by Pepperdine’s School of Public Policy with the Distinguished Alumnus award," shared Klein. "In an era where moral clarity can be rare in leadership, receiving an honor rooted in ethical integrity is deeply meaningful. I remain committed to leading with purpose and dedicated service to both the Jewish community and the broader public."

Klein holds a master of public policy from SPP, where he focused on state and local politics and economics, and a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of California, Santa Cruz. While at Pepperdine, he interned in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives, while also helping run a successful school board race.

For more news and information on upcoming events, visit the School of Public Policy website.