Dear Friends,

April has been a month of connection, celebration, and forward-thinking leadership across California. Whether highlighting local entrepreneurs, expanding financial opportunity for kids and families, or supporting healthier communities through housing and behavioral health—I'm proud to share what we accomplished together.

Strengthening California’s Economy

Celebrating Small Business Success
I was thrilled to join Lorene Pesacreta for the grand opening of her new Criminal Fitness studio in Burlingame. After 15 years of refining her training philosophy, Lorene is bringing a powerful vision for strength, endurance, and balance to the community. Her journey is a testament to the resilience and innovation of California’s small business owners.

Spotlight on Local Economies
On ChamberTalk with the North Orange County Chamber, I had the chance to speak with Andrew Gregson about state programs that support entrepreneurs and local economies. From reducing red tape to increasing access to capital, we’re working to ensure every Californian has a pathway to prosperity.

🎧 Listen to the full podcast episode here: https://youtu.be/SwXLGhLnP6M

Investing in Education

Empowering Families with Early Wealth Accounts
We made history with the first-ever California Early Wealth Account System Summit: Pathways to Promise! With 5.2 million children now enrolled in CalKIDS and over $2.2 billion invested in their futures, we’re reshaping how families access college and career savings. Families and students can claim their accounts by logging on to CalKIDS.org—it’s easy to do! Huge thanks to Golden 1 Credit Union and our incredible partners for making this possible.

Kindergarten to College: Real Results
San Francisco’s K2C program, the nation’s first universal child savings account initiative, is now seeing real results as its first cohort graduates high school. Students who contributed to their accounts saw average savings grow to $1,422—real dollars, real opportunity. These programs work, and we’re scaling their impact statewide.

Building Healthier, More Resilient Communities

Lifting Up Social Drivers of Health
It was inspiring to welcome leaders from the Inland Empire Health Plan Foundation to the Capitol, where we discussed how housing, behavioral health, and economic mobility are key to health equity. By investing in upstream, non-medical solutions, we can improve outcomes for children and families across the state.

Connecting with Retirees & Local Communities
I had a wonderful lunch with members of California State Retirees Chapter 165 at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Rancho Cordova. From retirement security to community engagement, we had an honest and meaningful conversation about the challenges and opportunities ahead.

Leadership in Action at the San Joaquin Valley Regional Policy Council
In Merced, I joined Congressman Adam Gray and local leaders at the San Joaquin Valley Regional Policy Council to celebrate smart growth and innovation. The Blueprint Awards showcased projects that demonstrate vision, equity, and collaboration—the values we need to move California forward.

Looking Ahead

From small business milestones and financial empowerment to health equity and smart growth, this month has been a powerful reminder of what we can achieve together. Thank you to all who are walking this path with me.

If you’d like to connect, invite me to an event, or share your ideas—please reach out!

In Peace & Friendship,

Fiona Ma, CPA
California State Treasurer