2010 STARS Hall of Fame

Roger Niello

"I first attended a San Juan school in 1955: 2nd grade at Orville Wright Elementary School. I was there through the 5th grade, then went to Arden School for 6th, Jonas Salk for middle school and finished at Encina High School, graduating in 1966. My kids went to Earl LeGette Elementary School, Andrew Carnegie Middle, and Bella Vista High School. I have been fortunate, as a County Supervisor and an Assembly member, to represent an area with a great school district like San Juan. I have likewise been fortunate to have had a great relationship with district leadership as well as many individual schools I have visited. I have particularly enjoyed a very special relationship with the districts AVID program. It has been fun, too, getting to know former teachers on a more contemporary basis via community events and in connection with my official elected duties (yes, I’ve been lobbied—entirely enjoyably—by former teachers)." –Roger Niello

Born in San Francisco, Assemblyman Roger Niello has lived in Sacramento nearly all of his life. After graduating from Sacramento's Encina High School, Roger attended the University of California at Berkeley for his undergraduate studies, then completed his graduate studies at the University of California at Los Angeles.

Roger worked as a Certified Public accountant until he joined his family’s business at Niello Auto Group in 1974 and spent the next 25 years running retail automobile dealerships with his family partners. In 1995, Roger served as the President of the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, and was a member of the Capital Area Political Action Committee. As a member of the community, he was an active volunteer. Roger was elected to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors in a special election in February of 1999.

As a member of the Board of Supervisors, he served Sacramento County on numerous boards and commissions. In 2004, Roger was elected to the California State Assembly and was immediately appointed Vice Chair of the Assembly Banking and Finance Committee and also served in positions on the Assembly Budget, and Transportation Committees. In addition, he served for a brief time on the Assembly Public Employees, Retirement and Social Security Committee and the Joint Legislative Audit Committee.

In late 2006, Roger was named vice-chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, and served as the key negotiator on budget issues for the Assembly Republican Caucus. Since being reelected to a third and final term in the Assembly, Niello now serves on the Transportation, Insurance, and Business and Professions Committees as well as the Joint Committee on Emergency Services and Homeland Security and the Select Committee on Foster Care. Additionally he is Vice-Chair of the Banking Committee.

Assemblyman Niello represents the 5th district in the California State Assembly, which includes the Sacramento County communities of Arden Arcade, Carmichael, the City of Citrus Heights, Fair Oaks, the City of Folsom, North Highlands, McClellan Park, Orangevale, Natomas, Sacramento and the Placer County community of Granite Bay. Roger and his wife Mary reside in Fair Oaks. They have five adult children and four grandchildren.