William Oberndorf

William Oberndorf is the co-founder of SPO Advisory Corp, an investment firm located in Mill Valley, California. According to Forbes, SPO Advisory "is an owner of a number of businesses in a broad range of industries with an asset orientation."

Oberndorf is the chairman of the UC San Francisco Foundation. He has served as the chairman of the board of Aggregates U.S.A. and Rosewood Hotels & Resorts. He is a member of the investment committee of Hotel Equity Funds and is a director emeritus of Plum Creek Timber Co. He is a former board member of Taft Broadcasting Company, Voyager Learning Company and Wometco Cable Television Corporation. Oberndorf is a director of Calpine Corp., effective Janurary 1, 2011.

Oberndorf graduated from Williams College in 1975 and received an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business in 1978.

The "SPO" in "SPO Advisory Corp" stands for the initials of the last names of its three co-founders, all of whom graduated for the Standford Graduate School of Business: John Scully, Bill Patterson and Oberndorf.

Education reform

Oberndorf is a co-founder, board member and past chairman of the Alliance for School Choice. He is the 2010 recipient of the John T. Walton Champions for Education Choice Award.

Oberndorf is a trustee of the Thacher School in Ojai, California.

Ballot measures

2012

Oberndorf gave $1,000,000 to the Small Business Action Committee which, in turn, has contributed funds to oppose California Proposition 30, Sales and Income Tax Increase and support California Proposition 32, the "Paycheck Protection" Initiative.

2010

Oberndorf gave $50,000 to the campaign to approve Proposition 14, the "Top Two" Primaries Act.

2008

Oberndorf gave $50,000 to the campaign to defeat Proposition 93, an Amendment to California's Term Limits Law.

2006

Oberndorf gave $75,000 to the campaign to defeat Proposition 82.

2004

Oberndorf gave $100,00 to the campaign to defeat Proposition 60 and to approve Proposition 62.

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