San Ramon Democrat Daniel W. Hancock is the third chairman of the watchdog Little Hoover Commission to have a history with Shapell Industries, a giant California home construction company.

Hancock graduated from San Jose University in 1970 with a bachelor of arts degree in political science. He worked in his father’s title company before being recruited by Shapell Industries, where he eventually became president. The founder of that company, Nathan Shapell, previously served as chairman of the commission for 18 years and Richard Mahan, executive director of the commission in the ‘80s, also was a high-ranking employee at Shapell. Hancock retired from the company in 2001.

He is the former director and past president of the Southern Division Building Industry Association, a former member of the boards of the National Conference of Christians and Jews and the San Ramon Library Foundation, and past chairman and founding director of the San Jose Sports Authority. Hancock was originally appointed to the commission in 1997 by Assembly Speaker Cruz Bustamante and reappointed three times by successive Assembly Speakers. He was elected board chairman in 2007 and re-elected in 2009.

2003 Honoree (California Homebuilding Foundation)

Commission Bio (Little Hoover website)