Led the retirement fund of a large California construction company as Portfolio Manager and Administrator prior to founding his own investment firm in 1974, Ellis C. Smith Investment Counsel, Inc. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the School of Business Administration, University of California Los Angeles, in 1965, and pursued graduate studies at San Diego State University. Ellis is a former Chairman of the Board of the San Diego Downtown YMCA and President of the Executive’s Association of San Diego. Currently a Trustee for the San Diego History Center and a Board Member of the San Diego Employers Association. He also served as a commissioned officer in the United States Naval Reserve.