Born in San Francisco, 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, District 4, 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 District 5.  He was reelected twice, serving six years before being termed-out in 2010.  During his six years in the Assembly, Roger served on the Transportation Committee, Banking and Finance Committee, Public Employees, Retirement and Social Security Committee, Business, Professions and Consumer Protection Committee, Insurance Committee and Budget Committee.  He served as Vice-Chair of the Budget and Banking and Finance Committees.  He also served on the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, the Joint Committee on Emergency Services and Homeland Security and the Select Committee on Foster Care.

About a year after terming out of the State Assembly Roger became the President and CEO the same Sacramento Metro Chamber he led as a volunteer 17 years earlier.  He served in that position from January of 2012 until January of 2015.

Among other volunteer activities, Roger is President of Golden State Voter Participation Program (Ca GOP voter registration effort), has served as Chair of the Sacramento Valley Lincoln Club Board, is currently Co-Chair of the California Civic Learning Partnership in Sacramento County and is a member of the University of California Center Sacramento Advisory Board, the Dignity Health Sacramento Service Area Hospital Community Board, the Greater Sacramento Economic Council Board and Sacramento Rotary.  In February, 2011, Roger was named the University of California Center Sacramento Governance Fellow, the first to serve in that position.

Roger and his wife Mary reside in Fair Oaks. They have five adult children and six grandchildren.