Lance Hastings currently serves as President and CEO of the California Manufacturers & Technology Association (CMTA), assuming the role in November 2018. In that capacity, he leads a prominent business-oriented trade association with a legacy of success and engagement.
Under his leadership, CMTA passed historic legislation to provide a sales tax exemption for manufacturing equipment with a broad, bipartisan coalition. Hastings also grew membership for the fourth consecutive year, including during the COVID pandemic. He also pivoted the communications team to be more focused on visual and digital storytelling to recapture the manufacturing narrative, which has garnered global media attention.
Before joining CMTA, he served as MillerCoors’s Vice President of National Affairs. During his 15 years with the brewing industry, Hastings served in state, regional, national, and international capacities. His international experience was as Head of Regulatory and Tax Affairs for SABMiller, located in London, England, from 2012-2015.
Before his extensive career as a manufacturing executive, Hastings was the Vice President of Government Relations at the California Grocers Association and Senior Director for State Affairs at the Grocery Manufacturers of America.
Hastings also served as legislative staff in the California State Legislature for almost a decade, concluding as a Chief Consultant in 1997.
His passion for community and economic development stems from his time serving on multiple boards. Hastings is on the Board of Directors of the Red Cross Sierra-Delta Chapter and also served in the following capacities: President of the Catholic School Advisory Committee (CSAC) at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School in Elk Grove, Board of Directors for the Food Industry Association Executives (FIAE), Advisory Board of California Association for Local Economic Development (CALED), and the California Future of Work Commission as an appointee of Governor Newsom, and Board of Directors of the Los Angeles County Business Federation (Biz-Fed).
Hastings most recently earned his Executive MBA and has a BA in Economics and a Minor in Government from California State University at Sacramento and is on the Board of Directors of the Sac State Alumni Association.
Hastings has been featured and interviewed for his work in global and national media outlets, including ABC and NBC News, CNN, Politico, and the Wall Street Journal, among other publications. In 2023, Hastings was recognized as one of Sacramento Business Journal’s Most Admired CEOs.