T.J. Zane is a public affairs and communications professional with over 20 years of experience furnishing consulting services for numerous non-profit/trade associations and corporate clientele, as well as executive management services for high-profile political clientele. Sought after for his extensive business and political relationships throughout the San Diego region, Zane and his wife formed Dovetail Partners where he is currently delivering community engagement, advocacy, and outreach services for various clients.
Zane served over 7 years as the chief executive for the Lincoln Club of San Diego County, growing the organization into the region’s then-largest and most influential pro-business political action committee. He has organized and led several very successful, high-profile local ballot initiatives throughout the years: the Yes on Proposition A (2005, City of San Diego) campaign to preserve the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial “As it is, where it is”; the No on Proposition A (2006, County of San Diego) campaign to prevent Marine Corps Air Station Miramar from becoming a military-civilian airport; the No on Proposition D (2010, City of San Diego) campaign to defeat a citywide ½-cent sales tax increase; and the Yes on Proposition B (2012, City of San Diego) campaign to pass first-of-its-kind, comprehensive pension reform for public employees.
In 2011, Zane started two 501(c) non-profit organizations, the San Diego County Prosperity Institute (and Foundation), and in 2014 he was elected to the Poway Unified School District’s Board of Trustees, served as the board's President, and was re-elected in 2018.
Rounding out his experience in the political realm, Zane has held a distinctive range of positions within the private sector: as an Account Executive for a San Diego-based governmental and public relations firm, Zane advocated on matters of interest for various clients including the San Diego County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association, the San Diego County Office of Education, and San Diego Air Commerce Center (Brown Field); as an Account Executive for a computer network integration company, Zane maintained several of the company’s largest accounts including the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego County Bar Association; and as an Asset Manager for First Commercial Corporation, Zane became intimately acquainted with contract negotiation, commercial escrow requirements, and a variety of property management issues.
Zane is a proud graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, with degrees in Political Science and Communications. An Eagle Scout and Connecticut native, Zane is a member or director of numerous professional, social, philanthropic, and political organizations, including his current positions as a member of the Executive Committee of the San Diego-Imperial Council, Boy Scouts of America and the Emeritus Board of the Rancho Family YMCA. In 2017, Zane was selected by the San Diego-Imperial Council, BSA, as an “Outstanding Eagle Scout” – a prestigious recognition awarded by the National Eagle Scout Association to Eagle Scouts who have demonstrated outstanding achievement at the local, state, or regional level.
Zane is married and has two boys, ages 16 and 8, and a 5-year-old girl. He enjoys camping, quality local microbrews and, whenever time permits, long-distance cycling.