John M. Palmer, III

John M. Palmer, III

Financial and Operations Consultant
1977, Bachelor of Science, Business Administration - Accountancy

John Palmer was raised in Los Alamitos, CA, studied business at The Beach, and went on to work in — and eventually lead — the finance divisions of some major local companies. Even as lifelong Orange Countian, John has touched lives around the world as a mentor for colleagues and aspiring finance professionals.

As Vice President of Finance at Esterline, Leach International, in Buena Park, CA, Palmer directed all worldwide finance functions for this specialized manufacturing company and managed 34 employees in the United States, Mexico, France, Hong Kong, and China. Prior to this, he worked in a series of progressively responsible positions at the Panasonic Corporation. First hired as an Assistant Accounting Manager, Palmer was eventually promoted to Senior Director of Finance, a role that gave him the opportunity to oversee and improve business operations for Panasonic’s worldwide in-flight business, staffed by 52 employees in the United States, the United Kingdom, Dubai, and Singapore. 

John and his wife, Bobbi, are the proud parents of CSULB alumni Kelli ’04, ‘05 and Bret ‘09, and The Beach remains an important part of the family’s life.  John secured corporate sponsorships from Panasonic for Long Beach State Athletics (among many other deserving community organizations), and he is an avid Dirtbags fan.  John and Bobbi also serve the community as volunteers for the Make-A-Wish® Foundation, Child Abuse Prevention Center and other chartiable organizations.