Hall Delano Roosevelt was born in Los Angeles, California, and is the grandson of President Franklin Delano and FirstLady Eleanor Roosevelt. He is also the direct descendant of President Theodore Roosevelt. He attended the International School in Geneva Switzerland; Brentwood Military Academy, California; Pacific Palisades High School;and Woodbury University, Los Angeles, California. Del’s father was James Roosevelt, FDR’s first-born son. Del livedon the East Coast when James served as a Congressman for 6 terms from California’s 26th District, then in Europe whenhis father was the United Nations Ambassador to Geneva.
Prior to Mr. Roosevelt’s election to the Long Beach City Council, Delano was Chairman and Member of the LongBeach Community Development Advisory Committee, which allocates the $10 million plus of U.S. Department ofHousing and Urban Development grants for city economic improvement projects. He also chaired the Solid WasteManagement Commission, where he helped to start the City’s curbside city-wide recycling program. Elected as theCity’s Fourth District Councilmember, Councilman Roosevelt’s interest in environmental issues prompted him torecommend that the City Council establish a Sustainable Development Board – a recommendation that wasimplemented by the Environmental Task Force. As a member of the City Council, Delano authored the City’sredistricting plan in 1996. He was appointed as Chair of the Federal Legislation and Environmental Affairs Committeewhich made him responsible to develop the City’s legislative agenda and required him to spend a great deal of timeadvocating in Washington D.C. and Sacramento, California. He also served as Vice-Chair of the Public SafetyCommittee and on the Joint Powers Authority with the City of Signal Hill and directed the City’s CollaborativeConversations Program with the Long Beach Unified School District. Based on experience gained in his work atSouthern California Edison, working in Energy Conservation and Load Management as a Major Account Executive for ten years, Del took a leading position for the City Council when the City considered becoming its own electrical municipality and severing ties with Southern California Edison because of an opportunity for the city to renegotiate itsfranchise fees contract.
After leaving his City Council position, Delano worked for the Boeing Sea Launch Program as Director of Governmental Relations, which took him on extensive trips to the South Pacific negotiating with local Governments.
In 2005, Delano accepted a position as the Director of New Business Development for the Reza Investment Groupbased in Saudi Arabia, where Delano made his home for fifteen years. The Reza Investment Company is wholly ownedby the Alireza family, one of the oldest and respected trading families in Saudi Arabia. Reza Investment hassuccessfully developed market-leading positions in trading, manufacturing and service industries throughout SaudiArabia and the Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC).
He also is a co-founder of Friends of Saudi Arabia, a cultural awareness program with King Abdullah’s son, HRH Prince Abdulaziz Bin Abdullah.
Delano and his wife Janice, a retired electric utility executive and Long Beach native, have their home in the City of Long Beach from 1988 to present. During his time in Saudi Arabia, Jan and Delano moved to the Kingdom of Bahrain for ten years, which allowed Delano easy commuting access to his position in Saudi Arabia.
In 2019, Delano accepted the position of President and CEO of the U.S.-Saudi Business Council, based in WashingtonD.C. The main goal for bringing Del into the Council was to implement a strategy that would pivot the entireorganization into a true “business development desk” for U.S. and Saudi companies. Under his guidance, the Councilwas successfully transformed. Membership was substantially increased, a major effort began to introduce and educateU.S. States about the Council, and numerous business successes were realized.
Delano left the Business Council on 2022 to accept the position of President and CEO of The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations, a non-profit organization established in 1983 whose mission is educational. His responsibilities were to enhance American awareness, knowledge and understanding of the Arab countries throughout the Mideast. Through programs for leadership development, people-to-people exchanges, lectures, publications, an annual Arab-U.S. policymakers conference, the participation of American students and faculty in Arb region study experiences, the Council saw tremendous success.
In 2025, Delano was invited to join Ranchland Capital Partners as Director, International Investor Relations. Based in California, Delano focuses on developing strategic relationships and supporting communication with RCP’s global investor network. There is a strong demand for active, integrated management, and varying sources of capital to respond to the current demographic shift among ranch owners in the Rocky Mountain West. It is RCP’s mission to ensure that these lands remain in agricultural production, protected from development, and reach their highest potential to meet growing demand for beef here in the U.S. and internationally. This position allows Delano to continue a family tradition of international engagement and land preservation.
Delano Roosevelt’s other involvement includes:
- Chairman Emeritus, Middle East Council of American Chambers of Commerce
- Executive Board Member, American Mission Hospital, Bahrain
- First Vice President, Bahrain American Chamber of Commerce
- Board Member, FDR Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation
- Board Member, American Business Association, Easter Province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
