Candidate for
Council Member, 4 Year; City of Santa Rosa

I am running for the Santa Rosa City Council because I believe if elected, I will have an immediate and positive impact on the direction of the City Council and our City. I have extensive experience dealing with major problems that most affect Santa Rosa; affordable housing, healthcare, transportation, urban planning, and water and energy conservation.

For over 30 years, I have served the residents of Sonoma County advocating for working families, healthcare, seniors, civil rights, the environment and other important issues. I have held a long list of leadership positions, including serving on the Workforce Investment Board, the Board of Trustees for the Sonoma County Housing Trust, President of the North Bay Labor Council, Co-Chair of the Sonoma County Living Wage Coalition, and Presiding Chair of the Accountable Development Coalition.

I believe that the Citizens of Santa Rosa are hungry for solutions, and not conflict; it is my intent to foster creative and constructive dialogue that focuses on bringing all stakeholders to the table to share their best ideas.

I will bring a wealth of experience to the city. I'm a Registered Nurse, and Practicing California Attorney/Mediator. I worked as a Psychiatric Nurse for the Sonoma County Crisis Clinic from 1975 until graduating from Empire Law School in 1979. I worked with the Sierra Club Legal Defense Team on the Warm Springs Dam litigation prior to accepting a position as the Staff Attorney for the Sonoma County Organization of Public Employees.

In 1984 I was promoted to Executive Director of the Service Employees International Union Local 707. During my tenure the organization grew from 1000+ members to over 8000+ members. I was successful in establishing a child care center for County workers, advocating for civil service reform, and negotiating inclusion of the mostly female part time Sonoma County workforce into the pension system of the County.

In 1992 I negotiated an innovative and groundbreaking housing benefit for County Workers that has helped hundreds of Northbay families to realize their housing dreams. In 2004, I retired as the SEIU Local 707 Eexecutive Director position in 2004, but currently remain the President of the North Bay Labor Council serving my 8th, two-year term.

In 2006 I served as the Treasurer for the Smart Train Campaign, which will connect Marin and Sonoma County with both passenger rail and 71 miles of hiking and bicycle trails. As Treasurer I worked cooperatively with Environmental, Business, Labor, and Community leaders to further a healthy and sustainable vision for the greater North Bay.

In 2007 State Senator Patricia Wiggins invited me to accept the position of District Director for her 5 regional offices that serve over 800,000 consttituents in Napa, Solano, Mendocino, Humboldt, and Sonoma Counties.

This year I made the decision to run for the Santa Rosa City Council due to the encouragement of past City Council members who believe that I can make an immediate and positive impact to the lives of Santa Rosa residents who depend on the City for vital services, lifeline utilities, and public safety protection.

On a personal note, I am quite proud of my five children who have all graduated College, and have been successful in their own right. I strongly believe that it is vital we provide educational and economic opportunity to our children so that our youth can afford to remain in Santa Rosa rather than being forced to move away from this area.