Candidate for
Member of the State Assembly; District 1

BIOGRAPHY

Patty Berg was elected to the California State Assembly in November 2002 to represent the 1st Assembly District. The district stretches from the Oregon Border south to include Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Lake, and Trinity Counties as well as parts of Sonoma County. A resident of Humboldt County for 30 years, Patty moved to Eureka with her husband in 1974. Originally from Seattle, she graduated from California State University at Los Angeles with a Bachelors Degree in Sociology & Social Welfare in 1967.

Patty came to the State Capitol with a wealth of experience working to solve problems in her community. She was the founding Executive Director of the Area Agency on Aging serving Humboldt and Del Norte Counties for 19 years. While there, she grew the agency from a staff of 4 and a budget of $300,000 to 25 employees and a multi-million dollar budget. Patty was a regional leader advocating for policy change in Sacramento and Washington, DC on issues related to aging.

In 1993, she wrote the Humboldt County Crime Prevention Plan and chaired its first Crime Commission. Patty then worked in partnership with law enforcement taking a number of steps to make local citizens safer.

Patty has a history as a strong advocate for women's rights and a woman's right to choose. In 1982, she helped found "CHOICES" Humboldt County's first pro-choice Political Action Committee. She also developed California's first K-12 comprehensive family life education curriculum in 1980, which was implemented in 80% of Humboldt County School Districts. Patty designed and taught a course through Humboldt State University to teachers and parents who adopted the curriculum. The training module was published and distributed nationally.

A widow for 16 years, Patty retired from the Area Agency on Aging in 1999 and later that year, ran the immensely successful campaign preventing Wal-Mart from building on the coast.

She currently serves as Chair of the Assembly Committee on Aging and Long Term Care as well as Chair of the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture. In addition to several Select Committees, Patty also serves on the Assembly Agriculture, Appropriations, and Water, Parks and Wildlife Committees.