Candidate for
Member of the State Assembly; District 38

Experience has taught me that you can't pull yourself up by your bootstraps if you have no boots. I moved to Los Angeles with my mother, a disabled Vet, just before high school, and we lived in a one room apartment, surviving on her Social Security and Veterans Disability payments. I was the fortunate beneficiary of former Governor Pat Brown's vision for universal access to education which enabled me to graduate from UCLA. My personal experience has led me to remain a fierce defender of public education.

As a single mother, I gained first hand knowledge of the hard choices the workplace demands from women who must juggle career and motherhood.

During a substantial portion of my legal career I was counsel for Screen Actors Guild and Writers Guild. Since 1990 I have had my own legal practice, much of it devoted to doing television and motion picture distribution for a major studio as well as representing actors, writers and directors.

I've gotten a great deal of pleasure from giving back to my community. As a cancer survivor, I especially enjoyed leading an American Cancer Society Relay for Life team. I've made a lot of mashed potatoes for Santa Clarita's homeless shelter, and I was on a voter registration team that registered over 5,000 Santa Clarita voters leading up to the 2008 election. In 2008 I was elected to the L.A. County Democratic Central Committee.

Family is very important to me. I am married and have two grown sons and 4 grandchildren. All of us (with the exception of the newest addition) have been educated in California's public schools. Since my husband's retirement a couple of years ago we have run a small photography studio.