Candidate for
Council Member; City of Palo Alto

Liz Kniss brings extensive experience in fiscal management, community engagement, and public policy to the City of Palo Alto. First elected to public office as a member of the Palo Alto Unified School District Board of Education, Liz was then elected to serve on the Palo Alto City Council. Re-elected twice, Liz was selected by her colleagues as Mayor in 1994 and in 2000. While on the council she represented the community on numerous committees and commissions including the Santa Clara County Transportation Commission and the League of California Cities Committee on Housing, Community and Economic Development. Liz led efforts to make government more accountable to taxpayers, created new affordable housing and pushed to develop a citywide shuttle service to reduce traffic. As Mayor, Liz ushered in Palo Alto's achievement as the first city in the U.S. with a presence on the Internet - she also initiated Family Resources, a public-private partnership to provide support for families in Palo Alto.

In January 2001, Liz Kniss began her service on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, representing more than 300,000 people residing in the Fifth District. Re-elected in both 2004 and 2008, she was selected by her colleagues to serve as President of the Board in 2005 and again in 2009. Liz championed environmental responsibility, promoted strategies for a healthy and safe community, and supported stringent fiscal planning. Managing a multi-million dollar budget through the lean times, Liz made tough decisions + always remembering her responsibility to the taxpayers and to the most vulnerable members of our community. Liz's representation of the Fifth District and the entire County extends to regional, state-wide, and national levels involving legislation, health, the natural environment, transportation, finance, air quality, water, public safety, and child welfare.

Liz Kniss values education and has continued to pursue her own life-long learning. Initially receiving a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Simmons College in Boston, she returned to school after her children completed elementary school and earned a Master's in Public Administration and Health Care Policy from California State University, as well as completing graduate work in Health Policy and Economics at the University of California. Liz has worked as a Registered Nurse in hospitals, in schools, and in the public health system. When technology boomed in the Valley, Liz applied her skill set to Marketing and Communications at Sun Microsystems. Her experience in both the public sector and private sector provide Liz with an informed perspective from which to consider important topics of the day.

Nothing is more important to Liz than her family and the community they call home + Palo Alto. Liz and Rick Kniss have been supporters and members of multiple community efforts and non-profit organizations. Liz's many years of community service include a long standing membership in Rotary, service on the League of Women Voters Board of Directors, the United Way Board of Directors, and numerous advisory councils and foundations dedicated to community betterment. Liz and Rick have two daughters, Liza and Johanna, and five granddaughters.