Candidate for
Member of the State Assembly; District 15

ELIZABETH B. ECHOLS

Elizabeth Echols brings a unique blend of public and community service to her candidacy for State Assembly. Raised in Berkeley, her public service career has taken her across the nation, all the way to the White House.

She served as an Internet and e-commerce advisor to Vice President Al Gore during the Clinton Administration. Most recently, President Obama appointed Elizabeth as Regional Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration and Senior Advisor on Clean Tech and Energy Efficiency Initiatives.

Locally, Elizabeth was elected to the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee in 2006 and has served as a delegate to the Democratic State Central Committee each year since. She also served as an Executive Board Member of the National Women's Political Caucus Alameda North Chapter, and Board Member of the Alameda County Democratic Lawyers.

In her role with the Small Business Administration, Elizabeth helped local small businesses and entrepreneurs expand and create high quality jobs by providing access to financing, business training, and federal contracts. Her region led the nation backing more than 28,000 small business loans worth over $12 billion.

Prior to joining the SBA, she served as Director of the U.S. Green Building Council Northern California Chapter, where she built alliances with state leaders, clean tech companies, labor and environmental groups to protect the environment and create green jobs.

Elizabeth played a vital role in transitioning California's economy into the digital age when she served as Director of Policy at Google from 2004-2008. At Google, she developed and managed the global e-commerce and content policy framework for consumer and business products.

Elizabeth is dedicated to creating educational and employment opportunities for underserved youth. She served as CEO of OpNet Community Ventures, a nationally recognized non-profit that successfully prepared low-income young adults for good jobs in the technology industry. She also has worked to develop after school programs to interest more girls and minority students in math and science. Elizabeth grew up in Berkeley and was raised by a single mother; she was one of four children. She attended local public schools including what is now Rosa Parks Elementary School. She attended Yale University on scholarship and graduated with honors. She put herself through Stanford Law School where she served as an editor on the Stanford Law Review. Elizabeth and her husband Parviz live in the East Bay with their daughter Theresa.

Elizabeth has been recognized as a "Mover and Shaker" by Business Week, and received the Gold Medal Award, the highest honor presented by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. She has been profiled in numerous publications, including The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Oakland Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, Wired Magazine, The National Journal, and Working Women Magazine.