Author and Former State Senator
Born in San Francisco, Senator Jackie Speier holds a Bachelor's in Political Science from the University of California, Davis and a Juris Doctor from UC Hastings College of the Law.Prior to being elected to the Legislature, Senator Speier was Vice-President of Government and Community Affairs for Electronic Arts, a leading manufacturer of entertainment software. She was also Director of Government and Corporate Affairs for San Mateo County's largest non-profit agency, Poplar ReCare, which provides services to the physically and developmentally disabled community.
Senator Speier was first elected to the Assembly in 1986 after serving on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors from 1980 to 1986. She was named Chair in 1985. Senator Speier worked as a legal aide to the late Congressman Leo Ryan from 1972 to 1978. In fact, her tenacious approach to representing her constituents stems from a brush with death in 1978. She accompanied Congressman Ryan to Jonestown, Guyana to investigate rumors that cult leader, the Rev. Jim Jones, was holding people hostage. On November 18, cult followers shot and killed Congressman Ryan. Five bullets struck Speier. Later that day, 911 cult members
died.
In her work, Senator Speier has championed issues such as increased collection of delinquent child support payments, California's uninsured motorist rate and workers' compensation fraud. She also tackled the issues of fluorination of water systems, statewide early AIDS intervention programs, andbreast cancer and child abuse prevention programs.
Senator Speier is a married and has two children.
Related Links: www.ucop.edu/state/advocacy/biographies/SDSpeier08.pdf
Last Updated: Fri, Apr 6, 2007
| Category | Title | Author/Speaker | Organization | Length | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Video | Leadership Style of Women | Jackie Speier · Deborah Stephens | Former St Senator | 02:19 | 05/2007 |
| Podcast | Overcoming Adversity and Taking Risks | Jackie Speier · Deborah Stephens | Former St Senator | 59:19 | 05/2007 |
| Video | Politics in Public and Private Sectors | Jackie Speier · Deborah Stephens | Former St Senator | 01:59 | 05/2007 |
| Video | Respond to Your Calling | Jackie Speier · Deborah Stephens | Former St Senator | 02:06 | 05/2007 |
Speier talks about the importance of being impolite for women to achieve their goals in a corporate setting. She draws on the fact that the pivotal leadership strength of women is their ability to build consensus. She talks about how the leadership style of women is becoming the leadership style of the 21st century.
Former California State Senator Jackie Speier and best-selling author Deborah Collins Stephens share engaging stories about taking risks, learning from failure, overcoming adversity, and challenging the status quo based on their extensive leadership experience.
Speier and best-selling author Deborah Collins Stephens talk about politics within public and private sectors. Speier discusses how the freedom to explore issues is absent in the private sector. Stephens talks about how power plays an important role in the politics of public sectors. She stresses that it is necessary for people to have a lot of will power in order for them to rise above in the public sector.
Often one person's actions one can impact the course for many. Former California State Senator Jackie Speier talks about the importance of standing up for a purpose when your passion is strong. She illustrates this idea by discussing what drove the people who initiated stem cell research and those who stood up against drunk driving. She insists that life requires one to step up when the mission is genuine.