I believe that public service is a privilege and a duty. That's why I've spent most of my adult life working to improve the quality of life for our community. I am a nurse practitioner, attorney, university teacher and mother of three. My family came to Long Beach in the late 1940's. I was born in 1950 at the Long Beach Naval Hospital. My partner of 28 years, Flo Pickett, and I have raised three wonderful children. My career includes public service at the city, state and congressional levels and service on local boards -- including the Board of Health and Human Services and the Queensway Bay Committee that guided development of the Aquarium of the Pacific. I frequently teach graduate and undergraduate courses in public administration and political science at Cal State University, Long Beach. In 1992, I was elected to the Long Beach City College Board of Trustees. I am the proud founder of the Community Baby Shower, the Long Beach Police Department's Women's Advisory Committee, Long Beach Cares and RxforLongBeach.com, and I was the first Registered Nurse to be appointed to the Medical Board of California. In 2006, I was elected to a four-year term as the Councilmember for the 5th District in Long Beach.
