Elizabeth Echols or Tony Thurmond for State Senate D-15
About Elizabeth (Scroll down for About Tony)
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 is 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 worked with state legislators, businesses, labor and environmental groups to successfully pass new laws 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 from 2001-2004, a non-profit that successfully prepared low-income young adults for jobs in the technology industry. She also developed 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 scholarships and graduated with honors. She put herself through Stanford Law School where she served as an editor on the Stanford Law Review. Elizabeth resides in the East Bay with her husband Parviz and 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.
Picture and bio via Elizabeth 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 is 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 worked with state legislators, businesses, labor and environmental groups to successfully pass new laws 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 from 2001-2004, a non-profit that successfully prepared low-income young adults for jobs in the technology industry. She also developed 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 scholarships and graduated with honors. She put herself through Stanford Law School where she served as an editor on the Stanford Law Review. Elizabeth resides in the East Bay with her husband Parviz and 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.
Picture and bio via Elizabeth Echols.
About Tony Thurmond
Tony Thurmond knows that if we get it right for our kids, then we’ll get it right for California.
That’s why, as a non-profit leader, school board member, city councilmember and mentor, Tony has been making real progress on the big issues facing Californians today – the economy, education, crime and safety, and the environment.
Tony has been uniting people in support of youth and families for more than 20 years. Now Tony is ready to put his skills and experience to work in Sacramento as our new assemblymember for District 15.
“To get it right, we need to give our youth a California as good as its promise,” says Tony. “To get there, we need to do the real work to improve our schools, reduce dropout rates, create sustainable jobs that preserve our environment and invest in job training opportunities to build a 21st-century workforce.”
Tony has helped build our district’s economy from the ground up, creating innovative job training and workforce housing programs and creating sustainable jobs for California youth. His current project, CEO Youth, is succeeding in improving school attendance and reducing dropout rates. Tony has been at the forefront of combating gang and gun violence in his community in Richmond, and actively involved in regional crime and safety efforts along the I-80 corridor.
Tony knows that jobs, education and crime are interrelated challenges. And he is the only candidate with deep experience in creating proven, integrated solutions.
Tony served on the Richmond City Council from 2005-2008. He served as Council Liaison to Richmond’s Youth Commission and Workforce Investment Board and the Council Liaison to the West Contra Costa Unified School District. Tony was also a member of the California League of Cities Environmental Policy Committee and the West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee. He was a Fellow in the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Children and Family Fellowship program.
Tony also served on the West Contra County School Board from 2008-2012, at which point he focused on his work with CEO Youth at the Lincoln Child Center and mentoring youth in the community.
Bio and picture via Tony Thurmond
Tony Thurmond knows that if we get it right for our kids, then we’ll get it right for California.
That’s why, as a non-profit leader, school board member, city councilmember and mentor, Tony has been making real progress on the big issues facing Californians today – the economy, education, crime and safety, and the environment.
Tony has been uniting people in support of youth and families for more than 20 years. Now Tony is ready to put his skills and experience to work in Sacramento as our new assemblymember for District 15.
“To get it right, we need to give our youth a California as good as its promise,” says Tony. “To get there, we need to do the real work to improve our schools, reduce dropout rates, create sustainable jobs that preserve our environment and invest in job training opportunities to build a 21st-century workforce.”
Tony has helped build our district’s economy from the ground up, creating innovative job training and workforce housing programs and creating sustainable jobs for California youth. His current project, CEO Youth, is succeeding in improving school attendance and reducing dropout rates. Tony has been at the forefront of combating gang and gun violence in his community in Richmond, and actively involved in regional crime and safety efforts along the I-80 corridor.
Tony knows that jobs, education and crime are interrelated challenges. And he is the only candidate with deep experience in creating proven, integrated solutions.
Tony served on the Richmond City Council from 2005-2008. He served as Council Liaison to Richmond’s Youth Commission and Workforce Investment Board and the Council Liaison to the West Contra Costa Unified School District. Tony was also a member of the California League of Cities Environmental Policy Committee and the West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee. He was a Fellow in the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Children and Family Fellowship program.
Tony also served on the West Contra County School Board from 2008-2012, at which point he focused on his work with CEO Youth at the Lincoln Child Center and mentoring youth in the community.
Bio and picture via Tony Thurmond
