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Catharine Baker's Biography

Contact Information

No contact information available.

Full Name:

Catharine Baker

Gender:

Female

Family:

Husband: Dan; 2 Children: Kate, Alex

Birth Place:

Cathedral City, CA

Home City:

Dublin, CA

JD, Law, University of California at Berkeley - School of Law, 1997-2000

BA, Political Science, University of Chicago, 1989-1993

Assembly Member, California State Assembly, District 16, 2014-2018

Candidate, California State Assembly, District 16, 2018

Former Member, Business and Professions Committee, California State General Assembly

Former Member, California's Clean Energy Economy Committee, California State General Assembly

Former Member, Career Technical Education and Building a 21st Century Workforce Committee, California State General Assembly

Former Member, Craft Brewing and Distilling Committee, California State General Assembly

Former Member, Domestic Violence Committee, California State General Assembly

Former Member, Emerging Technologies Committee, California State General Assembly

Former Member, End of Life Health Care Committee, California State General Assembly

Former Vice Chair, Higher Education Committee, California State General Assembly

Former Member, Improving Bay Area Transportation Systems Committee, California State General Assembly

Former Member, Legislative Audit Committee, California State General Assembly

Former Member, Master Plan for Higher Education in California Committee, California State General Assembly

Former Member, Non-Profit Sector Committee, California State General Assembly

Former Member, Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee, California State General Assembly

Former Member, Renewable Energy Development and Restoration of the Salton Sea Committee, California State General Assembly

Former Member, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Education Committee, California State General Assembly

Former Member, Select Committee on Streamlining Services for Victims of Interpersonal Violence, California State General Assembly

Former Member, Transportation Committee, California State General Assembly

Former Member, Youth and California's Future Committee, California State Assembly

Of Counsel, Hoge Fenton Jones & Appel law firm, 2011-present

Former Vice President, Dougherty Elementary School Site Council

Attorney, Morrison & Foerster Limited Liability Partnership (LLP), 2001-2011

Judicial Law Clerk, The Honorable Alicemarie H. Stotler, District Court Judge, Northern District of California, 2000-2001

Senior Legislative Assistant, California Congressman Sonny Bono, 1995-1997

Summer Camp Leader, Cub Scouts, present

Summer Camp Leader, Girl Scouts, present

Volunteer Sunday School Teacher, San Ramon Valley United Methodist Church, present

Member, San Ramon Valley United Methodist Church, present

Member, San Ramon Valley United Methodist Church Staff-Parish Relations Committee, present

Former Chair, Dougherty Elementary School Safety Committee

Former Member, San Ramon Valley United Methodist Church Children’s Ministry Committee

Former Preschool Commission Member, San Ramon Valley United Methodist Church Preschool

Board Director, Diablo Regional Arts Association (DRAA), 2002-2013

Trustee, Diablo Regional Arts Association (DRAA), 2002-2013

Awards:

Wiley W. Manuel Certificate for Pro Bono Legal Services from the California State Bar Association

Father's Occupation:

Small business owner

Mother's Occupation:

Public school teacher

Reason for Seeking Public Office:

Why I'm Running!

I have two primary motivations for running: Kate and Alex, my 10-year-old children. As a parent raising young children in California, I consider what kind of state I want my children and their generation to live in. That is a state with great opportunity: a state with an education system that provides each child with the best education possible; a state with a healthy economy creating and sustaining good jobs; and a state with its fiscal house in order. My experience as a parent and community leader, particularly these last few years, has shown me that this is not the state we are providing for our children or ourselves. I am determined to make that state possible for my kids and their generation, and that is why I am running.

I came to the decision to run for Assembly gradually. My family, like other families throughout our local school districts, has experienced first-hand the strengths and the problems facing our education system. When I investigated what boards, commissions, or committees I needed to be on to help fix the problems, I heard again and again from various local leaders and decision makers, "It's coming from Sacramento." I learned that if I wanted to help fix the problems and improve on the strengths, I needed to be a strong voice for those changes in Sacramento, and that was the place for me to be.

My decision to run for Assembly was reinforced by my professional experience working with individuals and families. Many of the families, small businesses, and non-profits with whom I work have experienced the challenges and problems in our economy -- lay-offs, re-classification to part-time positions, disincentives created by the state to hire people and expand businesses, hurdles for non-profits to do the good work they want to do. And again, I have seen many of these challenges coming from Sacramento.

I am running for State Assembly, and I intend to win and be a strong voice for my community in the Assembly to tackle these challenges facing our state and make California a great state for opportunity.

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