Ginny Foat Biography

Where you have been in life is as important as where you are going. Take a moment to read through my professional and volunteer accomplishments and you will find a diversity of life experiences. I bring all of this to the City Council. I am able to rely not only on the knowledge I have gained as a longtime resident of Palm Springs, but can call upon my experiences as a businesswoman, activist and community volunteer in a variety of settings. It is my belief that a broad range of experience in the public and private sectors is vital and even necessary to fully address the challenging issues that come before the City Council As such, my views have been shaped by the traditional principles of successful business and tempered by progressive social values. Rest assured that I will never make a decision based upon the premise of "this is the way it's always been done."

I am very proud of my accomplishments and pleased to have the opportunity to share them with you.

CITY POSITIONS
City Council Member
Coachella Valley Association of Governments - Human Resources Committee Member
Riverside County Transportation Commission - Alternate
League of California Cities - Member
Sub Committee on Neighborhood Involvement
Sub Committee on Convention Center Opening
Sub Committee on Indian Oasis

EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE
O'Leary & Associates, Inc. President, Political Consulting - Current
GBG Palm Springs Inc. General Partner, Property Management - Current
Ginny Foat, Non- Profit Consulting,
YWCA of the USA, New York, New York National Director of Regional Field Services
Caring for Babies with AIDS, Los Angeles, CA, Executive Director
The Rose Tattoo Restaurant & Cabaret, West Hollywood, CA, Partner
Legal Advocates for Women, San Francisco, CA, Founder and Executive Director

OTHER PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCEE
Published Author, Random House Books,
President, California National Organization for Women,
President, American Task Force on the Homeless,
West Coast Coordinator, JP Stevens Boycott, ILGWU,

VOLUNTEER INVOLVEMENT
Political Campaigns - Numerous local, state, federal & initiative experience

Palm Springs City Budget Task Force, Chair Revenue Enhancement Committee

Elected Co-Chair, Board of Directors Palm Springs Gay & Lesbian Center

Board of Directors - Desert Women for Equality

E Village Palm Springs - Board of Directors & Steering Committee

Los Angeles County Commission on HIV Health Services. Member of Executive Committee; Chaired Priorities and Planning, Incarcerated, Recruitment and Diversity and various other Committees.

Co-chair of Los Angeles County HIV/AIDS Commission 1996-1998
Los Angeles City Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS, (HOPWA) L.A. City Commissioner

Co-Chair, Los Angeles HIV/AIDS Housing Task Force

Board of Directors, WOMEN ALIVE

Child Welfare League of America, National Task Force on HIV Infection and Children member

Elected Child Welfare League of America, Western Regional Steering Committee

Member Battered Women's Amnesty Project

Reviewer, Federal, Los Angeles County and City HIV/AIDS Grants

National Board of Directors, 1997 National Women's HIV/AIDS Conference

Selected Los Angeles Women's Health Summit Board

RECOGNITION
Recipient
"Woman of the Year, A Friend Who Cares" peer award given by HIV/AIDS service organizations

Recipient
"Alice Paul Award" peer award given for work on the national effort for the Equal Rights Amendment

Recipient
Business Woman of the Year Award, 1988, Los Angeles Women in Business

Recipient "Outstanding Service Award" Los Angeles County
HIV/AIDS Commission.

PRESENTATIONS, KEYNOTE SPEECHES, PUBLIC FORUMS AND COMMUNITY ACTIVISM
Created and Organized Political Action Committee (PAC)

In support of the Equal Rights Amendment:
NOW Conference; Winning Equal Rights
The Mormon Church Vs the Equal Rights Amendment

In support of and on behalf of battered women:
   - Developed and presented 2-day training on Battered Women's Syndrome to American
     Federation of Flight Attendants
   - Presentation to Los Angeles Association of Defense Attorneys, California Bar Association and
     various Los Angeles-based law schools on Defending the Female Client
   - Los Angeles Women in Business Conference panel on battered women
   - Numerous television appearances including Donahue, Oprah, Sally Jesse Raphael,
     Nightline, Larry King Live among others
   - Presentations to Conference on Prisons, San Francisco advocating for incarcerated women

Selected panelist on Sexism and Racism in the Workplace

In support of and on behalf of People with AIDS and Children with AIDS:
   - Selected panelist, National HIV Housing Conference, Chicago
   - Selected panelist, HIV, the Child the Family - Los Angeles Family
     AIDS Network Conference
   - Speaker, Mandatory Testing of Newborns, Child Welfare League of America
     National Conference
   - Presentation of testimony to federal and state legislators on Women's Issues
     and HIV/AIDS impacted children and families.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING
High School, New Paltz NY - Honors Graduate
SUNY, New Paltz, New York
Grantsmanship Center, Los Angeles - Advanced Grant Writing
Advanced Management Institute, Harvard University
Child Welfare League of America, Managed Care Provision Institute
Numerous business, HIV/AIDS and civil rights conference trainings and seminars

Photos Courtesy of Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism





Biography