John Laird

John Laird DEMDemocrat

State Senator, District 17

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John LairdDEMDemocrat State Senator, District 17
74
Years of Age
17
Years of Experience
CAResidence (state)

John Laird (born March 29, 1950), an American politician, is the California State Senator for District 17, since 7 December 2020, and was Secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency from 2011 to 2019 and a former legislator who represented the 27th district in the California State Assembly until 2008. The 27th district included parts of Santa Clara County, Santa Cruz County and Monterey County. Laird (along with Mark Leno) was one of the first two openly gay men to serve in the California legislature. Laird became one of the United States' first openly gay mayors in 1983 when he took over the mayoralty of the city of Santa Cruz, California.

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Education3 - 3 of 1
University of California
BA Politics
1972
Past Positions1 - 7 of 7
Senator
California State Senate
2020 - Current
Assemblymember
California State Assembly
2003 - 2008
Council Member
City of Santa Cruz
1982 - 1990
Mayor
City of Santa Cruz
California Secretary for Natural Resources
Governor Jerry Brown
2011 - 2019
Analyst
Santa Cruz County Government
Former Professor of Environmental Policy
University of California, Santa Cruz
Other Experience1 - 16 of 16
Member
State Integrated Waste Management Board
2008 - 2009
Trustee
Cabrillo College Board
1994 - 2002
Executive Director
Santa Cruz AIDS Project
1991 - 1994
Board Member
Assistant of Monterey Bay Area Governments
1981 - 1983
Chair
Community Resources for the Disabled
Chair
Advisory Council, Area Agency on Aging
Founding Member
International Network of Gay and Lesbian Officials
President
Santa Cruz Child Care Council
Member
Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee, California State Senate
2023 - 2024
Member
Agriculture Committee, California State Senate
2023 - 2024
Member
Budget Committee, California State Senate
2023 - 2024
Member
Human Services Committee, California State Senate
2023 - 2024
Vice Chair
Public Safety Committee, California State Senate
2023 - 2024
Board Member
Santa Cruz Metro Transit District
1981 - 1990
Commissioner
Santa Cruz Regional Transportation Committee
1981 - 1990
Chair
Santa Cruz County Joint Powers Water Study
1983 - 1985
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