Carole Migden, a former California State Senator, has dedicated much of her career both in and out of politics to advocating for health issues. A leukemia survivor, she understands the importance of good health, including access to medical care, proper product labeling, and an unpolluted environment.

Ms. Migden first became involved in health-related issues in the early 1970s when she worked at San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury Medical Clinic, treating patients with acute schizophrenia and those with drug addiction.

In 1981, Carole Migden became the Executive Director of San Francisco-based Operation Concern. Ms. Migden was responsible for the daily operations of the agency, which provided mental health services to members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. Carole Migden stayed with the group until 1991, when she was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

After spending five years as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Carole Migden was elected to the California State Assembly. She represented the 13th District from 1996 to 2002. During this time, Ms. Migden worked to promote children’s health and the accessibility of emergency contraception.

Ms. Migden became a State Senator for the Third District in 2004, where she continued to pursue her commitment to health issues. She was responsible for a number of initiatives, including making mental health assessments available to youth in the state’s juvenile corrections system. Under legislation authored by Carole Migden, cosmetic companies were also required to inform consumers of any potential carcinogenic ingredients in their products.

Carole Migden was appointed State Commissioner of the California Integrated Waste Management Board in 2009. Until leaving the Board in 2010, she championed a number of environmental causes to improve the state of the planet. Among Ms. Migden’s efforts were the reduction of the amount of industrial plastics in the waste stream, the promotion of zero-waste policies, and the usage of green technologies.