FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Greenbelt Alliance announced that Noreen Evans, former California State Senator and the first and only woman to receive the Judicial Council’s Stanley Mosk Defender of Justice Award, has been elected to the organization’s board of directors.
“We are excited to welcome Noreen and I am confident she is going to make an important and positive impact as a member of our board,” said Jeremy Madsen, CEO of Greenbelt Alliance. “She brings extensive experience from local to state government, with a particular focus on the North Bay, which faces unique and nuanced land-use challenges. Her knowledge and enthusiasm for making our region a better place makes her a perfect fit for our organization as we address how Bay Area handles growth.”
Evans has a long history of practicing law and serving in public office, including serving on the Santa Rosa Planning Commission in 1993, where she worked on land-use planning issues and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). From 1996 to 2004 she served on the Santa Rosa City Council, until she was elected to represent the 7th Assembly District in the California State Assembly in 2004.
Evans was then elected to the State Senate to represent the 2nd Senate District, including Solano, Napa, Marin, Sonoma, Lake, Mendocino, and Humboldt counties from 2010 to 2014. During her term she chaired the Joint Legislative Committee on California’s Foreclosure Crisis, which resulted in the passage of the Homeowners Bill of Rights (AB 278/SB 900)—the first of its kind in the nation. Among her many roles, she chaired the Joint Legislative Women’s Caucus and the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, and served on the State Commission on the Status of Women. She was appointed to the prestigious Judicial Council in 2010 and served until the end of her term in 2014.
In 2012, Evans returned to Santa Rosa-based O’Brien Watters & Davis LLP as Of Counsel. Her current practice focuses on representing private clients in major law and motion matters, civil appeals, and writ proceedings. She also provides consulting in governmental affairs.
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Greenbelt Alliance addresses how the Bay Area handles growth. The organization shapes the rules that govern growth to protect the region’s open spaces and to ensure neighborhoods within our cities and towns are amazing places for everyone. www.greenbelt.org
MEDIA CONTACT
Amy Henson
Marketing and Communications Director, Greenbelt Alliance
415-543-6771 x307
ahenson@greenbelt.org
