Fran Pavley

Bio/Background

Previously a middle school teacher, Fran Pavley was the first elected mayor of Agoura Hills, California in 1982.  She served in the State Assembly from 2001-2006 and in the State Senate from 2008-2016.  She wrote three of California’s most groundbreaking laws to address the climate crisis, including AB 1493, the first state legislation in the nation to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from vehicle tailpipes. She currently works as Environmental Policy Director of the Schwarzenegger Institute at the University of Southern California.

One day this man knocked on my door and tells me ‘There’s going to be a hearing next week, and they’re going to put in a motorcycle race course in the hills right behind your home.’  I said, “What? I have a new baby; what can I do about that?’ He said, ‘Bring her. Come to the hearing.’ So I spoke at the hearing and we were actually able to stop that proposal. And I thought, maybe you actually can make a difference just by showing up and paying attention, not thinking someone else is going to care for it. So that’s the beginning of the story.