Women and Community Engagement
with Guest Speaker
Pacific Grove Councilmember Cynthia Garfield
The purpose of my talk is to underscore the many ways that local communities need the wisdom, insights and personal skills that women in business can bring to the political process. The decisions and actions that governments make are only as good as the information and perspectives that government officials have at hand. Everyone, especially local business women, can improve our communities' future by participating in some way. We will be discussing the easy, painless ways to participate in making our communities' future brighter.
Cynthia was elected to the Pacific Grove City Council in 2016. Since her election she has served as Pacific Grove’s representative to the Fort Ord Reuse Authority and serves as the Council’s liaison to the Pacific Grove Public Library. Her focus on Council is to make sure the group uses the best and most complete information available to reach fair, balanced and fiscally responsible decisions that benefit the people of Pacific Grove now and in the future.
Cynthia and her husband, Mark, have made Pacific Grove their home for over 15 years. Having lived elsewhere in California, as well as in Arizona and Texas, the Garfields chose Pacific Grove as their ideal community.
Cynthia holds an MBA in Entrepreneurship from the University of Arizona and a MSSW in Social Work Administration from the University of Wisconsin. These degrees have supported a career path that includes both business and public service. As a manager, she has experience in reducing costs, instituting best practices and improving quality. As an executive and director she knows the importance of clear goals and effective planning to achieve successful outcomes.
As a meeting facilitator and mediator, she has proven her ability to bring people together to find common ground and achieve effective solutions. In all her work – whether developing strategic plans or evaluating program outcomes – she is committed to clear thinking, transparent processes and collaborative outcomes. Her professional work and education have enabled her to deal effectively with diverse interests, concerns and priorities.
Cynthia has served on the faculty at the University of Texas, teaching Management and Strategy courses. She also taught a course in Business Communications at CSUMB and was the Director of Academics at Heald College in Salinas.
Volunteerism and Community Involvement
Pacific Grove has been a welcoming community for the Garfields. In addition to enjoying golf, hiking, book club and music events, the Garfields have been able to participate in a variety of activities. Cynthia’s community interests and commitments have included: President of the Pacific Grove Public Library Foundation
- President of the Pacific Grove Public Library Foundation
- Board Member for Point Lobos Foundation
- Volunteer Guide at the Monterey Bay Aquarium
- PG Public Works Volunteer for Perkins Park
- Member, Friends of the Library
- Member, Friends of Hopkins Marine Station
- Member of the Natural History Museum
- Member, Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce
Why City Council?
With many options available for creating a great retirement, why run for public office? Pacific Grove is a city where many people make a difference by contributing their work, time and talents and it is through her volunteer work that Cynthia has seen the importance of effective city government. While advocating for the Library, she saw the critical role that City Council plays in setting policy and direction for PG government. During her years in PG she has gained perspective on a number of divisive, sensitive issues, some of which are settled and some of which continue. All of these issues can best be solved with the kind of collaborative work, clear goals and consistent follow-through that Cynthia has championed in her professional and volunteer work. It was a logical step to bring professional and volunteer experiences to work on making the City of Pacific Grove the best it can be.
January 3, 2018, Bay Park Hotel, Crazy Horse Restaurant, 1425 Munras Avenue, Monterey, CA.
For more information, contact Program Chair Patti Fagan at patti@pattifagan.com.
