ABOUT JUDITH
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As your voice at City Hall
Judith Christensen, longtime Daly City resident (25+ years) and community activist, was elected to the Daly City Council in 2004. She serves as Daly City's representative on a number of important regional boards where grants are written for millions of state and federal dollars and the monies later distributed. Judith has always been a tough negotiator and an outspoken advocate for Daly City getting its full share of funding. She represents Daly City on the Grand Boulevard Task Force which is working to plan for and help fund a modernization and upgrade along the entire length of Mission Street in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties.
She has been a local and statewide leader in the struggle to protect our homes and businesses from eminent domain seizures. Judith is the recipient of the Peninsula Interfaith Action 2008 Community Hero Award for her work supporting social justice and affordable housing for our working families and seniors.
Judith continues to be an ardent protector of the public's right to be informed and involved in the important decisions in our City. She was chosen by the Council to represent them on the General Plan Committee which meets with a diverse group of residents to create the plan for how Daly City will grow and change over the next 25 years. Judith also represents the Council on the Rezoning Committee that will consider zoning and building changes. She has heard your demand for protecting our neighborhoods and for more parking. As a staunch defender of our neighborhood quality of life, Judith promotes changes that will make our lives easier, our neighborhoods more attractive. At her constant insistence, nearly every new home has been built with two extra off-street parking spots.
Out in the Community
Outside her capacity as an elected City Councilmember, Judith is active in her union, United Educators, Local 61, and was elected by the nearly 6,000 members to represent them on the Executive Board. Judith is an active Democrat and is in her third elected term representing Daly City's Democrats on the San Mateo County Democratic Central Committee and in two local Democratic clubs. She serves on the California State Democratic Party Executive Board and is a member of the State Party Labor, Filipino-American, and Asian/Pacific Islander Caucuses.
Judith is a member of the Daly City Host Lions, Daly City/Colma History Guild, Colma Historical Association, Daly City Friends of the Library, Supporters of the Doelger Senior Center, Original Daly City Protective Association, and actively supports CORA (Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse) Kumares and Kumpares, and the Filipino Mental Health Initiative.
Judith at Home
Judith and her sister share caregiving for their 97 year-old mother. The whole family has been active in animal rescue, fostering kittens, and promoting spay and neuter programs to reduce pet overpopulation. She has a lifelong interest in environmental causes, especially protecting wildlife and preserving their habitat. Judith enjoys learning about other cultures (foods, celebrations, arts, and customs) both in Daly City and when she travels.
Life before City Council
Judith was born and raised in a small mill town in Washington State. Her father worked for 45 years in the local mill and her mother was a dedicated school volunteer. Judith and her younger sister lived an idyllic 1950's childhood that was filled with camping, beachcombing, a reverence for nature, singing in the church choir, frequent visits to the public library, and volunteering at school and in the community.
Winning an academic scholarship helped Judith attend college and earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in Zoology. After college, she served as a VISTA Volunteer (America's domestic Peace Corps) in St. Louis where she taught in Head Start and created a nutrition program that fed thousands of children during the summer. She also inspected deteriorating and unsafe buildings that were over 100 years old and worked with the community to improve the condition of housing for low-income families.
Judith has attended more than five years of graduate school to earn credentials to teach Physics, Biology, Literature, Photography, English as a Second language, Special Education for learning disabled students, and all subjects in Elementary School. Judith was a Graduate Division instructor at San Francisco State University teaching new elementary teachers how to teach hands-on science. Judith was a public school teacher for more than 25 years in classrooms at the high school, elementary, and college levels. She is a published author on education and has been featured in documentaries on teaching science and special education. Judith has received awards for excellence in teaching, including the Exploratorium Teacher of the Year, San Francisco Math Teacher of the Year, and California Finalist for the Presidential Award in Science Teaching.