Full Biography for Cyndi Dow

Candidate for
Member, City Council; City of Folsom

FOLSOM'S COMMUNITY CANDIDATE: Cyndi Dow has lived and worked in Folsom for 23 years. Her leadership and commitment to the city of Folsom is demonstrated through the 15-year success of her small business and her volunteer leadership and generous contributions back to the community.

GROWING UP: Cyndi is a native Californian, born in Glendale September 26, 1961. Her family moved to Northern California, the small community of Oroville, when she was a toddler.

Cyndi's Entrepreneurial spirit blossomed early. In 1976, before she was out of high school, Cyndi began an apprenticeship at Gaslight Florist in Folsom and would commute back and forth between Oroville to go to school and Folsom to learn her trade.

It was while she was apprenticing with Ron and Barbara Foster at Gaslight Florist, that she fell in love with the city of Folsom's old town charm and became involved with the Sutter Street Merchants Association.

In 1979, Cyndi became a permanent resident of Folsom. She studied business courses at Sierra College for two year, preparing herself to become involved with a small business owner. In 1981, she became the manager of Fountain Square Nursery and in 1984, she realized her dream of business ownership by purchasing Gaslight Florist.

In 1989, Cyndi found the time between running her business and community activities to marry her husband Rory during a break at a Folsom Chamber of Commerce weekend workshop.

FOLSOM BUSINESS OWNER: Cyndi is a third-generation florist. Her paternal grandparents owned a floral business in Glendale, CA. Her father and mother worked there together, as well. All three girls in her family are florists.

In 1990, Cyndi bought Folsom Florist and in 1991 she merged Gaslight Florist with Folsom Florist into the Successful business it is today. She owns the 2,400 square foot property where the business is located at 513 Natoma Street. Cyndi runs the business herself with the support of her mother, sister and four employees.

Cyndi Contributes her success to a business philosophy that emphasizes giving back to her community and providing the freshest flowers with the best service at the most reasonable price. In 1997, Folsom Florist was named Business of the Year at the Folsom Community Awards for its tireless community involvement.

Cyndi and her business support numerous community organizations with charitable contributions in the form of products, services or cash. The organizations include: Sea Otter Swim Team, local churches, non-profit and service clubs, to name a few.

COMMUNITY LEADER: Besides her community involvement through her business, Cyndi has been a tireless volunteer leader giving her time generously to issues and projects important to the city of Folsom.

Cyndi has served as a Folsom Chamber of Commerce board member for nine years. She is the immediate-past president of the Chamber, having served in that position in 1997.

She served as the chair of the 1989 Rodeo, the Small Business Expo, and the Great Snail Race, and organized the Folsom Gulf War Welcome Home Parade, the Christmas Parade, the Power Breakfast series, and the Open Forum Business Roundtable, among many others, donating hundreds of hours to the success of these events.

She has served on the Citizens Economic Development Advisory Committee and the Citizens Bridge Advisory Committee. Cyndi worked on updating the city sign ordinances, receiving a proclamation from the City Council in 1995 for her "diligence and selfless efforts on behalf of the citizens of Folsom." She also received a proclamation from Mayor Glenn Fait in 1996 for her participation in Good Neighbor Day for "bringing generosity, compassion and love into our lives and the community."