Holli Thier's Biography

By Holli Thier

Biography of Holli Thier

Holli P. Thier, J.D. is Past President of The League of Women Voters, a civil rights attorney, a neighborhood business owner and founder of the non-profit organization, Voting Counts. As a Deputy City Attorney in the San Francisco City Attorney's Office, Thier helped neighborhoods and communities close down crack houses and neighborhood nuisances. While in private practice, she represented the State of Alaska against the oil companies. Thier was the Statewide Spokesperson against Proposition 227, a ballot measure that sought to abolish bilingual education. Her political expertise shined as she debated Ron Unz on state, national and international television and radio broadcasts (including CNN and NPR Worldwide) and at editorial board meetings throughout the State of California. She also spoke before any crowds of over 700 people and debated Ron Unz wherever he appeared. She also served as a spokesperson in support of affirmative action and against Proposition 209. During this past year, Thier traveled the world on behalf of the U.S. State Department Bureau of Cultural Affairs, educating women and non-governmental organizations on grassroots democracy, political participation, and women's rights.

In 1999 Thier was elected as President of the League of Women Voters of San Francisco, where she served for the past two years. Under Thier's leadership, the League increased its membership by eleven percent, increased its visibility and advocacy on local issues and increased the League's budget for Voter Service tenfold. Last year the League kicked off district elections with a record forty-four debates, seventeen of which were in the city and attended by an audience of more than 4,000 San Franciscans. As President, Ms. Thier served as a political pundit on KGO Channel 7's election day broadcasts, KQED Radio and frequently attended editorial board meetings at all of San Francisco's newspapers to advocate on behalf of League issues. In 2000, Thier founded Voting Counts and raised more than $130,000 for the new program, which is dedicated to getting youth between the ages of 18-24 to the polls.

Thier has three times been elected to represent the 13th Assembly District on the Democratic County Central Committee in San Francisco. She ran a great campaign for the Democratic nomination for State Assembly in 2002, which won her many loyal supporters. She has served on several community boards, including the Jewish Community Relations Council, the National Women's Political Caucus, the Resolution's Committee of the California Democratic Party, and the Democratic Women's Forum. She is currently Chair of Campaign for the Young Adults Division of the San Francisco Jewish Community Federation, in charge of raising several million dollars this year.

Several organizations have formally recognized Thier's leadership skills. She is a graduate of the CORO San Francisco City Focus Civic Leadership Program, the Jewish Community Federation's Board Leadership Institute and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's Leadership Development Program.

Thier earned her Juris Doctorate degree from Hastings College of the Law, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi and Pi Sigma Alpha with two B.A.'s from the University of California, Davis in Political Science and I n International Relations.