About Liz Kniss

Liz Kniss
250 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto, CA  94301
(650) 888-8671
liz.kniss@cityofpaloalto.org

Personal

• Born in Massachusetts
• Palo Alto since 1968
• Married to Rick Kniss

Occupation

• Manager, Marketing and Communications, Sun Microsystems Laboratories
• Director, Stanford Friends of Nursing, Stanford University Hospital
• Public Health Nurse, San Mateo County
• Public Health Nurse, Cupertino Union School District
• Registered Nurse

Education

• BSN Simmons College, Boston, MA
• MPA, Public Administration and Health Care Policy, Cal State University
• Graduate work in Health Policy and Economics, UC Berkeley

Memberships, Affiliations, Community Service (partial list)

• AAUW, Palo Alto Chapter
• American Leadership Forum; Senior Fellow
• Association for Senior Day Health
• California Elected Women's Assoc. for Ed. & Research (CEWAR)
• Children's Health Awareness Council (CHAC) Advisory Council
• Democratic Activists for Women Now (DAWN)
• Democratic Forum of Santa Clara County
• Joint Venture Silicon Valley; current member and past Co-Chair
• League of Women Voters, Palo Alto Chapter
• Palo Alto Rotary
• Palo Alto Women's Club
• Voices of Reform Advisory Board, Commonwealth Club of California 2004-2005

 Public Service - Elected 

• 2001 - 2012: Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, President 2005 and 2009
• 1989 - 2000: Palo Alto City Council, Council Member, Mayor 1994 and 2000
• 1985 - 1989: Palo Alto School Board, Member, President 1988

Policy Committees and County Representation

• Health and Hospital Committee; Vice-Chair 2001, Chair 2002 - 2012
• Legislative Committee; Vice-Chair 2001-2005, Chair 2006 - 2012
• Housing, Land Use, Environment, Transportation Committee; Vice-Chair 2009 - 2012
• Finance and Government Operations Committee; Vice-Chair 2006 - 2008
• Public Safety and Justice Committee; Chair 2001 Vice-Chair 2002 - 2005
• County Library District Joint Powers Authority; 2001 - 2012
• Santa Clara County Health Authority Board of Directors; 2001 - 2011
• Santa Clara County Emergency Preparedness Council 2004 - 2011
• First Five Santa Clara County Board of Directors 2009
• SCC Cities Association Joint Economic Development Policy Committee; 2005- 2008
• County Fire Department Liaison; 2001 - 2012
• County Planning Commission Liaison; 2001 - 2009
• Disaster Council 2006 - 2011
• Energy Task Force 2001
• Juvenile Detention Reform Planning Committee 2004
• Juvenile Detention Reform Oversight Committee 2005 - 2006

Regional Representation

• Bay Area Air Quality Management District; 2001 - 2012
• Bay Conservation and Development Commission; 2001 - 2011
• Local Agency Formation Commission; 2001 - 2011
• Mid-Peninsula Regional Open Space District Financing Authority 2001 - 2012
• Regional Hazardous Waste Management Facility Allocation; 2001- 2006
• Valley Transportation Authority; 2005 - 2012, Chair 2008

State and National Representation

• California State Association of Counties Board of Directors; 2006 - 2012
• California State Association of Counties; Health and Human Services Committee; Member 2003 - 2012, Vice-Chair 2006, Chair 2008 - 2012
• California Urban Counties Caucus; Member 2006 - 2012, Chair 2011
• National Association of Counties; 2006 - 2012, Board of Directors 2010 - 2012
• National Association of Counties; Health Steering Committee; Member 2004 - 2012, Chair 2010 - 2012
• National Association of Counties; Large Urban County Steering Committee 2006 - 2012
• National Association of Counties; Sustainability Leadership Team 2003 - 2006

Palo Alto City Council 1989 - 2000, 2013 -

• Member, City Council Rail Committee; 2013
• Chair, City/School Liaison Committee; 2014
• Member, City/School Liaison Committee; 1992, 1994-97, 2013 
• Member, Council/CAO Committee; 1993-94, 2013-15
• Member, Finance Committee, 1997, 20014-15
• Chair, Policy & Services Committee, 2013
• Liaison, Public Art Commission, 2015
• Liaison, Art Center Foundation, 2014-15
• Liaison, Avenidas, 2014-15
• Liaison, Historic Resources Board, 2014 
• Liaison, Board of Realtors, 2013-14
• Liaison, Midpeninsula Community Media Center, 2013
• Liaison, Neighbors Abroad; 1993, 1997, 2013-14
• Liaison, Palo Alto Downtown Business & Professional Association, 2013
• Liaison, Palo Alto Housing Corporation, 1993, 1997, 2013
• Liaison, Valley Transportation Authority, Policy Advisory Committee, 2014-15 
• Liaison, Valley Transportation Authority, El Camino Real Rapid Transit Policy Advisory Board, 2013
• Liaison, Caltrain Policy Maker Committee, 2014
• Library Advisory Commission; 1999
• Palo Alto Community Child Care; 1990, 1993, 1995, 1998-1999
• Millennium Night/Year 2000 Committee; 1999
• National League of Cities - Women in Municipal Government Board; 1998
• National League of Cities - Steering Committee; 1995, 1998-99
• Santa Clara County Foundation (now Palo Alto Fund); 1990-99
• Telecommunications Advisory Board; 1998-99
• Senior Coordinator Council; 1991, 1998
• County Board of Supervisors Liaison; 1997
• California Avenue Area Development Association; 1997
• Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce; 1997
• Santa Clara Valley Water District Commission; 1997
• Stanford University Liaison; 1994-97
• Downtown Merchants' Association; 1995-97  
• Historic Resources Board; 1995-96
• League of California Cities - Committee on Housing, Community and Association of Bay Area Governments; 1994-95
• League of California Cities - Peninsula Division; 1994-95, 2015
• Economic Development; 1991-95
• East Palo Alto Liaison Committee; 1993-95
• Santa Clara County Cities Association; 1994
• Family Resource Center Task Force; 1994
• Santa Clara County Transportation Commission; 1991-94
• Palo Alto Centennial Committee; 1990-1994
• Disability Awareness Task Force; 1993
• Public Art Commission; 1992
• Santa Clara County Intergovernmental Council; 1992
• Senior Coordinating Council; 1992
• Santa Clara County Emergency Preparedness Council; 1990-91
• Santa Clara County Paratransit Coordinating Council; 1991