Remembering Cynthia Brantly Pierce, who fought to close gender gaps from California Legislature to Congress

"Cindy dedicated her career to electing Democratic pro-choice women to federal, state, and local public office. After graduating from Loyola, Cindy moved to Washington DC to work on Capitol Hill, where she met her best friends Lisa and Jeanine. She soon found her passion: fighting for equal rights and closing the gender gap in legislatures across the country."

"After Cindy moved to California in 1995, she helped elect former Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey and later led fundraising efforts for former California State Senator Loni Hancock and former Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner. Cindy also was integral to the early success of Close the Gap CA a nonprofit organization dedicated to gender parity in elected office and helped double the number of women serving in the California Legislature."

"She built and sustained community in every aspect of her life and work, with lifelong friendships formed in her early years; with family and friends in the intentional co-housing village which she and Curtis helped create in Central Berkeley; with other parents at Berkeley Public Schools; with women in two moms' groups; and with the many colleagues with whom she worked as a political fundraiser."

Cynthia Marie Brantly Pierce was born April 15, 1964, in Palo Alto and earned a B.A. in Economics, summa cum laude, from Loyola University Chicago in 1988. She married Curtis Pierce in 1995 and settled in California to raise their family. Cindy built strong communities throughout her life, forming lifelong friendships and participating in co-housing villages and parent groups. She dedicated her career to political fundraising, working to elect Democratic pro-choice women to office. After working on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, she moved to California and helped elect former Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey and supported other female candidates. She was integral to Close the Gap CA, a nonprofit focused on gender parity in elected office. Beyond her professional work, Cindy enjoyed outdoor activities including hiking, snowshoeing, and canoeing with loved ones.

Read at www.berkeleyside.org