When I first read Giselle Hale’s website, gisellehale.com, my impression was — sob story but good politics. But after a phone interview, I realized it was true. She had a tumultuous childhood and her husband, Brian, was passed from one foster home to another. She was definitely not born with a silver spoon in her mouth.
Giselle Schmitz was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1979. She attended public schools there. She was encouraged to take German as an extra challenge in elementary school and became fluent. Her father was from Germany. In high school, she won a one year scholarship to study in Germany. It was a special treat as she didn’t have to work as she did at home.
Her economic situation changed when her parents divorced. She went from middle class to working poor when she lived with her mother. And her paychecks went to her mom. She worked all through high school. “I never got to be a kid or do plays or sports,” she said.
Hale graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in international relations. She also holds a graduate degree from the Thunderbird School of Global Management. She met her future husband at a meditation retreat. Both were in need of counseling. Brian Hale had been in and out of foster care homes since birth. Giselle Schmitz had witnessed her parents arguing and eventual divorce and had experienced sexual harassment at work. They met in December and were married in September. They have been married 15 years. Their first home in the Bay Area was in Mountain View where they shared a house with other young people. A year later they were able to afford a home in Redwood City where they are raising their two daughters. Brian Hale is vice president of Product and Growth at Door Dash.
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Hale worked for Facebook for nine years in global marketing. Then for Political Data which provides software for political campaigns. She started her own consulting company but gave that up at the start of COVID to manage at-home school for her daughters, one with learning differences. She first became involved when her daughter was born and she applied for and was appointed to the Redwood City Planning Commission. Before that she was a regional field director for former President Barack Obama in his Palo Alto campaign office and campaign manager for U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo in 2008. She was selected as Redwood City mayor this year and soon announced she would be running for the Assembly. Eshoo is endorsing Hale for the California Assembly, Kevin Mullin’s district. Other candidates are San Mateo Deputy Mayor Diane Papan, South San Francisco Councilmember James Coleman, and the latest entry, Maurice Goodman, member of the San Mateo County Community College District Board of Trustees.
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The San Mateo Area Chamber of Commerce Leadership Program is alive and well even during the Zoomed sessions of COVID. As usual it attracts top community, nonprofit, business and political leaders who want to learn more about the community and current issues. The next session starts in June.
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Sad news for high school students in the San Mateo Union High School District that Superintendent Kevin Skelly will be retiring the end of this year. It will be a challenge to find someone as skilled and with his formidable education background to take his place. He’s a former Rhodes Scholar and finalist for National Superintendent of the Year award.
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The race for supervisor in District 3 has just heated up with the prized endorsements of termed out Don Horsley and Carole Groom going to San Carlos Councilmember Laura Palmer-Lohan. She now has the endorsements of the last three supervisors who have held this seat: Horsley, Richard Gordon and Ted Lempert.
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The groundhog saw his shadow which means six more weeks of winter. Doesn’t he know about global warming and climate change? Better listen to the scientists and not the creature.
Sue Lempert is the former mayor of San Mateo. Her column runs every Monday. She can be reached at sue@smdailyjournal.com.
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