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Janet Napolitano became Arizona's 21st Governor on January 6, 2003. Her story is symbolic of the success that so many Arizonans have found in this state.
Like millions of fellow Arizonans, Janet Napolitano is a transplant, having been born in New York City and raised first in Pittsburgh and then in Albuquerque. Growing up, she enjoyed the company of her energetic parents, brother and sister, and she pursued a wide variety of interests. In 1974, Janet was sworn in as New Mexico's lieutenant governor - sort of - at New Mexico Girl's State. As a teenager she became an accomplished guitar player, and won recognition as Sandia High School's most talented musician.
After graduating from Sandia High in 1975, she went to California to attend Santa Clara University. There, she won the prestigious Truman Scholarship, and graduated summa cum laude with a degree in political science. Janet then attended law school at the University of Virginia.
After graduating from law school in 1983, Janet chose Arizona to build her career, and she has never looked back. She clerked for U.S. Appeals Court Judge Mary Schroeder, then took a position with the Phoenix law firm Lewis and Roca, where she became partner in 1989. During that time, she argued many pivotal cases, including successfully arguing before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that churches should be protected from governmental searches in the now-famous Sanctuary case.
In 1993, President Clinton nominated Janet Napolitano to serve as United States Attorney for the District of Arizona. As U.S. Attorney, she helped land $65 million in federal funds to put more police on Arizona's streets, helped the state respond to the Amtrak derailment near Phoenix, and helped manage the portion of the Oklahoma City bombing investigation that focused on Tim McVeigh's activities in Kingman.
In 1998 Arizona voters elected her Attorney General of Arizona. Ever the precedent-setter, Janet was the first woman to hold this position. As Attorney General, her constitutional and statutory responsibilities included representing state agencies, prosecuting death penalty appeals and other high profile criminal cases, and providing consumer protection services.
Beyond those duties, she distinguished herself as a fierce protector of children and a tireless advocate for women, senior citizens and the environment. Janet reorganized her staff to reduce the backlog of nearly 6,000 unresolved child abuse and neglect cases. She also established a cutting edge cyber-crimes investigative unit to prosecute those who would use the Internet to prey on children and others in society.
Senior citizens found an advocate in Janet, as she advised them on how to find affordable prescription drugs and vigorously prosecuted scam artists who targeted senior citizens. She also created the first Office for Women inside the Attorney General's Office, making issues affecting women a top priority.
In 2002, Janet took her passion for consumer advocacy back to the voters as a candidate for Governor. She campaigned on the commitment to be Governor for all Arizonans, with a realistic plan to balance the state's unprecedented $1 billion budget deficit, get the economy moving again, and save Arizona's deteriorating public schools.
Her candidacy attracted a broad coalition of supporters from all ethnic and age groups, in rural and urban communities and from both political parties. In November she won a spirited, four-way race to be Arizona's chief executive.
On January 6 2003, she became America's first woman to succeed another woman as a state's governor.
While she is respected as an energetic worker, Janet Napolitano is known also for her recreational pursuits. Foremost, she is a diehard fan of the Arizona Diamondbacks, and enjoys rooting for the Arizona Cardinals, the Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Coyotes, and the many teams who call themselves Wildcats, Sun Devils and Lumberjacks.
To get away from it all, Janet Napolitano is an avid hiker and river rafter. She has hiked trails throughout Arizona and around the world, once having scaled Tanzania's Mt. Kilimanjaro, and backpacked in the Himilayan mountains of Nepal.
Her family continues to be an important part of her life. Her father, Dr. Leonard Napolitano, is the retired dean of the University of New Mexico college of medicine, who lives in Albuquerque and visits his daughter in Phoenix frequently. Her nephews and nieces enjoy keeping up with &Aunt Janet's& career, particularly 12-year-old Carrie, who follows the Governor's accomplishments on the Internet and enjoys giving political advice when it's warranted. |
