Jeannie Lynn "Jean" Fuller (
née Guenther; born April 16, 1950) is an American educator and politician who served as the minority leader in the
California State Senate. A Republican, she was previously a member of the
California Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature, the upper house being the California State Senate. The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento.
The Ass ...
and the Superintendent of Schools for the
Bakersfield City School District
Bakersfield City School District is a Pre-Kindergarten - 8th grade public school district in Bakersfield, California. The district has 45 schools, and serves just over 30,000 students in much of the city of Bakersfield.Kern County
Kern County is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 909,235. Its county seat is Bakersfield.
Kern County comprises the Bakersfield, California, Metropolitan statistical area. The county sp ...
. She received her AA degree from
Bakersfield College
Bakersfield College (BC) is a public community college in Bakersfield, California. BC serves about 22,000 students each semester or 31,000 annually, and offers Associate degrees, certificate programs, and is one of fifteen California Community C ...
in 1970, her BA from
California State University, Fresno
California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) is a public university in Fresno, California. It is one of 23 campuses in the California State University system. The university had a fall 2020 enrollment of 25,341 students. It offers bache ...
in 1972, a Masters in Public Affairs from the
California State University, Los Angeles
California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA) is a public university in Los Angeles, California. It is part of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) system. Cal State LA offers 142 bachelor's degrees, 122 master's degrees, ...
in 1982 and her PhD from the
University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara or UCSB) is a public land-grant research university in Santa Barbara, California with 23,196 undergraduates and 2,983 graduate students enrolled in 2021–2022. It is part of the U ...
in 1989. She supplemented her education with coursework and seminars at the
University of Southern California
, mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it"
, religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist
, established =
, accreditation = WSCUC
, type = Private research university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $8.1 ...
,
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
, and Exeter College at
Oxford University
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to th ...
.
Career
In 1983, Fuller became a School Principal/Director at
Keppel Union School District
The Keppel Union School District is a school district that serves the far eastern parts of the city of Palmdale, California, USA, and its immediate suburbs including Littlerock, Pearblossom, Sun Village, Llano, and Lake Los Angeles.
The Kep ...
, until 1988.
In 1988, Fuller became an Assistant Superintendent at
Keppel Union School District
The Keppel Union School District is a school district that serves the far eastern parts of the city of Palmdale, California, USA, and its immediate suburbs including Littlerock, Pearblossom, Sun Village, Llano, and Lake Los Angeles.
The Kep ...
. In 1990, Fuller became a Superintendent at
Keppel Union School District
The Keppel Union School District is a school district that serves the far eastern parts of the city of Palmdale, California, USA, and its immediate suburbs including Littlerock, Pearblossom, Sun Village, Llano, and Lake Los Angeles.
The Kep ...
, until 1999. In 1999, Fuller became a Superintendent at Bakersfield City School District, until 2006.
Fuller served as an educator in the Central Valley for more than 30 years.
Community involvement
Fuller's professional and community leadership include the
Kern County
Kern County is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 909,235. Its county seat is Bakersfield.
Kern County comprises the Bakersfield, California, Metropolitan statistical area. The county sp ...
Museum Authority Board, the
Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) is a national organization of local chapters which provide voluntary after-school programs for young people. The organization, which holds a congressional charter under Title 36 of the United States Code, h ...
, Jim Burke Education Leaders Forum, and the Kern County Superintendent's Administrative Advisory. Statewide leadership roles include the California School Boards Association, Association of School Administrators and the institute for Education Reform. Fuller was named California Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators in the 2004/2005 school year. Fuller earned national recognition for school improvement in 1998 when she was awarded the AASA Leadership for Learning Award.
State politics
First elected to the
California State Legislature in 2006, Fuller represented the 32nd Assembly district, succeeding fellow Republican
Kevin McCarthy
Kevin Owen McCarthy (born January 26, 1965) is an American politician, serving as House Minority Leader in the United States House of Representatives since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he served as House Majority Leader under spea ...
, who was elected to Congress. Fuller went on to win election in
California's 16th State Senate district in 2010. The 16th district includes parts of Kern, Tulare, and San Bernardino Counties as well as all of
Inyo County
Inyo County () is a county in the eastern central part of the U.S. state of California, located between the Sierra Nevada and the state of Nevada. In the 2020 census, the population was 19,016. The county seat is Independence. Inyo County ...
, and is one of the largest in area in
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
.
In 2015, Senator Fuller authored SB 111, "Securing Federal Funding for Schools that Serve Military Families." SB 111, which was signed into law by Governor
Jerry Brown
Edmund Gerald Brown Jr. (born April 7, 1938) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as the 34th and 39th governor of California from 1975 to 1983 and 2011 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected Secretary of ...
, provides a 20% matching of funds for 11 California schools near or on a military base, allocating $61 million in federal and state funds.
In 2012, Fuller authored SB 1367, the "Archery Hunting/Firearms Bill." This bill revised the archery provisions of the Fish and Game code to authorize a peace officer to carry a firearm while hunting deer, while prohibiting use of that firearm to illegally hunt deer.
SB 1367 was signed into law by Governor
Jerry Brown
Edmund Gerald Brown Jr. (born April 7, 1938) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as the 34th and 39th governor of California from 1975 to 1983 and 2011 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected Secretary of ...
.
Fuller was term-limited from seeking reelection in 2018.
References
External links
*
Join California Jean Fuller
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fuller, Jean
1950 births
Living people
American Congregationalists
School superintendents in California
American school administrators
Bank of America
Republican Party California state senators
Republican Party members of the California State Assembly
Women state legislators in California
Politicians from Bakersfield, California
Alumni of Exeter College, Oxford
Bakersfield College alumni
California State University, Los Angeles alumni
Harvard University alumni
University of California, Santa Barbara alumni
University of Southern California alumni
California State University, Fresno alumni
21st-century American politicians
21st-century American women politicians