Women’s History Month: California's Women Elected Leaders

March is Women’s History Month, and we’re marking it by featuring the voices of women shaping California at every level of leadership. 

This program brings together three trailblazing statewide elected officials—Eleni Kounalakis, Fiona Ma, and Malia Cohen—for a timely conversation about California’s past, present, and future through a woman’s perspective. Moderated by Nancy Tung, chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party, this discussion will explore how women leaders are carrying forward hard-won progress, governing in the moment, and building a more equitable future for the next generation.

About the Speakers

Ambassador Eleni Kounalakis is the 50th lieutenant governor of California and the first woman elected to the office. From 2010 to 2013, Kounalakis served as U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Hungary and in 2015 published her acclaimed memoir, Madam Ambassador, Three Years of Diplomacy, Dinner Parties and Democracy in Budapest. Prior to her service, Kounalakis spent 18 years as an executive at one of California’s most respected housing development firms, AKT Development. Throughout her career, she served on numerous boards and commissions, including California’s First 5 Commission, the San Francisco War Memorial, San Francisco Port Commission, and the Association of American Ambassadors. Eleni Kounalakis graduated from Dartmouth College in 1989 and earned an MBA from U.C. Berkeley’s Haas School of Business in 1992. She holds honorary doctorates of law from the American College of Greece and the University of Piraeus and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. 

State Controller Malia M. Cohen was elected in November 2022, following her service on the California State Board of Equalization (BOE), the nation’s only elected tax commission responsible for administering California’s $100 billion property tax system. She was elected to the BOE in November 2018 and was chair in 2019 and 2022. As chief fiscal officer of the world’s fifth-largest economy, Controller Cohen’s primary responsibility is to account for and protect the state’s financial resources. Cohen served as president of the Board of Supervisors of San Francisco. As a supervisor, she served as chair of the Budget and Finance Committee and the Audit and Oversight Committee. During this time, she also served as president of the San Francisco Employees’ Retirement System (SFERS). Cohen was born and raised in San Francisco and attended public schools. She received her bachelor’s degree in political science from Fisk University and a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University. 

Fiona Ma, C.P.A., is California’s 34th state treasurer. She was first elected on November 6, 2018, with more votes than any other treasurer candidate in the state’s history and reelected on November 8, 2022. She is the first woman of color and the first woman Certified Public Accountant (CPA) elected to the position. Her office processes about $3 trillion in banking transactions a year. She provides transparency and oversight for the government’s investment portfolio and accounts, as well as for the state’s surplus funds. 

Moderator Nancy Tung was elected as chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party in April 2024. She previously served as an elected member of the party’s local leadership for four years. She deeply understands the impact the Democratic Party has on our local elections and is guiding a new caucus of moderate Democrats in the party. Nancy’s core issues are public safety, improving public schools, increasing the housing stock, and supporting small businesses. Outside of politics, Nancy is a career prosecutor, having served at the state and local level for 24 years.

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