Vita - 2013

County Clerk/Elections Department
701 Ocean St., Room 210
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Tel: 831-454-2419
Fax: 831-454-2445
gail.pellerin@co.santa-cruz.ca.us
www.votescount.com / www.sccoclerk.com

Education
Bachelor of Science, Journalism, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, June 1984.

Professional Development
County Clerk, Santa Cruz County. Appointed in July 2004 and elected in June 2006 and June 2010 (4-year terms) to serve as County Clerk/Registrar of Voters. Duties include those listed below under Elections Manager as well as the following: issuance of marriage licenses, commissioner of civil marriages, filing and indexing of fictitious business name statements, processing of passports, filing and recording of notary bonds, managing the fiscal responsibilities of these tasks, as well as various other duties pursuant to the California Government Code. July 2004 to Present

Elections Manager, Santa Cruz County. Primary elections official for the County of Santa Cruz. Duties include drafting and managing annual budget; training and supervising full-time staff and temporary employees; training poll workers; preparing manuals on various elections processes; coordinating voter activities for the county's registered voters; managing the voter roll; advising candidates for federal, state, and local offices of filing requirements; working with the county's incorporated cities, school and special districts in conducting their elections; billing political jurisdictions for the cost of conducting their elections; preparing state reimbursement claims; proposing new laws and lobbying to enact election related legislation at the state and federal level to improve the elections process. July 1993 to July 2004

Governmental/Community Relations Consultant. Part-time governmental/community relations consultant for Touche Manufacturing Company, Inc. in San Jose (largest Hispanic-owned business in the San Jose Area). Duties included obtaining $600,000 in employment training grant funds; working on workers' compensation reforms; obtaining minority business enterprise certification from the Department of Transportation; working with state and local government to promote economic revitalization in east San Jose. January 1993 to July 1993

Assistant Director, Speaker's Office of Majority Services. Duties included managing 32 staff persons who consult Democratic Assemblymembers in the areas of state budget, legislation, media, community organizing, and constituent assistance. I directed the Legislative Unit within the office as well as coordinated matters relating to California's budget. Budget duties included analyzing state budget issues for 47 Democratic Assemblymembers and 700 staff persons as well as advising Assemblymembers on budget matters. 1991 to 1992

Director of Legislative Unit – Speaker's Office of Majority Services. Duties included managing and training seven staff persons; directing and participating in writing legislation; working legislation through each House of the Legislature and to the Governor; assisting Assemblymembers with legislative projects; researching vote histories; writing summaries of policy issues for distribution to 47 Assemblymembers and 700 staff persons; and making speeches to various groups. 1988 to 1992

Legislative Aide, Speaker' Office of Majority Services. Duties included operating District Office program servicing 44 Assemblymembers; writing, editing, and distributing a newsletter (circulation 320); writing press releases, columns, and other material for publications produced by the office; organizing conferences and seminars throughout the state; training staff; and providing assistance and consultation to 175 district office staff persons. 1987 to 1988

Campaign Assistant. I have held several positions, including Assistant Manager, with numerous campaigns throughout the State. My duties have included drafting and implementing direct mail programs; developing campaign strategies; organizing voter outreach programs; writing speech materials; fundraising; conducting opposition research; mobilizing community involvement; organizing media events; and coordinating volunteers. 1997 to 1992

Field Representative to State Assemblymember. Administered Merced County District Office of Assemblymember Rusty Areias. Duties included representing Assemblymember Areias at district events; resolving constituents' problems; managing office operations; preparing legislative proposals; and writing press releases, speeches, and correspondence. 1985 to 1987

Community College Instructor. Part-time instructor at the Merced Community College, Westside Center. Duties included instructing classes in basic writing and news writing/editing. 1985 to 1987

Newspaper Reporter. I held several positions with various newspapers and publications in California: the San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune daily newspaper; the Santa Maria Times daily newspaper; the Elk Grove Citizen twice-weekly newspaper; the Morro Bay Central Coast Sun Bulletin. 1982 to 1985

Publications
Implementing Risk-Limiting Post Election Audits in California. June 2009. Co-author.

Election Guidebooks.
• Candidate Handbook
• How to do a County Initiative
• How to Fill a Vacancy
• Guide to Recall for City Offices
• Guide to Registering Voters
• Guide to Writing Arguments, Rebuttals, and Analyses
• How to do a City Referendum
• How to do a City Initiative
• Voters with Specific Needs. Services for Votes with Disabilities, Bilingual Voters, and Other Voters with Specific Needs.
• What is the Electoral College?
• When and How to Call and Election

Presentations/Trainings
Elections Assistance Commission Webinar. Presented on Educating Voters. September 17, 2013

Presidential Commission on Election Administration. Presented on the following subjects: Voters with Disabilities and Voting by Mail. August 6, 2013

Future of California Elections Conference. Election Reforms: What Should We Prioritize for 2013 and Beyond? January 23, 2013

Recount Regulations. A panel discussion at the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials Annual Conference. Panelist. July 2009.

Marriage, Equality and the Law. A panel discussion sponsored by the ACLU Santa Cruz Chapter. Panelist. May 2007.

Initiative, Recall, and Referendum. Speaker at League of California Cities conferences. Participants received credit toward clerk certification. December 2008, March 2005, and December 2005.

Voters with Specific Needs, California Professional Election Administration Credential (CalPEAC) course 9. Co-instructed class, March 2007 and July 2005.

Budget/Finance for the Election Administrator, California Professional Election Administration Credential (CalPEAC). Course Instructor. December 2003.

Poll Worker Training Classes. 10 to 14 courses are conducted prior to each election. 1993 to Present.

The Faces, Places and Other Ingredients for a Successful Election. Summer Institute Training, California Association of Clerks and Election Officials. Co-chaired the 3-day training at Stanford University. June 1999. Served on the Summer Institute Training committee in 2001 and 2003.


Awards & Credentials
Kudos Award from the Santa Cruz County Commission on Disabilities. 2010

Hammer of Justice Award from the Santa Cruz County Chapter of the ACLU. August 2009.

Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors Proclamation. Honored for service to community including work on marriage equality issues. July 2009.

City of Santa Cruz Mayor’s Proclamation. Honored for service to community including work on marriage equality issues. July 2009.

California Professional Election Administration Credential, January 2006.

Leadership Santa Cruz County Graduate. Class XII, 1996-1997.


Memberships

Future of California Elections Steering Committee Member. December 2011 to Present.

Member of the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials (CACEO). 1993 to Present. President 2010-2012.

Secretary of State’s Voting Accessibility Advisory Committee, Co-Chair. 2006 and 2008 to Present.

Santa Cruz County Voting Accessibility Advisory Committee. 1993 to Present.

Santa Cruz Community Prevention Partners – bridging drug and alcohol prevention efforts for a safer community. 2012 to Present.

PTA for Vine Hill Elementary School. Served as Vice President, Co-chair of the Silent Auction Committee and Member of the “Dollar A Day” Steering Committee to raise $950,000 for the school district for FY 2004/05. 1995 to 2005.

Planned Parenthood Mar Monte Board of Directors from 1994 to 1996; served on the Community Affairs and Education Committee in 1993. 1993 to 1998.

Santa Cruz County Drug Abuse Commission. Appointed by the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors. 1993 to 1995.