Alix Rosenthal

Alix Rosenthal is a lifelong Democrat, a woman of action, a Facebook addict, a Burning Man enthusiast and a fierce community organizer.

Alix works as a Deputy City Attorney for the City of Oakland, specializing in public ethics and transparency laws. Having graduated from Northwestern University in 1995, and the University of Virginia School of Law in 1999, she has practiced law for over ten years, starting her career at a big scary law firm defending asbestos manufacturers. After a few years of crushing guilt and working one too many weekends, Alix made her move to the public sector, and hasn't looked back.

In 2002, at the age of 29, Alix got her start in San Francisco politics with her appointment to the newly-created Elections Commission. The voters had charged the Commission with overseeing a badly-managed department with transparency issues, low morale and big PR problems (see: ballot boxes floating in the Bay). As its President and Vice President in those first few years, Alix helped to turn the ailing department around and earned her stripes in city government in the process.

Alix's political activities date back to her high school years in Claremont, California, where her mother once served as Mayor. Alix is proud of her work on the Boards of Directors of Livable City and San Francisco Tomorrow, organizations dedicated to making San Francisco a more livable and sustainable city, advocating for alternative transportation, affordable housing, and thoughtful long-term planning and development.

A lifelong advocate for women, Alix has served as President of the National Women's Political Caucus (SF Chapter), she founded the San Francisco Women's Political Summit, and she graduated from the first class of the Emerge program, which recruits and trains Democratic women to run for office. In 2006, at the urging of friends in the progressive movement, Alix ran for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in District 8. To the surprise of many (including herself), she garnered 30% of the vote against a formidable and well-liked incumbent.

Alix is passionate about promoting public art, nightlife and culture in San Francisco. A longtime Burning Man enthusiast, Alix sits on the Board of Directors of the Black Rock Arts Foundation, a San Francisco nonprofit which promotes civic engagement by placing interactive public art projects around the world. Alix has worked with the city to prevent the demise of some of San Francisco's flagship cultural events, and has advocated tirelessly to preserve the city's nightlife and unique character.

Alix has lived in San Francisco's Ashbury Heights since 1999, with her dog Martha and a hardy assortment of houseplants