Lisa Middleton

Last updated
Cheryl
​
(m. 2013)​
Lisa Middleton
Lisa Middleton 2017.12.08 People Changing the World, Washington, DC USA 1340 (cropped).jpg
Lisa Middleton in 2017
Mayor of Palm Springs
In office
December 9, 2021 –December 16, 2022
Children2
Education University of California, Los Angeles
Alma mater University of Southern California (MPA)
Known forFirst openly transgender person elected to a non-judicial office in California

Lisa Middleton (born 1952) is an American politician, who served as the Mayor of Palm Springs from 2021 to 2022. [5] A member of the Democratic Party, Middleton served on the Palm Springs City Council from 2017 to 2024, and is the first openly transgender person elected in California for a non-judicial position. [6]

Contents

After serving as Mayor Pro Tempore of Palm Springs from 2020 to 2021, [7] Middleton succeeded Christy Holstege as the city's mayor on December 9, 2021 and became the first openly transgender mayor in California. [8]

Early life and education

Lisa Middleton as Palm Springs Mayor. Mayor Lisa Middleton.png
Lisa Middleton as Palm Springs Mayor.

Middleton was born and raised in East Los Angeles. [9] She attended UCLA, graduating in 1974 with a bachelor's degree in political science. [9] In 1979, Middleton earned a Master of Public Administration from University of Southern California. [10] [9] She has also completed the UCLA LGBT Leadership Institute. [10]

Career

Middleton worked for 36 years with the State Compensation Insurance Fund of the State of California. When she retired she was the senior vice president of internal affairs with executive responsibility for internal audit, fraud investigation, public records and governance. She was also a member of California's Fraud Assessment Commission, which she chaired in 2010. [10]

Middleton also served on the Riverside County Transportation Commission, the Sunline Board of Directors as Chair, [11] and as an alternate to the Metrolink Board of Directors. She was appointed in April 2019 by Governor Gavin Newsom to the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) Board of Administration. She is a member of the League of California Cities (Cal Cities) Board of Directors and the President (September 2021 – 2022) of the Cal Cities Riverside County Division. [10]

In 2024, Middleton ran an unsuccessful bid for a seat in the California State Senate. She was term-limited from continuing to serve on the Palm Springs City Council, and thus had to resign from CalPERS in February 2025. In September 2025, Newsom reappointed Middleton to CalPERS as a representative of the insurance industry. [9]

Personal life

After 13 years together, Lisa and her wife Cheryl, a retired nurse, were married in July 2013. [10] They have two children, a son and a daughter. [10] Middleton is transgender and transitioned in the mid-1990s. [9]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Dec 15, 2022 City Council Regular Meeting - Palm Springs, CA". palmspringsca.new.swagit.com. Retrieved 2022-12-16.
  2. ↑ Uken, Cindy (2022-12-15). "Grace Garner Preps to become Palm Springs Mayor". Uken Report. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
  3. ↑ Reyes, Jesus (2022-12-16). "Grace Garner sworn in as Palm Springs first Latina mayor". KESQ. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
  4. ↑ "New Palm Springs City Council Includes First Latina Mayor". NBC Palm Springs. 2022-12-17. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
  5. ↑ "Dec 09, 2021 City Council Regular Meeting – Palm Springs, CA". palmspringsca.new.swagit.com. Retrieved 2022-07-02.
  6. ↑ "Palm Springs election: Transgender candidate makes history in California". Desert Sun. Retrieved 2019-02-20.
  7. ↑ "Dec 09, 2021 City Council Regular Meeting - Palm Springs, CA". palmspringsca.new.swagit.com. Retrieved 2022-12-16.
  8. ↑ Albani-Burgio, Paul. "Lisa Middleton becomes first transgender mayor in Palm Springs — and in California". The Desert Sun. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Bajko, Matthew S. (September 15, 2025). "Political Notes: Trans leader Middleton regains CalPERS oversight board seat". Bay Area Reporter . Retrieved September 17, 2025.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Mayor & City Council | City of Palm Springs". www.palmspringsca.gov. Archived from the original on 2019-02-22. Retrieved 2019-02-20.
  11. ↑ "Boards and Committees | SunLine Transit Agency". www.sunline.org. Retrieved 2022-07-03.
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