Second Vice President Lisa Middleton

Lisa Middleton was first elected to the Palm Springs City Council in November 2017. Running unopposed, she was re-elected to City Council in November 2020. Middleton’s current term ends in December 2024.

On December 9, 2021, Middleton became the Mayor of Palm Springs. She is the third transgender person in U.S. history to serve as mayor of an American city and the first transgender person to serve as mayor in the state of California.

In April 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Middleton to the Board of Administrators of the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS). CalPERS provides pensions to 1.9 million people, health benefits to over 1.5 million people, and has global investment assets in excess of $450 billion.

In addition, Middleton is a member of the board of directors for:

• Riverside County Transportation Commission
• Sunline Transit Agency
• Metrolink (Alternate)
• League of California Cities
• Equality California Institute
• The Candidate School at Yale University
• California Association of Councils of Governments
  

This came after Middleton retired from her 36 year-career with California’s State Compensation Insurance Fund, where she moved her way up the ranks. At her retirement, she was the Senior Vice President of Internal Affairs.

A graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles, Middleton also received her master’s degree in public administration from the University of Southern California. She has been recognized for her work with achievement and leadership awards from the California Workers Compensation Institute, Palm Springs Pride Association, Equality California, Democratic Women of the Desert, SAGE/LGBT Senior Advocates, LGBTQ Center of the Desert, and the California State Legislative LGBT Caucus.

Middleton is the first transgender person elected to a political office in the state of California. Together since 2000, she and her wife Cheryl were married in July 2013. She is the proud parent of two accomplished educators.