Dr. Shirley N. Weber
"Recently at a political luncheon, I heard a speaker say that the task of those who are the “first” is not to beat their chest and brag about how wonderful they are. The task of those who are the “first” is to hold the door open for others to enter. The beginning of B.W.I.L.D. is my meager effort to hold the door open for other African American women to take the mantle of leadership at all levels. I learned as a parent that the true measure of my parenting is not what my kids do when I am present, but when I am gone. Too often leaders do not prepare for their inevitable departure. A succession plan is the only way we can guarantee forward progress. B.W.I.L.D. is an organization that has the potential to change the face of San Diego leadership and provides competent, compassionate and dedicated women whose experiences in this country are an excellent foundation for a future that is inclusive and progressive.
So lets B- WILD about it."
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Shirley N. Weber is a pioneering scholar and a visionary woman. She is the founder of the Black Women’s Institute for Leadership Development (BWILD).
Born to sharecroppers of Hope, Arkansas, Shirley Weber has lived in California since the age of 3. She attended UCLA, where she received her BA, MA and PhD by the age of 26. Prior to receiving her doctorate, she became a professor at San Diego State University (SDSU) at the age of 23. Dr. Weber also taught at California State University at Los Angeles and Los Angeles City College before coming to San Diego State University to teach for four decades.
Dr. Weber was elected to the San Diego Unified School Board in 1988 where she served eight years. As a local school board member, and subsequent board president, she became known for her advocacy for closing the achievement gap and a higher standard of excellence for all children.
From 2005-2006, Dr. Weber hosted a popular weekly radio program weekly entitled, "It's a New Day with Dr. Shirley Weber," on KURS AM 1040. The program was broadcast live throughout San Diego and internationally over the internet. In 2006, she aired her program live from Johannesburg, South Africa, sharing her students' perspectives and those of local South Africans. Dr. Weber has lectured throughout the United States, Caribbean and Africa.
Dr. Weber was elected in November of 2012 to represent California's 79th Assembly District in the San Diego Area. Dr. Weber is the first African American to be elected into the California State Legislature south of Los Angeles. Dr. Weber has the chaired the Assembly Budget and the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Public Safety. She also serves as a member of the Assembly Standing Committees on Education, Higher Education, Elections, Budget and Banking and Finance.
Prior to being elected to the Assembly, she served as the mayor's appointee and Chair on the Citizens' Equal Opportunity Commission. Dr. Weber has also served on the Board of the NAACP, YWCA, YMCA Scholarship Committee, Battered Women Services, United Way, San Diego Consortium and Private Industry Council, and many more.
Assembly Member Weber is the mother of two children and the widow of the late Honorable Daniel Weber, a California state judge.